Mr. President, I rise the recognize our country's diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population and commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I add my voice to those in the AAPI community recognizing and celebrating the unique contributions of this diverse community by introducing a resolution similar to that introduced in the other body by fellow members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Mr. President, it was more than 10 years ago when my friend and former colleague, Congressman Frank Horton of New York, took the important step of introducing and working to pass a bill to designate each May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, in perpetuity. His bill eventually became Public Law 102-450 on October 23, 1992. This was a single, important step to demonstrate the support of the Congress for a community that has always been a vital part of our Nation's heritage.
Historians note that the first Asians or Pacific Islanders to set foot on the continental United States were Filipinos manning Spanish galleons that sought to explore the new land in the 1500s. Filipino sailors later, in the 1700s, founded the first AAPI communities in the Louisiana bayous, using names such as Manila Village and Bayou Cholas. The first Japanese arrived on May 7, 1843, and others in 1869 attempted to establish the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony, in order to grow mulberries, tangerines, grapes, and tea. Chinese adventurers joined other gold-seekers in northern California in the 1800s, establishing the now-famous Chinatown in San Francisco in the 1850s, and working toward the establishment of the first transcontinental railroad – marked by Golden Spike Day, May 10, 1869. Of course, before all of this took place, the indigenous peoples most known to me, the Native Hawaiians, established a vibrant society, living and working the lands from roughly the 1200s on what was to become the 50th State in our precious Union. Prior to western contact, the Native Hawaiians lived in an advanced society steeped in science. The many other peoples in what is known now as the collective AAPI community have their own fascinating stories to tell about their first adventures and long heritage in America.
Advancing through history to come to the present, the AAPI community has grown so much from our years of "firsts" that it now numbers about 13.5 million – 12.5 million Asians and almost one million Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders. Together, AAPIs make up roughly 4.7 percent of the population. Even with this growth in overall size, we have remained inclusive of our various cultures and celebrated the positives among our differences as well as lauded our similarities. Indeed, my colleagues can certainly describe their favorite Korean, Thai, or Indian restaurants, or strive to distinguish one of our many languages from another, while acknowledging the major significance we collectively assign to educational access and attainment, service to the communities we live in, and deep-rooted family values. It is also prudent to note that AAPIs together continue to strive toward eliminating civil injustice and increasing our political involvement and participation in government, while looking to care for indivduals in our community who deny the stereotype of AAPIs as a "model minority" – those who are not faring as well as others and continue to live below the poverty level or fail to reach their full potential in school or in the workforce. It is not only for AAPIs but for all of us in this great country that I firmly believe that our individual identification and knowledge of our cultures of origin strengthen us when we come together as Americans. It is out of our many, glorious parts that we come together to make one shining whole. Thus, the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month truly is about all of us.
I urge my colleagues to support me in this resolution. I request that it be printed in the Record following my remarks and yield back the balance of my time.
