S.Res. 129 — Introduced in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 129 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 6, 2013 Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Heller, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Warner, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Begich, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of May 2013 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. Whereas the United States joins together each May to pay tribute to the contributions of generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched the history of the United States; Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the story of the United States; Whereas the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community is an inherently diverse population comprised of more than 45 distinct ethnicities and more than 100 language dialects; Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, the Asian-American population grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States during the last decade, surging nearly 46 percent between 2000 and 2010, which is a growth rate 4 times faster than that of the total population of the United States; Whereas the 2010 decennial census estimated that there are approximately 17,300,000 residents of the United States who identify as Asian and approximately 1,200,000 residents of the United States who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, making up nearly 6 percent of the total population of the United States; Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month because the first immigrants from Japan arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from immigrants from China; Whereas 2013 marks 70 years since the repeal of the Act of May 5, 1892 (27 Stat. 25, chapter 60) (commonly known as the Geary Act or the Chinese Exclusion Act), and 25 years since the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 (50 U.S.C. App. 1989b et seq.) that granted reparations to Japanese Americans interned during World War II, both cases in which Congress acted to address discriminatory laws that targeted people of Asian descent; Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code, officially designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and requests the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; Whereas, in 2013, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a bicameral caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, is composed of 40 Members, including 13 Members of Asian or Pacific Islander descent; Whereas, in 2013, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are serving in State legislatures across the United States in record numbers, including in the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington; Whereas the number of Federal judges who are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders more than doubled between 2009 and 2013, reflecting a commitment to diversity in the Federal judiciary that has resulted in the confirmations of high caliber Asian-American and Pacific Islander judicial nominees; Whereas there remains much to be done to ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have access to resources and a voice in the Government of the United States and continue to advance in the political landscape of the United States; and Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to appreciate the challenges faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) recognizes the significance of May 2013 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States; and (2) recognizes that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community enhances the rich diversity of and strengthens the United States.