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[Page S2583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today, in honor of Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month. Every year, throughout the month of May, the
people of the United States join together to pay tribute to the
contributions and achievements of generations of Asian Americans,
Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, AAPI, who have enriched the
history, culture, and traditions of this country.
Today, there are approximately 23,000,000 AAPis in the United States,
representing more than 45 distinct ethnic groups and speaking over 100
language dialects. As the fastest growing minority population, the AAPI
community continues to have an increasing impact on our national
discourse. There are now 20 AAPI members of Congress, and a record
number of AAPIs are serving in State and Territorial legislatures
across the Nation.
This year, as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month amid
a pandemic, we recognize the over 2,000,000 AAPIS working on the
frontlines as healthcare professionals, first responders, transit
operators, and in supermarkets and other essential service industries.
Every day, these heroic individuals risk their lives to protect the
health and safety of Americans during the COVID-19 public health
emergency.
We also reflect broadly on the achievements and contributions of the
AAPI community in the areas of politics and government, education and
the arts, music, writing and literature, sports, business, medicine,
and law. We pay tribute to the leaders before us, who overcame great
adversity and paved the way forward.
We honor great statesmen like Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first person
of Native Hawaiian ancestry to serve in the U.S. Senate. Throughout his
nearly four decades in Congress, Senator Akaka worked to change the
public's perception of the AAPI community and helped to preserve and
restore Hawaiian language, culture, and traditions. Although he
recently passed away, Senator Akaka's spirit as a true champion of
aloha endures.
We also remember influential labor organizers like Larry ltliong,
Peter Velasco, and Philip Vera Cruz, who in 1965, led the Filipino-
American farmworkers to strike alongside Cesar Chavez, demanding better
pay, benefits, and working conditions. The Delano Grape Strike was one
of the most pivotal civil rights and labor movements in American
history. It opened doors for immigrants and people of color and
inspired countless others to stand together and demand their rights.
Around the time that the Filipino-American grape workers began their
strike in 1965, Congress enacted the Immigration and Nationality Act,
INA, also known as the Hart-Celler Act. This landmark legislation
overturned discriminatory race- and nationality-based immigration
policies that previously barred immigration from Asia. The INA
established new policies based on reuniting families and attracting
skilled professionals and helped refugees fleeing violence or unrest,
notably those escaping war-torn Southeast Asia. By opening the United
States to immigration from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the INA's
enduring legacy includes diversifying the demographic makeup of our
country.
This month, I introduced a resolution in honor of Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month. While we commemorate the contributions of the
AAPI community, this pandemic has tested the strength of our nation.
Anti-Asian racism and attacks are on the rise, stoked by those in the
highest levels of government. This recent surge in discrimination and
hate crimes against the AAPI community demonstrates how much work must
still be done to achieve full equality. As a country of immigrants, we
must now, more than ever, embrace the rich diversity of our
communities, and stand up for the civil rights and equal treatment of
all Americans.
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