Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

CELEBRATING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 03, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. JIM McDERMOTT
OF WASHINGTON
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2005

Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the contributions made by Asian Pacific Americans. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and a time when every American should acknowledge the important role of Asian Pacific Americans in building our great nation.

The 7th Congressional District in Washington State, which I represent, is home to more than 78,000 Asian Americans, the largest minority group in the district comprising over 13% of the population. Today, Seattle is home to a rich and ethnically diverse cultural weave of Japanese, Asian Indian, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Cambodian, Laotian, Hmong, Vietnamese, Pacific Islanders and other Asian Americans.

The 1880 U.S. Census records the first resident of Japanese descent in the state of Washington. Over the next 150 years, Asian Americans contributed to our state and nation in many ways. In 1963, Wing Luke became the first Chinese American elected to the Seattle City Council, and today a museum is named in his honor. There were other triumphs: Ruby Chow was the first Chinese American woman elected locally and Gary Locke was the first Chinese American elected Governor. Many Asian Americans serve today in the Washington State Legislature, other local elected offices, key leadership roles in civic organizations, business and industry.

Asian American role models come from all walks of life. Like other ethnic populations, Asian Americans had to persevere against prejudice, racial injustice and discrimination. When they immigrated, they worked in the mines and Alaskan canneries, logged the forests, were the first non-Native fishermen, and farmed the land. Up until World War II, Japanese Americans supplied nearly three-quarters of western Washington's fruits and vegetables.

The war marked a turning point. Internment camps, including one near Seattle, were a stain on America's conscience and it took four decades before we acknowledged the mistake, and the suffering inflicted on thousands of innocent Asian Americans. We learned a lot during World War II, about the courage and patriotism of Asian Americans, and about our own shortcomings in letting fear overtake reason at a time of world conflict. In a small but important way, naming a federal courthouse in Seattle after William Nakamura, a Japanese American Medal of Honor winner, was a statement about America being stronger because of Asian Americans.

In Seattle, we proudly celebrate Asian Pacific American culture and heritage, from the Vietnamese Tet in Seattle Lunar New Year celebration to other local cultural festivals. We also honor Asian Pacific Americans by preserving the ethnic heritage of our citizens. Places like the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the Filipino American National Historical Society, and Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project keep us in touch with the roots of our neighbors. These wonderful resources proudly recall the past and proudly inspire the future.

By celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor the spirit of America as a nation of immigrants. By honoring Asian Pacific Americans, we honor Americans from every ethnic background. This celebration reminds us that America is a melting pot where we retain our ethnic heritage even as we assimilate the American experience. It is what makes America strong. It is what makes America the destination for people willing to risk their lives floating in rafts in the ocean to reach this great land. Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

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