Commission to Study the Potential Creation of A National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 3525, a bill I authored to establish a commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.

I want to first thank Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Westerman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Congressman Bentz, and Chairman Neguse and Ranking Member Fulcher of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for their work with me on bringing this bill to the floor.

Second, I thank Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, and Whip Clyburn for their support on this historic legislation. I also acknowledge and thank Chairperson Lofgren of the Committee on House Administration for her support in moving this bill forward.

I first introduced this bill in the 114th Congress, and during that Congress, we witnessed the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture that our former colleague, the legendary John Lewis, spearheaded for decades.

Since then, we have seen legislation establishing the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum signed into law.

Our communities and caucuses have stood together in each of these efforts, and it is a joy to see this AAPI museum study bill arrive at this point today.

America is filled with diverse stories of achievement and moments of tragedy. Within our shared history, there are countless tales of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, or AAPIs, contributing to every facet of our Nation.

As far back as the 1700s, AAPIs have shaped American society. From the Chinese laborers who helped build the transcontinental railroad, a vital piece of U.S. infrastructure, to the thousands of AAPIs who fought for fair working conditions for agricultural workers during the Hawaii sugar strike of 1946, AAPIs have and continue to shape this Nation's history.

Yet, those contributions are often unheard of and simply forgotten. It is time to change that. A national museum dedicated to collecting, preserving, and displaying these tales is long overdue.

Museums provide a space to reflect on our past, assess our present, and dream of the future that we are working toward.

My bill is one step closer to the creation of a national museum dedicated to our AAPI American history. The commission established through this legislation will be comprised of experts in their respective fields who will be responsible for studying the feasibility of creating a national museum and providing recommendations to Congress on whether to, and how to establish a national museum.

Additionally, the commission will study logistical questions of exhibit curation, fundraising capacity, cost of creating and maintaining such an institution, and whether or not this museum should be part of the Smithsonian Institution.

AAPIs are the fastest growing ethnic group in America, and the contributions of this community have shaped our Nation's infrastructure, economy, culture, and so much more. We must never forget that AAPI history is also American history.

Today's consideration of H.R. 3525 is a necessary step to ensure the full face of American diversity across our entire country is displayed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

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