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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The history of Asian Americans and Pacific
3Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the
4story of the United States; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Asian American and Pacific Islander community
6is an inherently diverse population, comprised of over 45
7distinct ethnicities and over 100 language dialects; and
 
8    WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, the
9Asian American population grew faster than any other racial or
10ethnic group over the last decade, surging nearly 72 percent
11between 2000 and 2015; and
 
12    WHEREAS, One of the earliest records of Asian and Pacific
13Islander Americans in the United States dates back to 1763 in
14New Orleans, Louisiana, where Filipino sailors who worked the
15Manila-Acapulco trade route settled; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have made
17indelible contributions to the history of Illinois and the
18United States that include, but are not limited to, building
19the Transcontinental Railroad, serving honorably in the Armed
20Forces, fighting for the United States in foreign wars, and
21advocating for civil rights; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have endured
2hardships, including unjust working conditions, prejudice, and
3discrimination in some of the darkest times in our State's and
4nation's history, including the Chinese Exclusion Act,
5naturalized citizenship ineligibility, the Alien Land Law,
6anti-miscegenation laws, and Japanese internment; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans continue to
8cultivate, advance, and lead in the fields of art, fashion,
9business, technology, education, science, government, law,
10humanities, medicine, sports, and entertainment; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Illinois
12represent diverse ancestries that include, but are not limited
13to, Indian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodian,
14Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean,
15Laotian, Malaysian, Maldivian, Mongolian, Nepalese, Native
16Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Okinawan, Pakistani, Samoan,
17Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Tongan, and other Pacific
18Islands; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Federal law designates May as Asian/Pacific
20American Heritage Month in Section 102 of Title 36 of the
21United States Code; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage
2Month provides Illinoisans with an opportunity to recognize the
3achievements, contributions, and history of Asian and Pacific
4Islander Americans; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize that Asian
7American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich
8diversity of and strengthen the State of Illinois and the
9United States, and we commend Asian and Pacific Islander
10Americans for their notable accomplishments and contributions
11to Illinois; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we declare May 2019 as Asian and Pacific
13Islander American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.