HR0357 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is appropriate and right to celebrate a diversity of cultures and heritages; this celebration serves as a reminder that despite our differing backgrounds, everyone in Illinois is bound by a common hope for a better and more inclusive future for our children; and

WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are among the fastest growing ethnic groups in Illinois; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up over 5% of the population of Illinois; the community grew by over 40% between 2000 and 2010; and

WHEREAS, The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has a long and integral history in the United States; in recognition and celebration of that history, the United States Congress established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in 1978; that week was extended to the full month of May with the signature of President George H. W. Bush in 1990; and

WHEREAS, May is an appropriate month for the observation of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 7, 1843 was the arrival date of Nakahama Manjiro, the first Japanese immigrant to the United States; it was on May 10, 1869 that the United States was united coast to coast by the Transcontinental Railroad with the placement of the "Golden Spike"; the railroad was made possible by herculean efforts of the mostly Chinese immigrant workers; and

WHEREAS, The Asian American community played a heroic role in the Second World War; the 442nd Infantry regiment, made mostly of Japanese Americans, fought for the United States while their families at home were facing harsh discrimination and internment; the 442nd became one of the most decorated units for its size, earning almost 10,000 Purple Hearts; and

WHEREAS, Despite the contributions of the different Asian Americans and immigrants, the Asian American community has faced challenges and discrimination in the United States; many of the Chinese laborers were treated extremely poorly during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad and none of the Chinese Americans were allowed in the famous picture of the "Golden Spike"; Asian immigrants faced xenophobia and outright violence throughout periods of the 19th and 20th centuries; on May 6, 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act; Congress passed even more draconian legislation in 1924 in the form of the Immigration Act of 1924 which prevented most people of Asia from immigrating to the United States; and

WHEREAS, Despite this discrimination, brilliant leaders from different Asian American communities have contributed to the legacy of the United States; leaders like Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American elected to Congress; Fred T. Korematsu, the champion of civil liberties and of the Japanese Americans interned during the Second World War; Larry Dulay Itliong, hero for the labor movement; and Grace Lee Boggs and Patsy Mink, a transformative force for Title IX; all have served as movers and shakers in the United States; whether as soldiers, laborers, business owners, advocates, or community leaders, those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community continue to rise up to the challenges they face and serve as a force for good in the State of Illinois and the United States; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May of 2017 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in honor of the people in these communities in Illinois and the nation.