May 26, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3451 SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS Mink, the first Asian-American Congress- (2) encourages the celebration during woman, and Norman Y. Mineta, the first Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month of Asian-American member of a presidential the significant contributions Asian-Ameri- SENATE RESOLUTION 200—RECOG- cabinet, have made significant strides in the cans and Pacific Islanders have made to the NIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF political and military realms; United States; and THE DESIGNATION OF THE Whereas the Presidential Cabinet of the (3) recognizes that the Asian-American and Obama Administration includes a record 3 Pacific Islander community strengthens and MONTH OF MAY AS ASIAN/PA- Asian-Americans, including Secretary of En- enhances the rich diversity of the United CIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE ergy Steven Chu, Secretary of Commerce States. MONTH Gary Locke, and Secretary of Veterans Af- f Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, fairs Eric Shinseki; Whereas in 2011, the Congressional Asian SENATE RESOLUTION 201—EX- Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mr. Pacific American Caucus, a bicameral cau- PRESSING THE REGRET OF THE REID of Nevada) submitted the fol- cus of Members of Congress advocating on SENATE FOR THE PASSAGE OF lowing resolution; which was referred behalf of Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- DISCRIMINATORY LAWS to the Committee on the Judiciary: landers, includes 30 Members of Congress; AGAINST THE CHINESE IN AMER- S. RES. 200 Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- ICA, INCLUDING THE CHINESE Whereas each May, the people of the landers have made history by assuming of- EXCLUSION ACT fice in a number of new and historically sig- United States join together to pay tribute to Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts (for the contributions of the generations of nificant positions, including Nikki Haley, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders who the first Asian-American and first female himself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HATCH, have enriched the history of the United Governor of the State of South Carolina, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. RUBIO, States; Edwin M. Lee, the first Asian-American and Mr. AKAKA) submitted the fol- Whereas the history of Asian-Americans Mayor of San Francisco, California, and Jean lowing resolution; which was referred and Pacific Islanders in the United States is Quan, the first Asian-American and first to the Committee on the Judiciary: woman to serve as Mayor of Oakland, Cali- inextricably tied to the history of the United S. RES. 201 fornia; States; Whereas many Chinese came to the United Whereas as of 2011, according to the United Whereas as of the date of approval of this resolution, Asian-American and Pacific Is- States in the 19th and 20th centuries, as did States Census Bureau, the Asian-American people from other countries, in search of the and Pacific Islander community is 1 of the lander leaders are serving in State legisla- tures across the United States in record opportunity to create a better life for them- fastest growing and most diverse populations selves and their families; in the United States and is comprised of numbers, including in the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Whereas the contributions of persons of more than 45 distinct ethnicities and more Chinese descent in the agriculture, mining, than 28 language groups; Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vir- manufacturing, construction, fishing, and Whereas the 2010 United States Census es- canning industries were critical to estab- timates that there are— ginia, Utah, and Washington; Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- lishing the foundations for economic growth (1) 17,300,000 United States residents who in the Nation, particularly in the western identify themselves as Asian alone or in landers have risen to some of the highest staff levels in the Obama Administration, in- United States; combination with 1 or more other races; and Whereas United States industrialists re- (2) 1,200,000 United States residents who cluding Pete Rouse, who is the first Asian- American to serve as White House Chief of cruited thousands of Chinese workers to as- identify themselves as Native Hawaiian and sist in the construction of the Nation’s first other Pacific Islander alone or in combina- Staff, Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, Chris Lu, White major national transportation infrastruc- tion with 1 or more other races; ture, the Transcontinental Railroad; Whereas the United States Census Bureau House Cabinet Secretary, Neal Katyal, Act- ing Solicitor General of the United States, Whereas Chinese laborers, who made up projects that by the year 2050— the majority of the western portion of the (1) there will be 40,600,000 United States Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Develop- railroad workforce, faced grueling hours and residents identifying themselves as Asian extremely harsh conditions in order to lay alone or in combination with 1 or more other ment, L. Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Sec- retary for Public and Intergovernmental Af- hundreds of miles of track and were paid sub- races, comprising 9 percent of the total popu- standard wages; lation of the United States; and fairs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Anthony M. Babauta, Assistant Secretary Whereas without the tremendous efforts (2) there will be 2,600,000 United States and technical contributions of these Chinese residents identifying themselves as Native for Insular Areas of the Department of Inte- rior, and many others; immigrants, the completion of this vital na- Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone or tional infrastructure would have been seri- as Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Is- Whereas the commitment of the United States to judicial diversity has been dem- ously impeded; lander in combination with 1 or more other Whereas from the middle of the 19th cen- races, comprising 0.6 percent of the total onstrated through the nomination of high caliber Asian-Americans and other minority tury through the early 20th century, Chinese population of the United States; immigrants faced racial ostracism and vio- Whereas the month of May was selected for jurists at all levels of the Federal bench; Whereas significant outreach efforts to the lent assaults, including— Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month due (1) the 1887 Snake River Massacre in Or- Asian-American and Pacific Islander com- to the facts that on May 7, 1843, the first egon, at which 31 Chinese miners were killed; Japanese immigrants arrived in the United munity have been made through the reestab- and States, and on May 10, 1869, the first trans- lishment of the White House Initiative on (2) numerous other incidents, including at- continental railroad was completed, with Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to co- tacks on Chinese immigrants in Rock substantial contributions from Chinese im- ordinate multiagency efforts to ensure more Springs, San Francisco, Tacoma, and Los migrants; accurate data collection and access to serv- Angeles; Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- ices for the community; Whereas the United States instigated the landers have faced injustices throughout the Whereas even with the exceptional mile- negotiation of the Burlingame Treaty, rati- history of the United States, including the stones achieved by the Asian-American and fied by the Senate on October 19, 1868, which Act of May 5, 1892 (27 Stat. 25, chapter 60) Pacific Islander community, there remains permitted the free movement of the Chinese (commonly known as the ‘‘Geary Act’’ or the much to be done to ensure that linguistically people to, from, and within the United ‘‘Chinese Exclusion Act’’), the internment of and culturally isolated Asian-Americans and States and accorded to China the status of Japanese-Americans during World War II, Pacific Islanders have access to resources, a ‘‘most favored nation’’; unpunished hate crimes, such as the murder voice in the Federal Government, and con- Whereas before consenting to the ratifica- of Vincent Chin, and other events; tinue to advance in the political landscape of tion of the Burlingame Treaty, the Senate Whereas section 102 of title 36, United the United States; and required that the Treaty would not permit States Code, officially designates May as Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific Amer- Chinese immigrants in the United States to Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and ican Heritage Month provides the people of be naturalized United States citizens; requests the President to issue an annual the United States with an opportunity to Whereas on July 14, 1870, Congress ap- proclamation calling on the people of the recognize the achievements, contributions, proved An Act to Amend the Naturalization United States to observe the month with ap- and history of Asian-Americans and Pacific Laws and to Punish Crimes against the propriate programs, ceremonies, and activi- Islanders and to appreciate the challenges Same, and for other Purposes, and during ties; faced by Asian-Americans and Pacific Island- consideration of such Act, the Senate ex- Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Is- ers: Now, therefore, be it pressly rejected an amendment to allow Chi- landers, such as Yuri Kochiyama, a civil Resolved, That the Senate— nese immigrants to naturalize; rights activist, Herbert Pililaau, recipient of (1) recognizes the significance of the des- Whereas Chinese immigrants were subject the Medal of Honor, Dalip Singh Saund, the ignation of the month of May as