Political Quotes

“in honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month in which our Nation pays a special tribute to the contributions of some 15 million of our fellow Americans who are of Asian Pacific descent, I want to honor in particular the thousands of our Asian Pacific Americans who serve in the Armed Forces of our Nation. In particular, Mr. Speaker, the sacrifices of some 10,000 nisei or Japanese American soldiers who fought for our Nation in the field of battle during World War II. It was a time in our Nation's history when there was so much hatred, bigotry, and racism placed against Japanese Americans; yet despite all this, leaving their parents, their brothers and sisters, their wives behind barbed-wired fences in these concentration camps that were established, the White House accepted the request of over 10,000 Japanese Americans who volunteered to join the Army. As a result, two combat units were organized, the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Combat Group. Mr. Speaker, the military records of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry are without equal. A 314 percent casualty rate, receiving over 18,000 individual declarations, most of them posthumously: some 20 Congressional Medals of Honor, 33 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 9,480 Purple Hearts. That's quite a record, Mr. Speaker.…”