Political Quotes

“In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I proudly rise to introduce a concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a book entitled ``Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress.'' Each year during the month of May, we celebrate the rich heritage of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans throughout the country, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Congressmen Frank Horton and Norman Mineta, who sponsored legislation celebrating the first official Asian Pacific American Week in 1978. In 1992, Congressman Horton authored legislation expanding the week into a permanent month-long celebration of the proud mosaic of histories and ethnicities of this most diverse national community. Asian and Pacific Islanders are indeed a diverse constellation of peoples from 40 major subpopulation groups of Pacific Islander Americans including Chamorros, Native Hawaiians and Samoans; Southeast Asian Americans such as Cambodians, Vietnamese, Hmongs and Laotians; East Asian Americans including Chinese, Japanese and Koreans; and South Asian Americans, including Indians and Pakistanis. Our national community boasts the most diverse minority group within the country, comprised of both immigrant and indigenous populations. The history of Congress includes 33 Asian and Pacific Islander Americans that have served from 1903 to the present.”