Political Quotes

“I rise today in recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each May, we celebrate and remember the many contributions that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have made to our history and continue to make today. As a nation, we have made significant progress with respect to the inclusion and representation of the AAPI community across the many facets of our society, from actress Michelle Yeoh's barrier-breaking accomplishment this year as the first Asian-American winner of the Oscars' Best Actress award to Maryland's very own Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, who was sworn in just a few months ago as Maryland's first immigrant and first Asian American to be elected to statewide office. AAPI children are finally getting to grow up seeing faces that look like theirs in film, music, sports, politics, and every other arena of public life. This progress didn't just happen overnight; it is the fruit of labor of generations of AAPI activists and leaders, along with their allies. A labor that, in some cases, cost them their lives. I think of the Chinese laborers, for instance, who played a critical role in building America's first transcontinental railroad, yet they were met with discrimination and exclusion at every turn. They faced hardship, hard working conditions, and were paid only half as much as their White counterparts.…”