Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Each year, this month gives us the opportunity to celebrate the diverse group of peoples who make up Asian America. And there is much to celebrate; today, we see Asian Americans in every part of American society, from books and movies, to the highest halls of government. President Biden has appointed AANHPI leaders to key positions in the administration, including Ambassador Katherine Tai, Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar. At the same time, we recognize the many barriers broken by those who came before, to pave the wide road which we now traverse today. The AANHPI civil rights movement is inextricably tied with the Black civil rights movement that defined the mid-20th century, giving rise not only to well-known African-American activists like Martin Luther King, Jr, John Lewis, and Malcolm X, but also leaders like Grace Lee Boggs, Larry Itliong, and Patsy Mink. For many of us, these latter three names are not as familiar; only now are we as a country beginning to truly recognize the importance of the Asian-American movement, and to teach its history to the next generation. Asian- American activists played a key role in calling out U.S. involvement in colonialist conflicts like the Vietnam war, as well as racist housing and development projects at home.…”