Full Text of HR1078 100th General Assembly
HR1078 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is right and appropriate to celebrate a | 3 | | diversity of cultures and heritages;
this celebration serves as | 4 | | a reminder that despite our differing backgrounds, everyone in | 5 | | Illinois is
bound by a common hope for a better and more | 6 | | inclusive future for our children; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are among | 8 | | the fastest growing ethnic
groups in Illinois; Asian Americans | 9 | | and Pacific Islanders make up more than 5% of the population
of | 10 | | the State; the community grew by over 40% between 2000 and | 11 | | 2010; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, The Asian American and Pacific Islander community | 13 | | has a long and integral
history in the United States; in | 14 | | recognition and celebration of that history, the United States | 15 | | Congress established
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in | 16 | | 1978; that week was extended to the full month of
May in 1990; | 17 | | and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, May is an appropriate month for the observation of | 19 | | Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, since May 7, 1843 | 20 | | marked the arrival date of the first Japanese immigrant to
the | 21 | | United States; May 10, 1869 is the date that the United States | 22 | | was united coast to coast by
the Transcontinental Railroad with |
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| 1 | | the placement of the "Golden Spike"; the railroad was made
| 2 | | possible by the herculean efforts of the mostly Chinese | 3 | | immigrant workers; May 6, 1882 marks the passage of the Chinese | 4 | | Exclusion Act, which shaped the course of Asian immigration for | 5 | | almost a century to come; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The Asian American community played a heroic role | 7 | | in the Second World
War; the 442nd Infantry regiment, made | 8 | | mostly of Japanese Americans, fought for the United
States | 9 | | while their families at home were facing harsh discrimination | 10 | | and internment; the 442nd
became one of the most decorated | 11 | | units for its size, earning almost 10,000 Purple Hearts; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Despite the contributions of the different Asian | 13 | | Americans and immigrants,
the Asian American community has | 14 | | faced challenges and discrimination in the United States; many | 15 | | of the Chinese laborers were treated extremely poorly during | 16 | | the construction of the
Transcontinental Railroad and none of | 17 | | the Chinese Americans were allowed in the famous
picture of the | 18 | | "Golden Spike"; Asian immigrants faced xenophobia and outright | 19 | | violence
throughout periods of the 19th and 20th centuries; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Despite this inequity, brilliant leaders from | 21 | | different Asian American communities have contributed to the | 22 | | history of our country; leaders like
Dalip Singh Saund, who was | 23 | | the first Asian American elected to Congress; Fred T. Korematsu |
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| 1 | | a the
champion of civil liberties and of the Japanese Americans | 2 | | interned during the Second World War; Larry
Dulay Itliong was a | 3 | | hero for the labor movement; and Grace Lee Boggs and Patsy Mink | 4 | | were both a transformative
force for Title IX; all have made | 5 | | tremendous contributions in the United States; whether as
| 6 | | soldiers, laborers, business owners, advocates, or community | 7 | | leaders, those in the Asian
American and Pacific Islander | 8 | | community continue to rise up to the challenges they face and
| 9 | | serve as a force for good in the State of Illinois and the | 10 | | United States; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Illinoisans and Americans of all walks of life are | 12 | | encouraged to learn about the deep history of Asian and Pacific | 13 | | Islander Americans and their contributions to our State and | 14 | | country; therefore, be it | 15 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 16 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that May | 17 | | 16 of 2018 is the date designated as Asian American Action Day, | 18 | | where community organizations and people of all creeds across | 19 | | Illinois advocate in the Capitol for legislation that is more | 20 | | inclusive of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans; and be it | 21 | | further
| 22 | | RESOLVED, That we acknowledge May of 2018 as Asian American | 23 | | and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in honor of the people in |
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| 1 | | these communities in Illinois and the nation.
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