SR0420 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0420 LRB101 12468 MST 60641 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the story of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Asian American and Pacific Islander community is an inherently diverse population, comprised of over 45 distinct ethnicities and over 100 language dialects; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, the Asian American population grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group over the last decade, surging nearly 72 percent between 2000 and 2015; and

WHEREAS, One of the earliest records of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States dates back to 1763 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Filipino sailors who worked the Manila-Acapulco trade route settled; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have made indelible contributions to the history of Illinois and the United States that include, but are not limited to, building the Transcontinental Railroad, serving honorably in the Armed Forces, fighting for the United States in foreign wars, and advocating for civil rights; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have endured hardships, including unjust working conditions, prejudice, and discrimination in some of the darkest times in our State's and nation's history, including the Chinese Exclusion Act, naturalized citizenship ineligibility, the Alien Land Law, anti-miscegenation laws, and Japanese internment; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans continue to cultivate, advance, and lead in the fields of art, fashion, business, technology, education, science, government, law, humanities, medicine, sports, and entertainment; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Illinois represent diverse ancestries that include, but are not limited to, Indian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Maldivian, Mongolian, Nepalese, Native Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Okinawan, Pakistani, Samoan, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai, Tongan, and other Pacific Islands; and

WHEREAS, Federal law designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in Section 102 of Title 36 of the United States Code; and

WHEREAS, Celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides Illinoisans with an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize that Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of and strengthen the State of Illinois and the United States, and we commend Asian and Pacific Islander Americans for their notable accomplishments and contributions to Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we declare May 2019 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.