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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The month of May first commemorated Asian
3American and Pacific Islander heritage in 1979 and has been
4celebrated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month since
51990; this commemoration uplifts the stories of more than 50
6distinct ethnic groups and more than 100 languages that
7comprise Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The month of May was chosen to commemorate Asian
9American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to mark the first
10arrival of Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 and the
11completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869
12through the incredible effort of mostly Chinese immigrant
13workers; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Illinois is home to more than 870,000 Asian
15Americans and Pacific Islanders, according to the most recent
16American Community Survey data available from the U.S. Census
17Bureau; the five largest communities represented are Indian
18Americans, Filipino Americans, Chinese Americans, Korean
19Americans, and Pakistani Americans; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Through immigration and refugee resettlement and
21as multi-generational families, Asian Americans and Pacific
22Islanders have taken many pathways to call Illinois home; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders comprise
2the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the country, and
3Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are vital
4parts of communities across Illinois in cities, suburbs, and
5rural areas of the state; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The history of Asian Americans and Pacific
7Islanders is deeply intertwined in the history of the United
8States and is often fraught with discrimination, exclusion,
9and violence; despite these and other challenges, Asian
10American and Pacific Islander communities continue to arise;
11they have been a vital part of the development of Illinois and
12of the United States in every facet of public life and in the
13advancement of civil rights; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
15ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May of 2021
16as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in honor
17of the people in these communities in Illinois and the United
18States.