Title
Proclaiming May 2021 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Philadelphia to pay tribute to the rich history and significant contributions made by generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our country, state, and city.
Body
WHEREAS, Section 102 of Title 36, United States Code, officially designates May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and authorizes the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe this special month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; and
WHEREAS, May was chosen in recognition of two important historical dates in Asian American and Pacific Islander history; on May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States and on May 10, 1869, the building of the transcontinental railroad was completed due to significant contributions from Chinese workers; and
WHEREAS, The Asian American population grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group over the last decade. There are approximately 21,000,000 Asian Americans and approximately 1,500,000 Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders, making up nearly 6 percent of the total population of the United States; and
WHEREAS, AAPIs have a rich history of service to the U.S. in the armed forces. For centuries, AAPI members of the military led the efforts to secure civil rights for veterans and immigrants. During the entire history of the U.S., tens of thousands of AAPI veterans, both men and women, served with honor and distinction. After their service, many of these veterans made significant contributions to society both in their civilian lives and in politics; and
WHEREAS, Filipinos were the first recorded Asians in the U.S. military, having served during the War of 1812. AAPIs continued to serve the U.S. military in significant numbers during the Civil War, World War 1, World War II, Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict. Notably, Hidemitsu Toyota, an Issei...
Click here for full text