Amended in Assembly May 26, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52

Introduced by Senators Huff and Nguyen

begin insert

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Bates, Block, Hall, Leno, Nielsen, and Vidak)

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members begin delete Chang end delete begin insert Chang, Dodd, end insert and Kim)

April 30, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52—Relative to Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 52, as amended, Huff. Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

This measure would recognize May 2015 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, One of the earliest records of Asian and Pacific
Islander Americans in North America dates back to 1763 in what
is now known as New Orleans, Louisiana, where Filipino sailors
who worked the Manila-Acapulco begin delete trade route end delete begin insert Galleon Trade route end insert
settled; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have made
indelible contributions to the history of California 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 begin delete Law, antimiscegenation end delete
begin insert Laws, anti-miscegenation end insert 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, California is home to over begin delete 5.8 million end delete begin insert 6 million end insert
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, more than any other state,
and Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are one of the fastest
growing ethnic populations in the state and nation; and

WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans constitute
16 percent of California’s population and represent diverse
ancestries that include, but are not limited to, Asian Indian,
Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodian, Chamorro,
Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Iu-Mien, Iwo
Jiman, Guamanian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian,
Maldivian, Mongolian, Nepalese, Native Hawaiian, Vietnamese,
Okinawan, Pakistani, Samoan, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Thai,
Tongan, and other ancestries that may be traced to various Pacific
Islands; and

WHEREAS, California’s Asian and Pacific Islander American
entrepreneurs are innovative and lead many successful businesses
to the pinnacle of their respective industries nationally and globally,
and own over 500,000 businesses in California; and

WHEREAS, The California Commission on Asian and Pacific
Islander American Affairs was established in 2004 and is charged
with advising the Governor, the Legislature, and state agencies on
issues relating to the social and economic development, rights,
and interests of California’s Asian and Pacific Islander American
communities; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature has 12 Asian and Pacific Islander
Assembly Members and Senators who represent and advocate for
the interests of the diverse Asian and Pacific Islander American
communities; and

WHEREAS, The federal government officially designates May
as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month; and

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

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature commends Asian and
Pacific Islander Americans for their notable accomplishments and
contributions to California, and recognizes May 2015 as Asian
and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.