HCR1012 HFLR Page 1 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1012 By: Munson AS INTRODUCED A Concurrent Resolution recognizing May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Mo nth; recognizing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Oklahoma; and celebrating the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of Oklahoma and the United States. WHEREAS, May is recognized by the United States Congress as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, honoring the contributions and paying tribute to generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who have made our state and nation their home; and WHEREAS, Asian/Pacific American Herit age Month is celebrated in May to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States in May of 1843; and WHEREAS, May also marks the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of those who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrant s; and HCR1012 HFLR Page 2 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 WHEREAS, the Chinese were the first Asian group to settle in Oklahoma, living in the Guthrie Territory after the Land Run of 1889; and WHEREAS, the Japanese population quickly grew in Oklahoma in the 1920s and 1940s, and during World War II, several fought for the United States including four sons of Kutaro Nishimuta, a farmer in Payne County. His sons served in the U.S. Army 442nd Regimental Unit, an all-Japanese outfit and one of the most decorated units i n the war; and WHEREAS, nearly three perce nt of all Oklahomans identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander, citing origins in Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or ot her Pacific Islands; and WHEREAS, Oklahoma City is home to "Little Saigon", the Asian District made up of the state 's largest population of Asian descendants, predominately Vietnamese. Visitors flock to the district each year to experience the internation al cuisine, culture, and shopping; and WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islander citizens have made a tremendous impact on our state and nation, serving in vital roles as state and national leaders, starting businesses, making breakthroughs in science a nd technology, serving in our military, excelling in sports, arts, education, and more. HCR1012 HFLR Page 3 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 60TH OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN: THAT the month of May is recognized by the Oklahoma State Legislature as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. THAT the Oklahoma Legislature recognizes the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of Oklahoma and the United States. DIRECT TO CALENDAR.