85R24153 BPG-D
By: Button H.R. No. 1593
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, May 2017 has been set aside as Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month to recognize the accomplishments
and wide-ranging contributions of individuals who trace their
ancestry to Asia and the Pacific Islands; and
WHEREAS, Originally established by the United States
Congress as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week, the observance
celebrates the diverse culture, traditions, and history of people
from the Asian continent and the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia,
and Polynesia in the Pacific; it was officially expanded into a
monthlong celebration in 1992; and
WHEREAS, The month of May was chosen for this commemorative
period because of two key events in our nation's history; on May 7,
1843, the first Japanese immigrants arrived, and on May 10, 1869, a
workforce largely composed of Chinese laborers completed the
Transcontinental Railroad; and
WHEREAS, In 2013, the Pew Research Center released a report
highlighting the tremendous progress that has been made by Asian
Americans; the study noted that a century ago, most were
low-skilled, low-wage laborers subject to official discrimination;
today, however, Asian Americans rank as the racial group with the
highest levels of income and education in the nation; since about
2000, Asian Americans have also constituted the fastest-growing
racial group in the United States, largely because of immigration;
in addition, Asians who have recently arrived in this country are
about three times more likely than other immigrants to be sponsored
for permanent residency by an employer; the Pew report further
noted that more than 60 percent of new Asian immigrants age 25 to 64
held at least a bachelor's degree; and
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is home to generations of
Americans who take great pride in their family roots in Asia and the
Pacific Islands, and this annual observance provides a welcome
opportunity to celebrate their significant contributions to the
prosperity and cultural vibrancy of our nation; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize May 2017 as Asian American and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month.