RECOGNIZING MAY AS ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

2022 Okla. Sess. Law Serv. Sen. Conc. Res. 27 (WEST)

2022 Okla. Sess. Law Serv. Sen. Conc. Res. 27 (WEST)
OKLAHOMA 2022 SESSION LAW SERVICE
Fifty-Eighth Legislature, 2022 Second Regular Session
S.C.Res.No. 27
RECOGNIZING MAY AS ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
A Concurrent Resolution recognizing May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month; 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 Heritage 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 immigrants; and
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 ‘40s, 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 in the war; and
WHEREAS, nearly three percent 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 other 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 international 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 and technology, serving in our military, excelling in sports, arts, education, and more.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 58TH OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN:
THAT the month of May is recognized by the Oklahoma State Legislature as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
THAT the Oklahoma State Legislature recognizes the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of Oklahoma and the United States.
Adopted by the Senate the 9th day of May, 2022.Adopted by the House of Representatives the 10th day of May, 2022.
Filed with the Secretary of State May 11, 2022.
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