Supporting the goals of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and internment of individuals and families during World War II.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for yielding to me and not only for his leadership but as chairman of the Asian Pacific American Caucus and for him to request this Special Order to allow Members of this institution to pay tribute and to recognize the contributions of our Asian Pacific American community to our Nation.

I think with some sense of perspective in history, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the Asian Pacific American region, we talk about all those countries that comprise Asia as a region as well as those Pacific Island nations. The Asian Pacific region constitutes two-thirds of the world's population. This region also has six of the 10 largest armies in the world. The U.S. commercial and trade relations with this Asian Pacific region far exceeds other regions of world. In fact, the U.S. trade with the Asian Pacific region is twice that of Europe alone. As I recall, Senator Inouye once made the observation that for each 747 that flies across the Atlantic, four 747s fly between the Asian Pacific region and our Nation.

Americans whose roots are from the Asian Pacific region are over 13 million strong and among the fastest growing demographic group in the United States today.

Permit me to share with my colleagues an overview of some of the contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have given to our Nation. Just 3 months ago, a world renowned Chinese American physicist, Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, perhaps little known to the average American, passed away quietly in her home in New York. For decades she dedicated her life to the study of beta decay. She was born in Shanghai, and in her youth studied with Nobel Laureate E.O. Lawrence, the inventor of the cyclotron at U.C.-Berkeley, where Dr. Wu also received her doctorate degree in physics. For some 30 years, Dr. Wu taught physics at Columbia University. In 1957 she won the Nobel Prize in physics for her work on emission of electrons from radioactive nuclei. I think there are approximately 10 other Nobel Laureates who are of Asian Pacific ancestry in the field of physics, mathematics, and chemistry.

A couple of years ago, Time Magazine featured as its Man of the Year Dr. David Ho. Dr. Ho is a Chinese American who was born and raised in Taiwan. His family moved to the United States when he was a young man, and he is now a leading scientist in the field of medicine and has been recognized for his research efforts to find a cure for HIV/AIDS.

For several decades now, Dr. Makio Murayama, a Japanese American, conducted vital research in the United States that laid the groundwork for combating sickle-cell anemia. In 1973 Dr. Leo Esaki, a Japanese American as well, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his electron tunneling theories. And in the field of engineering, few have matched the architectural masterpieces created by the genius of Chinese American I.M. Pei.

In the fields of law and finance, the names of prominent Asian Pacific American corporate leaders and legal scholars are too numerous to mention. One need only to read our Nation's top newspapers and periodicals to document that Asian Pacific American students, both in secondary schools and universities, are among the brightest minds our Nation offers to the world. We have every expectation that they now and will in the future contribute their talents and expertise to solve major issues and problems now confronting our Nation today.

In the fields of entertainment and sports, the late Chinese American kung-fu martial arts expert Bruce Lee captivated movie audiences around the world by destroying the common stereotype of the passive, quiet Asian Pacific American male. Now another sports and movie icon is moving his way through the movie industry and is believed to be the heir apparent to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His name is Dwayne Johnson, commonly known today as the Rock. The Rock is a former World Wrestling Federation champion wrestler and has completed his third movie. First it was The Scorpion King, then The Rundown, and now Walking Tall. And just a unique thing about the Rock, Mr. Speaker, is that his father is African American and of European descent, but his mother is pure Samoan Polynesian. Now just about every Samoan claims kinship with the Rock, including myself, Mr. Speaker.

When we talk about sports, for example, golf, Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the two best golfers in the world are of Asian Pacific descent. Tiger Woods's mother is Thai. Vijay Singh from the island of Fiji is of Asian descent. And as mentioned earlier by my colleagues from the State of Hawaii, we have a new Tiger Woods among the women's professional golfers, and this is a 14-year-old junior golfer from the State of Hawaii. She is Michelle Wie.

About 4 decades ago, Mr. Speaker, a native Hawaiian named Duke Kahanamoku shocked the world by winning the Olympic gold medal for the United States in swimming, followed by Dr. Sammy Lee, a Korean American, who also won the Olympic gold medal in high diving. Dr. Lee told me during the 1988 Olympics in Korea that in his day, because he was nonwhite, he was not allowed to train along with his fellow Olympic American athletes.

So he had to become creative by performing high dives off cliffs and tall trees. Despite all this, he still won the gold medal for our country.

And what can you say about Greg Louganis, the Samoan American, perhaps the best high diver ever in the world. Dr. Lee, who was his former teacher, I asked him in Korea, ``Why is it that Greg Louganis is such a fantastic high diver?'' He said, ``Eni, look at his legs. Because of the power that he gets from his legs,'' this high diver named Greg Louganis, ``he is able to perform more difficult tricks in his routines when he does this.'' I think everybody knows that Greg Louganis has been the greatest diver ever known to the world.

Let's talk about the National Football League. We have had Asian- Pacific Americans who have also made All-Pro: Charles Ane with the Detroit Lions, Rockney Freitous with the Detroit Lions; Luther Elliss; and the perennial All-Pro, Junior Seau, formerly with the San Diego Chargers, now with the Miami Dolphins. We have Jesse Sapolu with the Forty-Niners and Dan Saleaumua with the Kansas City Chiefs, and also Jim Nicholson, also formerly with the Kansas City Chiefs.

We also have Asian-Pacific Americans who are making their mark on history, not in our country, but in Southeast Asia. About 20 years ago, an 18-year-old Samoan kid named Saleva'a Atisanoe, then weighing only 384 pounds was an All-State football player who had intended to play college football. While walking Waikiki Beach with his buddies, he was immediately brought to the attention of the famous Native Hawaiian sumo wrestler and teacher, Jesse Kuhaulua--or Takamyama--as he was known throughout Japan.

After convincing Saleva'a's parents to have their son try sumo wrestling as an optional sport, Takamyama brought this Samoan young man to Japan. Saleva's left with only a little lavalava and a t-shirt on his back and started a training program so rigorous and demanding that very few foreigners make it through the first 6 months.

Saleva'a told me that he trained every day for 6 or 7 hours. His body took every form of pain and physical punishment including stretching, pushing, pulling. If you want to know how rigorous the training is and what a sumo wrestler has to do in order to be successful in this ancient sport, let me just say that a 500 pound man must be able to do the splits just like a seasoned ballerina dancer does at an opera concert.

Saleva'a's name was later changed to Konishiki, and he weighed in at 570 pounds and at six feet in height. Konishiki took the entire sumo wrestling world to a different level. His successes in winning his matches within 2 years usually would take most sumo wrestlers 5 years to achieve. Although he achieved the second highest level in sumo, which was Ozeki, Konishiki became a household name throughout Japan, and was forerunner to two other Polynesian sumo wrestlers who eventually became Yokozuma or grand champion.

Indeed, two Americans of Polynesian descent scaled even greater heights by attaining the highest status--Yokozuna or Grand Champion--in this ancient Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. A Native Hawaiian, Chad Rowen, or Akebono as he is known in Japan became Yokozuma. Of course, he weighed about 500 pounds and stood six feet eight inches tall. The other was Samoan-Tongan American Peitani Fiamalu also known as Musashimaru. He tipped the scale at 550 pounds and stood six feet four inches.

Mr. Speaker, if I may, I would like to now direct my attention to another area in our Nation's history, where Members of our Asian Pacific American community were severely challenged. As a Vietnam veteran, it would be ludicrous for me not to say something to honor and respect the hundreds of thousands of Asian Pacific Americans who served then and now in all the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

As a former member of the U.S. Army's Reserve unit known today as the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry Combat Group, I would be remiss if I did not tell you about the contributions of the tens of thousands of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered to fight our Nation's enemies in Europe in World War II.

Some of us may not be aware of the fact that after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, by the Imperial Army of Japan, there was such a public outcry for an all-out war against Japan, and days afterwards our President and the Congress formally declared war.

But caught in this crossfire were hundreds of thousands of Americans, Americans, mind you, who just happened to be of Japanese ancestry. Our national government immediately implemented a policy whereby over 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were forced to live in what then called relocation camps, but actually in my opinion they were more like prison camps or concentration camps. Their lands, homes and properties were confiscated without due process of law.

Mr. Speaker, it is also a time in our Nation's history when there was so much hatred and bigotry and racism placed against our Japanese American community. Yet, despite all this, leaving their wives, their parents and brothers and sisters behind barbed wire fences in these prison camps, the White House accepted the request of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans who volunteered to join the Army.

As a result of this request for service, two combat units were organized. One was known as the 100th Battalion, also known as the Purple Heart Battalion; and the other was known as the 442nd Infantry Combat Group. Both were sent to fight in Europe.

In my humble opinion, Mr. Speaker, history speaks for itself in documenting that none have shed their blood more valiantly for our Nation than the Japanese American soldiers who served in these two combat units while fighting enemy forces in Europe in World War II.

The military records of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry are without equal. These Japanese Americans suffered an unprecedented casualty rate of 314 percent, and received over 18,000 individual decorations, many of them awarded posthumously, for bravery and courage in the field of battle.

For your information, Mr. Speaker, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to these two units. 560 Silver Stars and 9,480 Purple Hearts were awarded to the Japanese American soldiers of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry Group. However, I find it unusual that only one Medal of Honor was given.

Nonetheless, the 442nd Combat Group emerged as the most decorated combat unit of its size in the history of the United States Army. In fact, Mr. Speaker, President Truman was so moved by their bravery in the field of battle, as well as that of the contributions of African American soldiers World War II, that President Truman issued an executive ordered to desegregate all branches of the Armed Forces.

It was while fighting in Europe that Senator Inouye lost his arm while engaged in battle against two German machine gun posts. As a result of his valor, Senator Inouye was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Four years ago, a congressional mandate was issued calling for review of the military records of these two combat units, and I was privileged to attend the White House ceremony where President Clinton presented 19 Congressional Medals of Honor to the Japanese Americans of these two units. Senator Inouye was one of the recipients of the Medal of Honor.

The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker, these Japanese-Americans paid their dues in blood to protect our Nation from its enemies and it is a shameful black mark on the history of our country that when the patriotic survivors of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry returned to the United States, many were reunited with their parents, brothers and sisters who were locked-up behind barbed-wire fences, living in prison camps--and could not even get a haircut in downtown San Francisco because they looked Japanese--despite the fact that they, too, were Americans.

My dear friend and former colleague and now U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta, and Congressman Bob Matsui from Sacramento remember well the early years of their lives in these prison camps. Secretary Mineta told that one of the interesting features

of these prison camps were postings of machine gun nests all around the camp--and everyone was told that these machine guns were posted to protect them against rioters or whatever. But then Secretary Minea observed--if these machine guns are posted to guard us, why is it that they are all directed inside the prison camp compound and not outside?

Mr. Speaker, I submit that the wholesale and arbitrary abolishment of the constitutional rights of these loyal Japanese-Americans should forever serve as a reminder and testament that this must never be allowed to occur again. When this miscarriage of justice unfolded during WWII, Americans of German and Italian ancestry were not similarly jailed en masse. Some declare that our treatment of Japanese Americans during WWII was an example of outright racism and bigotry in its ugliest form. After viewing recently the Holocaust Museum in Washington, I understand better why the genocide of some 6 million Jews has prompted the cry, ``Never Again, Never Again!'' Likewise, I sincerely hope that mass internments on the basis of race alone will never again darken the history of our great Nation.

To those that say, well, that occurred decades ago, I say we must continue to be vigilant in guarding against such evil today. Not long ago, we had the case of Bruce Yamashita, a Japanese-American from Hawaii who was discharged from the Marine Corps officer training program in an ugly display of racial discrimination. Marine Corps superiors taunted Yamashita with ethnic slurs and told him, ``We don't want your kind around here. Go back to your own country.'' The situation was made worse by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, a four star general, who appeared on television's ``Sixty Minutes'' and stated, ``Marine officers who are minitories do not shoot, swim or use compasses as well as white officers.'' The Commandant later apologized for his remarks, but it was a little too late.

After years of perseverance and appeals, Mr. Yamashita was vindicated after proving he was the target of vicious racial harassment during his officer training program. The Secretary of the Navy's investigation into whether minorities were deliberately being discourage from becoming officers resulted in Bruce Yamashita receiving his commission as a captain in the Marine Corps.

Mr. Speaker, I am also greatly disturbed by media coverage in recent years involving illegal political campaign contributions made by a small minority of the Asian-Pacific American Community. The media has implied that the Asian Pacific American community as a whole is suspect and corrupt and I find this racial scapegoating to be repugnant and morally objectionable. Playing-up fears of the ``Asian Connection'' serves to alienate Asian-Pacific Americans from participating in our political process.

When Americans raise money, it is called gaining political power. But when Asian-Pacific Americans begin to participate, we are accused of being foreigners trying to inflilrate the mainstream of our Nation's political system. On this note, remember the Oklahoma City bombing incident? Americans of Arab descent were immediately targeted and investigated as terrorists by local and Federal law enforcement agencies. An Anglo turned out to be the bomber which leads me to say that it is wrong to stereotype and this type of negative stereotyping must and should not continue.

In conclusion, I think Bruce Yamashita's case and the hysteria surrounding Asian-Pacific American political contriibutions bear implications not just for the military and the media but for our society as a whole. It begs the question, how long do we as Asian Pacific Americans and other minorities have to be considered as lesser Americans?

I applaud Captain Yamashita and others like him who have spoken out to ensure that racial discrimination is not tolerated. During this month, as we recognize the diverse experiences and contributions our Asian-Pacific American community has made to our great Nation, I would hope that we will take inspiration from the examples I have shared with you this evening.

Mr. Speaker, when I envision America, I don't see a melting pot designed to reduce and remove racial differences. The America I see is a brilliant rainbow--a rainbow of ethnicities and cultures, with each ethnic group proudly contributing in its own distinctive and unique way--making America better for now and generations to come. Asian- Pacific Americans wish to find a just and equitable place in our society that will allow them--like all Americans--to grow, to succeed, to achieve and to contribute to the advancement of the great Nation.

This is why I would like to close my remarks by asking all of us here tonight, what is America all about? I think it could not have been said better than on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the summer of 1963 when an African-American minister named Martin Luther King Jr. poured out his heart and soul to every American who could bear his voice, when he uttered these words.

``I have a dream. My dream is that one day my children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.''

That is what I believe American is all about.

Before I get started, let me just compliment the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his patience in being here this evening. I appreciate your presence, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss House Resolution 56, a resolution I introduced earlier this month. This is a resolution supporting the goals of the Japanese American community and recognizing a national day of remembrance to increase the public awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and the internments of individuals and families during World War II.

Let us be clear about this. In 1942, more than 120,000 people were rounded up in this country, primarily from the west coast, and incarcerated. Families were torn apart. Hardworking people had to sell their businesses for pennies on the dollar. Everything these people worked so hard for evaporated overnight. I spent part of my childhood in a camp in southeast Colorado, an internment camp called Amache. House Resolution 56 also recognizes that some in the German and the Italian communities experienced deprivation during this period as well.

This resolution has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and has currently over 60 cosponsors. This year marks the 61st anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's signing of executive order 9066 on February 19, 1942; and it is the 15th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 signed by President Reagan.

The day of remembrance is as important now as it has ever been. We are again living in perilous times. Our country is at war against terrorism. We may soon be at war with Iraq. The history of World War II demonstrated that our Constitution is tested in times of trauma, tension, and turmoil. In 1942, our political leaders failed. Therefore, today we must work to educate the public about the internment of Americans today in order to prevent similar injustices to be forced upon other Americans. Our civil liberties have not been in as much risk since World War II, and this time we as political leaders cannot fail.

Many might be aware of the comments made by one of our colleagues earlier this month on a live radio call-in show. Our colleague said that he agreed that President Roosevelt's decision to sign executive order 9066 was appropriate. He said, with the information the President had at the time, he made the best decision he could. He also stated that the incarceration of Japanese Americans was for their own safety. In addition, statements were further made that some Japanese Americans during World War II were probably intent on doing us harm just as some Arab Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us today. Such statements are inaccurate and simply wrong. As my father always said to me when I was a child, if we were put in camps for our own protection, then why were we the ones behind barbed wires and why were the machine guns pointed inwards toward us?

Furthermore, such statements from a government official are disturbing and dangerous, as they appear to endorse a policy of racial and ethnic profiling that has long been discredited. Saying that the internment of Japanese Americans was appropriate is simply unacceptable and factually inseparable.

One of the most concise rebuttals that I have read to the notion that Japanese Americans were placed in camps because they either posed a threat to national security or for their own safety comes from a law professor, Eric Muller, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in a letter dated February 7, 2003. And I would like to, Mr. Speaker, submit this letter into the record at this point without reading its full content. However, most importantly though, we must remember that the Commission on Wartime Relocation found that it was not a military necessity that the Japanese American community be rounded up from the west coast, but it was rather based upon race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure, and I will repeat, a failure of political leadership. This was probably the largest single act of racial and ethnic profiling conducted by our government in modern times.

True to the democratic process, however, our Nation has been able to look back and admit errors from its past. I can think of no greater evidence to show why the United States, with all its flaws, still is looked to worldwide as the Nation with the strongest and fairest form of government. By admitting that the government did wrong in its treatment of its citizens and legal residents who were aliens during World War II, Congress and the President reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to the principles founded in the Constitution. However, we must always be vigilant in the protection of our civil liberties, and in this time of tension as we wage a war against terrorism, we must again reaffirm our commitment to the principles in the Constitution. While national security is always a paramount concern for those of us making the laws as well as executing and interpreting the laws, we see that there are those in government who continue to pursue policies once again that target our civil liberties.

I find it disturbing that none of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have come out against the statements of this gentleman from North Carolina. But now more than ever, we must strive to balance our cherished civil liberties with the need to protect our homeland. Finding this balance is the enduring lesson that the Day of Remembrance resolution teaches and the lesson that cannot be lost on our Nation's policy makers and our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case) who represents probably a good portion of the population not only in the mainland, the U.S., but also in Hawaii.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case) for his words and the experiences that

he has shared with us because I think that at times the lesson is sometimes missed, that Members from Hawaii who are of Japanese ancestry volunteered for the service with the 101st battalion and joining forces with the 442 here in the mainland.

One of the things that they learned, the Japanese Americans from Hawaii, was that when they became part of the 442 with the mainland Japanese Americans, they often wondered why they were different from the Japanese Americans from Hawaii, because they grew up on a pretty predominant and highly populated island with a lot of Japanese Americans, whereas the Americans of Japanese descent on the mainland were a little different. Their attitude and view of life was different.

It was not until some of the Members from Hawaii visited the camps, along with their colleagues whose parents were incarcerated, that they truly understood the unfairness and injustice of executive order 9066.

So we say we did not know, and so it is that House Resolution 56 is to educate and to further educate our communities in this country and also other members of this globe.

Mr. Speaker, if I may ask the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee) if he would mind sharing some of his thoughts.

(Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I thank the gentleman from Washington, especially for his leadership and having set aside Bainbridge Island as an educational activity and also in memory and commemorating the folks who were interned from that community.

Also I think it is appropriate to mention that there have been many stories that come to light when we talk about the day of remembrance, one of which is the story of a young man by the name of Ralph Laso from East L.A. whose friends were Japanese Americans, and when they were being incarcerated he argued this is not right; they are not enemies. He himself decided to join a family and to be incarcerated himself along with the family.

But there are many other stories that can be told if we move forward with the resolution on the Day of Remembrance.

I would like to ask the gentlewoman from the gem of the Pacific, the great territory of the Island of Guam (Ms. Bordallo), to share her thoughts.

I thank the gentlewoman. The gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) continues the great legacy of Guam, of social justice and constitutional protection.

Mr. Speaker, if I may yield to a colleague of mine from Santa Clara County, a very personable person, someone who always does not mind speaking up when things need to be addressed, a long time friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Santa Clara County, California (Ms. Lofgren).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Santa Clara County for especially sharing the experience of her interactions with her mom and the way her mom felt when the Japanese were taken away, and then the sense that this country can make amends for the wrongs that have occurred. The signing and the final recognition of wrongdoing by this government through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, signed by President Reagan when he said, upon signing he said, ``This is a great day for America.'' And when President Ford rescinded 9066, he indicated, as the gentlewoman from Santa Clara said, that it was an ordinance that should have never been there.

The whole point of the Day of Remembrance resolution is about learning, is about being persistent about the lessons that we have learned from the Japanese American experience that is really an American lesson on the Constitution and is also a lesson of the American character, where, upon reconciliation, there is a healing. There is a healing among not only those who were incarcerated, but also healing among those who were affected but maybe not necessarily incarcerated. So victims are both those who were directly victimized and those who were indirectly victimized by a bad action of our government.

Also, the further learning, when we talk about the Day of Remembrance, is that other communities get to reflect upon their own experience at that time and project into the future whether this kind of thing should happen again.

For example, a few years ago when we did this in the State of California, there was also a movement and discussion among the Italian communities

and there was a reawakening of the experiences that they experienced in World War II when Executive Order 9066 was applied, was applied to Italian Americans and German Americans. And upon reflection, they found out that they too were subjected to embarrassment, to ridicule. One of the stories that came out, because of the order by General DeWitt that no persons who are aliens in the United States may live west of highway 1, which is along the coast, forced families to separate themselves, Italian American families who were engaged in the fishing industry whose parents and grandparents had to live in tents across the road while the children lived in the homes. It was things like this they started to remember and started to chronicle among themselves and to teach their children that these kinds of actions by government is not acceptable. Upon the receipt of the apology, we found that there was healing and there was teaching going on among, not only among themselves, but among the greater population of this country.

As a teacher, I want to reemphasize the necessity for this resolution, that it continues to teach us the old maxim that those of us who do not learn from the mistakes of our past are doomed to repeat them.

So in today's current light, I just want to personally reemphasize that national security is my highest priority, is our highest priority, and I support efforts to fight our war against terrorism. But we also understand that in doing so, we must not have a failure among our political leadership, we must not fall back on more hysteria, we must not fall back to racial prejudice and discrimination and profiling.

So today, it is critically important, more than ever, to speak up against possible unjust policies that may come before this body, and we must also be able to speak to it. And it is even more important than ever to educate Americans of the Japanese American experience during World War II, as well as the experience of other groups like the Japanese Latin Americans who were extricated from Latin America, brought over here, had their documents taken away from them, and becoming individuals without a country to be used as pawns in exchange for POWs. And then the German and Italian Americans who were also victimized.

In order to learn the important lessons from our own history, I did introduce H.R. 56, the Day of Remembrance resolution here in this body. Teaching the lessons of those dark days is more important today than it ever was, remembering Executive Order 9066, signed on February 19, 1942 and then rescinded on August 10 of 1988, there are many events that flowed from those two orders and that we must continue to learn from our history.

There is a maturity in this country that I am very proud of. That maturity says we can learn from our mistakes of the past and we can also teach others of our lessons that we have learned from our past. We have learned that the Executive Order 9066 was not signed out of military necessity, was not signed out of national security, was not signed out of personal safety and security of the Japanese American, but the Commission on Wartime Internment and Relocation of Civilians said, and they concluded, that it was a result of racial prejudice, war hysteria, and the failure of political leadership.

Today, as we heard from our colleagues today, Mr. Speaker, that this leadership must not fail again. and to that end, we must continuously teach ourselves and reteach ourselves and remember the lessons of the past so that we do not repeat them again. It is a country like the United States, it is a country like this country that my father, although he was interned with the rest of his family, and although he even volunteered for the military intelligence service to teach language to the naval intelligence officers, that he held this sense of loyalty to this country, even though the families were incarcerated. And he taught us that in spite of these experiences, that we, his children, must be a good reflection of his loyalty and that we, as we grow up, must become more American than anybody else that we could run into, and that we must be 110 percent American. Part of that Americanism is to never, ever make the same mistakes again.

We learned from that experience in 1942, and we learned from the experience of 9/11, that this Constitution of this country is never tested in times of tranquility, that our Constitution is always tested in times of trauma, tragedy, terrorism, and tension, and that the very principles of our Constitution need to be, continuously need to be taught until it is ingrained in our own character, so that every decision we make as a citizen, as adults, as children, as students and as policymakers, that we will always be true to the principles of our Constitution. For it is for those reasons why people around this world fight to come to this country and be part of this country, struggle to be a part of this democracy, because they know that the protection of this Constitution is the American dream. The protection of our Constitution is that which our forefathers and our veterans have shed their blood and sacrificed their limbs and lives so that our Constitution may live and really be reflected in every action that we have, not only in this body, but by every action of every citizen of this country.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for this opportunity to bring Resolution 56, the Day of Remembrance, before this body.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Before I begin, I would like to recognize the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) former chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, or better known as CAPAC, for his leadership, as well as the current vice chair of the caucus, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

As chair of CAPAC, I am proud to stand here to honor the accomplishments and diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. In 1978, my good friend Norman Mineta and Representative Frank Horton from New York, along with Hawaii's Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, first introduced the first resolution establishing Asian Pacific American Heritage Week to recognize the ongoing contributions to our Nation of the API population.

The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important anniversaries, the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. In 1992, the month of May was designated as Asian Pacific Heritage Month. I take great pride to see the celebration of our community expand from 10 days to a month.

For centuries, America has been enriched by our diverse and rapidly growing API communities and by the contributions that Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and Samoans have made in their ancestral homelands. The first API settlement in this country dates to 1763, when Filipinos escaped imprisonment aboard Spanish galleons and established a community near New Orleans. Chinese and Japanese immigrants, likewise, started communities in Hawaii and California, where they sought labor and agricultural opportunities.

From the time of these settlements, APIs have experienced dual currents of discrimination and assimilation. In the difficult times, APIs were singled out for persecution by such acts as the Exclusion Laws of 1882 and 1924, and the Alien Land Act of 1913, which prohibited API property ownership.

This year, 2004, marks the 62nd-year anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, pursuant to which 120,000 Japanese Americans and legal resident aliens were incarcerated in internment camps during World War II. Many of these families lost their property and possessions during the several years they were jailed behind barbed wires.

In order to learn the important lessons from our own history, I sponsored House Resolution 56, which sets aside a ``Day of Remembrance'' in memory of the relocation and internment policies of World War II. This year, House Resolution 56 was passed due to the support from my fellow colleagues here in Congress and support from community groups throughout the country.

I realize we need to learn from our own history. It is more important than ever to speak up against unjust policies. Also it is more important than ever to educate Americans of the Japanese American experience during World War II, as well as the experience of other groups, like Japanese Latin Americans and certain German and Italian Americans. We must remember that the decision to issue the order was shaped by racial prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.

At the newly opened Manzanar National Historic Site Interpretive Center at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, we have the opportunity to explore our past and reflect. Additionally, these past few days, the Enemy Alien Files Consortium has set up their exhibit in the Rayburn foyer. This traveling exhibition, featuring photographs, objects, documents, artifacts, art forms and oral history excerpts examines the little-known history of Italian, German, and Japanese immigrants in the U.S. and from Latin

America who were classified as enemy aliens during World War II.

Over 31,000 of these enemy aliens were apprehended, detained, and thousands interned based on suspicion and the potential dangerousness they posed to the U.S. national security. The internees were held without charges for indefinite duration and without trial. These internees, including many American-born children and spouses, languished in Army and Department of Justice camps throughout the USA.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to now yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda Sanchez) to speak to this particular item.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the gentlewoman, in spite of the growth of the Asian American communities, rather than feel threatened, the gentlewoman embraces them; and I think that is why the gentlewoman has been such a welcomed leader for political leadership in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Guam for raising the profile of Guamanians in the history and the patriotism of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the Congresswoman from Oakland.

I thank the gentlewoman from California, and I appreciate her sharing the work that the community-based organizations are doing for the community in order for the members of the community to be able to access and be full participants in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano), another great leader.

I thank the gentlewoman from California. Let me also comment and thank her for her leadership in helping this country understand how diverse and how colorful this country is.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the charismatic gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).

Mahalo. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) to round out the great State of Hawaii.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), and he makes Hawaiians very proud; and we are privileged to have him as one of our members of CAPAC, and I always look toward him to understand how to deliver a speech eloquently.

Mr. Speaker, I was hoping he would say that.

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to extend my gratitude to the patriotic men and women serving our country and the

military including the 60,813 Asian American and Pacific Islanders serving on active duty in the U.S. armed services as well as the 20,066 in the Reserves and National Guard. I also commend the 351,000 API veterans. Last week I had the privilege to meet a young soldier, Army Specialist Bermanis of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. He was presented with the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart for Meritorious Conduct in Operation Iraqi Freedom. On July 16, 2003, the award presentation ceremony took place bedside at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he was convalescing from grave injuries. Specialist Bermanis and a fellow soldier were on guard duty in southern Baghdad when they sustained an attack by rocket-propelled grenades on June 10, 2003. His fellow soldier died instantly, and Specialist Bermanis lost both his legs and his left hand.

Specialist Bermanis hails from Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Officials from the Federated States of Micronesia and the U.S. Government had visited him at Walter Reed and praised him for his courage and exemplary service. A senior U.S. official commended Specialist Bermanis's service as representative of the Federated States of Micronesia citizens' commitment to the security of the United States and Pacific region.

Mr. Speaker, this month also affords us time to reflect on the various social needs that exist in the API community. Today there are 12.8 million APIs, which represents 4.5 percent of the U.S. population. Between 1990 and 2000, the community grew nationally by 72 percent.

APIs are one of the fastest growing populations in the country. The API community in this country encompasses 49 ethnicities speaking over 100 languages and dialects. The population enriches our culture linguistically through a range of languages, such as Japanese, Chinese, Samoan, Thai, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodian, Micronesian, and Korean.

Our linguistic diversity has contributed greatly to American society. It has allowed us to exercise international leadership economically and politically. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, slightly less than half of the 7 million API who speak a language other than English at home report that they speak English ``very well.'' We need to better address the educational and health care needs of all limited-English proficiency students, children, and adults.

Additionally, data is a cross-cutting issue. Lack of data impacts our understanding of the health problems in our communities as well as the problem of access and quality. Adequate data collection continues to be a challenge for the API community. Although we are often mistaken to be a homogenous group, our community is extremely diverse in ethnicities and languages. Aggregating such a large and diverse group makes it difficult to understand the unique problems faced by the individual ethnicities.

This year as chair of CAPAC, I have looked into these and other critical issues within the API community. Through our CAPAC task forces, we have targeted such goals as eliminating racial ethnic health disparities, enacting comprehensive immigration reform, fighting to create jobs, and providing educational opportunities for the underserved.

CAPAC has had the privilege to work with our colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Native American Caucus to advance dialogue on these important issues.

I yield to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), the vice chairman of CAPAC, a Member of the Congress for many years, a leader and a person who represents American Samoa.

Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would like to comment on the White House initiative that was initiated by the past administration of President Clinton. It is now in its fifth year, and the initiative suffers from neglect by the current administration.

Executive Order 13216 authorizing the initiative and its corresponding Advisory Commission expired on June 7, 2003; and since that time, both the initiative and the commission have laid dormant.

The commission is mandated to develop, monitor, and coordinate Federal efforts to improve API participation in government programs, foster research and data collection for API populations and sub- populations, and increase public and private sector involvement in improving the health and well-being of the API community.

API citizens deserve the coordination of services that the commission can facilitate.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to recognize also among other names, the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui), a member of the Democratic leadership, and Governor Locke, the first API elected as a Governor in the lower 48 States.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by indicating that in this country, we have participated in the functioning of this country in every aspect of society, having athletes, both professional and amateur; we have had Nobel Prize winners; teachers and scholars. We are thankful for this time to share information regarding the Asian Pacific Islanders in this great country and the islands that our Members come from.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, and I bid him and my colleagues here in the House a very fond aloha from my home State of Hawaii.

As the gentleman has noted, my home State of Hawaii is a State that has a tremendous representation of people of Asian descent. Pacific islanders and Asians make up more than 50 percent of the composition of my State. So in areas of ethnic issues, we are particularly sensitive for both our history and for our modern day; and my State is a State that is very proud of many things, many things about it, from our fantastic environment which so many people have enjoyed, to our native Hawaiian culture which has brought really to the world a spirit of aloha, a spirit of how to live together in harmony with both nature and with each other.

But I think the one thing that we are the most proud of in Hawaii and certainly that I am the most proud of in Hawaii, as somebody whose family goes back for four generations there, is our multiethnic tradition. We are again easily the most diverse ethnic composition of any State in the entire country. No ethnic group of the many that we have in Hawaii has a majority. The highest ethnic group in Hawaii has only about 26, 27 percent; the second highest, 24, 25 percent. So we are very conscious of our relationships with each other from an ethnic perspective, a State where over 50 percent now of all marriages are multiethnic marriages; over 50 percent of all births are multiethnic births, including my own children who carry the blood of eight separate ethnic groups in their own veins and carry it without anybody giving any thought to it whatsoever; and where Americans of Japanese ancestry have long been a very significant minority in our history.

So for all of us in Hawaii, all of us, whether we are of Japanese ancestry or

Caucasian ancestry or Portuguese ancestry or Chinese ancestry or Korean or some of the more recent immigrant groups such as Marshallese, Laotian, Vietnamese, Thai, when we read of comments by one of my colleagues on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the very subcommittee that is being called upon to make judgments on behalf of all of us in this country on matters of internal security, how we treat our citizens during a time of war, our reactions range from puzzlement, frankly, in some cases to outrage. And, Mr. Speaker, I must confess I do not really know myself what to make of those comments, because those thoughts expressed are so foreign to my own thinking and to the thinking of those in my State.

And as I went back to my district over the district work period and talked to my constituents, they brought up these comments. It was not really always a matter of outrage, although some were outraged. It was more a matter of puzzlement. What was it that was occurring? What was it that this colleague was thinking? What exactly was it? Was it just a slip of the tongue? We all make slips of the tongue, and we all are willing to forgive a slip of the tongue. Was it ignorance of the facts, or was it a reflection of more deliberate thinking? And unfortunately we do not know which one it is because, to this day, there has been no good explanation offered.

Personally I am willing to accept, and I think most of the people in my State and perhaps in the country are willing to accept, that it was ignorance; willing to accept, as my State legislature right now is resolving, that what is needed here is not any kind of accusations, not any kind of harsh words. What is really needed is education and sensitization to the fact, and that while we need to get beyond this specific incident, nonetheless it again tells us that we must remember that sometimes well-intentioned people can act inexcusably, out of simple ignorance, and that by constant remembrance we can avoid repeats.

So I want to remember today what happened in my own State during the time of the Second World War, during the time when 100-some-odd thousand-plus Americans of Japanese ancestry were rounded up and interned in internment camps on the U.S. mainland. I want to remember what happened in Hawaii because that is a part of this story that is not often told. What happened in a State where 37 percent of the population on December 7, 1941, 37 percent were Americans of Japanese ancestry? What happened in a State which was the very site of the attack that put us into World War II? Again 37 percent, and this was not just an isolated population on the mainland. There were a number of Americans of Japanese ancestry mostly living in the smaller communities, not always but mostly. They were not quite as integrated into the society. In Hawaii it was a full integration. We had lived there. They had lived there for over 100 years. For decades they had been fully integrated into the society. In 1941 many were already serving in our U.S. Armed Forces. They had already been drafted. They were already serving in the famous 100th battalion, which was formed out of draftees prior to World War II, including my own former boss right here in this Chamber, my political mentor, the former U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator from Hawaii, Spark Matsunaga. They were the vanguard of what became a legend in U.S. military history in the second world war because the 100th battalion and later the 442nd regimental combat team, which later merged, in which 3,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii volunteered, a unit which went on throughout the Second World War to become the most decorated unit for its size in the entire history of the United States military; a number of medals of honor including my colleague, the senior Senator from Hawaii, Daniel K. Inouye; a number of Distinguished Services Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, French Croz de Guerres; 649 killed in action, 67 missing, 9,486 Purple Hearts.

These were people obviously that were dedicated to their country, and yet on December 8, 1941, 1,500 of them were rounded up, Japanese ancestry Americans living in Hawaii were rounded up and interned in Hawaii on Sand Island and interrogated. Some were released; but some, over half of them, were sent to the mainland and interned for the duration of the war. And not only did it affect them, it affected their families. In many cases they went to the mainland to become interned. Why? They were American citizens. Their families had lived in the United States in Hawaii. They were interned because they were educators, because they were Buddhist priests, because they were business leaders. If they were in positions of leadership in the Japanese community in Hawaii, they were suspect just because of that. And there was more than one case in which a son would serve his country in World War II on Anzio and other locations up and down Italy and France while his own father was interned in an internment camp in the United States. Imagine a son, imagine the dedication to a country of a son going into battle when his own father was interned. Yes, it was not as serious as the mainland Americans of Japanese ancestry.

And there were heroes in this story, and one of the heroes was the FBI agent in charge in Hawaii during this period, a gentleman by the name of Robert Shivers. It is a little known fact that Robert Shivers arrived in Hawaii in 1939, probably, we would suspect, with perhaps the same sentiments as others that had come from the mainland to a strange place where Americans of Japanese ancestry were 38 percent of the population, at a time when the United States knew it was going to war with Japan and all Americans of Japanese ancestry really were suspect in some people's eyes, and yet only 1,500 were rounded up. Why was that? Because Agent Shivers spent 2 years trying to understand the community, because he went out into the community. He said that after conferring with people in Hawaii, citizens that had lived in this multiethnic society, he said this: ``It was not until I conferred with you that I began to understand the complex racial conditions in Hawaii. You gave me a group of loyal citizens of Japanese ancestry who proved invaluable in helping me shape my course.'' And it is obvious to all of us now in retrospect, after the action of this Congress in issuing an apology and in the actions to evaluate the work of our government during the Second World War in cases such as Koramatsu, it is obvious that had Agent Shivers not been the person that he was, no doubt Americans of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii would have met the same basic conditions as occurred to their colleagues and their family members on the mainland.

So, Mr. Speaker, I give these words. I give these words because again I say that what we can all take out of the occurrence of the remarks by our colleague is not to drag him over the coals. I think we are way beyond that. That is not what this is about. This is simply an opportunity again for us to remember, all of us to remember, that good people can sometimes have thoughts that are just not right, and it is simply a matter of not knowing.

So we can look to history in this case. We can look to the history of the Americans of Japanese ancestry. They were not unique. The same thing happened to Americans of German ancestry, Americans of Italian ancestry. And we can say to ourselves that there is absolutely no reason in the whole world why the same thing could not happen again under similar circumstances to ethnic groups in our country other than those three.

So as we consider this resolution which I have been very proud to co- sponsor, as we consider the motivation behind the resolution, and I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for introducing this resolution, let us consider again that this is a time simply for us to all pause, let us take a deep breath, and let us just remember what happened and think to ourselves is there any reason whatsoever to assume that without constant vigilance, constant caution, and constant remembrance could it not happen again? That is the lesson for us to carry outside of this unfortunate occurrence, and that is the lesson that my own home State of Hawaii can offer to our country and the rest of the world.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to reflect on our past as we pave the way to a brighter future. The Japanese-American community recognizes a National Day of Remembrance each year to educate the public about the lessons learned from the internment camp experience during World War II to ensure that it never happens again. The Day of Remembrance commemorates February 19, 1942, the day on which President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which eliminated the civil liberties of 120,000 people of Japanese descent and sent our country down a shameful path of race- based discrimination, veiled by the fog of war. I ask for my colleagues' support for House Resolution 56 (H. Res. 56); and I commend my friend from California, Congressman Mike Honda, for offering it and for his leadership in championing awareness of the Japanese-American internment. H. Res. 56 recognizes the historical significance of February 19 and expresses congressional support for the Japanese- American, German-American, and Italian-American communities in their goals to raise public awareness of Day of Remembrance events.

The force of wartime hysteria darkened the light of justice and reasonable people suddenly embarked on an unreasonable course. Indeed, America was engaged in a monumental struggle as our soldiers engaged the enemy in the European and Pacific Theatre. Here in the United States, many citizens had faces that looked like that of the enemy. Without any evidence, fear was mounting, and the patriotism of these Japanese Americans was questioned. Some worried that they were intent on doing harm against the very flag they saluted. Decades later, history vindicated these loyal Americans as not even a single documented case of sabotage or espionage was committed by an American of Japanese ancestry during that time.

What our Nation found through the disinfectant of time, those who endured internment knew all along. Surrounded by armed guards behind a prison fence, mothers thought of their sons who fought for the freedom of the Nation that denied them of their own liberty.

Indeed today history shows that the Japanese-American soldiers of the 442nd combat regiment fought honorably and bravely for ideals they knew our Nation had not yet afforded to their own families back home. Still, they were worth fighting for. And this regiment would become the most decorated group of soldiers in American history as they proved their devotion to our Nation fighting in both the European and Pacific theatres. It took more than 50 years, but finally in 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded 22 of these heroes with the Medal of Honor.

In 1983, a Presidential Commission concluded that the internment was the result of both racism and wartime hysteria. Five years later, then President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act into law that provided an official apology and redress to most of those confined in U.S. internment camps during World War II. This was the culmination of half a century of struggle to bring justice to those for whom it was denied. I am proud that our Nation did the right thing. But 16 years after the passage of the CLA, we still have unfinished work to be done to rectify and close this regrettable chapter in our Nation's history.

I introduced bipartisan legislation, the Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2003 (H.R. 779) to finish the remaining work of redress. While most Americans are aware of the internment of Japanese Americans, few know about our government's activities in other countries resulting from prejudice held against people of Japanese ancestry. Recorded thoroughly in government files, the U.S. Government involved itself in the expulsion and internment of an estimated 2,000 people of Japanese descent who lived in various Latin American countries. Uprooted from their homes and forced into the United States, these civilians were robbed of their freedom as they were kidnapped from nations not even directly involved in World War II. These individuals are still waiting for equitable redress, and justice cries out for them to receive it. That is why I introduced H.R. 779, to finally turn the last page in this chapter of our Nation's history, so that we not only remember that our country took away civil rights from innocent people from other countries, but that we now have recognized the wrong of our actions and have taken steps to provide equitable redress.

This bill provides redress to every Japanese Latin American individual forcibly removed and interned in the United States. These people paid a tremendous price during one of our Nation's most trying times. Indeed, America accomplished much during that great struggle. As we celebrate our great achievements as a Nation let us also recognize our errors and join together as a Nation to correct those mistakes. My legislation is the right thing to do to affirm our commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

In addition, the Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2003 provides relief to Japanese-Americans confined in this country but who never received redress under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 given technicalities in the original law. Our laws must always establish justice. They should never deny it. That is why these provisions ensure that every American who suffered the same injustices will receive the same justice. Finally, my legislation will reauthorize the educational mandate in the 1988 act, which was never fulfilled. This will etch this chapter of our nation's history into our national conscience for generations to come as a reminder never to repeat it again.

Recently, in Los Angeles I was fortunate to join with about 300 individuals to commemorate the Day of Remembrance in Los Angeles at the historic Japanese American National Museum. Included in the Los Angeles Day of Remembrance program was the screening of a film, ``Stand Up for Justice,'' which tells the story of Ralph Lazo, a Mexican-Irish American student at Belmont High School in downtown Los Angeles. Even in 1941, the school had an ethnically diverse population, and the film depicts Ralph's anger at the pain suffered by his Japanese American friend, Jimmy Matsuoka. Jimmy and his family are forced to sell their belongings and ``evacuate'' to a remote concentration camp. At the age of 16 Ralph voluntarily accompanied his Japanese American friends to Manzanar Internment Camp, where he spent 2\1/2\ years. Ralph remained a dear friend to the Japanese community and his loss was sorely felt in 1992 when friends mourned the death of their loyal friend. He had stood by Japanese Americans during the difficult times at Manzanar and throughout the campaign for redress, and he demonstrated that you don't have to be Japanese American to stand up for what is right.

At the forefront of this fight for justice, there are Members of Congress, the community and

individuals like Ralph Lazo, giving a voice to those who were wronged in the past. Let us all remember, that the fight for justice for Japanese internees is one that is being fought by the entire community regardless of their ethnicity. We must all ``Stand Up for Justice.''

Mr. Speaker, let us renew our resolve to build a better future for our community as we dedicate ourselves to remembering how we compromised liberty in the past. Doing so will help us to guard it more closely in the future. As we commemorate the Day of Remembrance, we must pass H. Res. 56, in support of Japanese-American, German-American, and Italian American communities in their recognizing of this historical day. I also look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2003.