Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3525, the ``Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act.''

This bill seeks to create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history, culture, and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans (APA).

As the representative for the 18th District of Texas, which has a significant Asian population, this bill is of great personal importance to me.

Asian Americans are significant contributors of our nation's history as champions of social and racial justice. Yet, Asian Americans have also uniquely suffered in the United States, and those stories should also be told.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first and only major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration for a specific nationality. The basic exclusion law prohibited Chinese laborers-- defined as ``both skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining''--from entering the country.

Subsequent amendments to the law prevented Chinese laborers who had left the United States from returning. The passage of the act represented the outcome of years of racial hostility and anti-immigrant agitation by white Americans, set the precedent for later restrictions against immigration of other nationalities, and started a new era in which the United States changed from a country that welcomed almost all immigrants to a gatekeeping one.

Another glaring example of their suffering are the internment camps of World War II.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had identified German, Italian, and Japanese aliens who were suspected of being potential enemy agents; and they were kept under surveillance. Following the attack at Pearl Harbor, government suspicion arose not only around aliens who came from enemy nations, but around all persons of Japanese descent, whether foreign born (issei) or American citizens (nisei). During congressional committee hearings, representatives of the Department of Justice raised logistical, constitutional, and ethical objections. Regardless, the task was turned over to the U.S. Army as a security matter.

The entire West Coast was deemed a military area and was divided into military zones. Executive Order 9066 authorized military commanders to exclude civilians from military areas. Although the language of the order did not specify any ethnic group, Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt of the Western Defense Command proceeded to announce curfews that included only Japanese Americans. Next, he encouraged voluntary evacuation by Japanese Americans from a limited number of areas; about seven percent of the total Japanese American population in these areas complied.

On March 29, 1942, under the authority of the executive order, DeWitt issued Public Proclamation No. 4, which began the forced evacuation and detention of Japanese-American West Coast residents on a 48-hour notice. Only a few days prior to the proclamation, on March 21, Congress had passed Public Law 503, which made violation of Executive Order 9066 a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Because of the perception of ``public danger,'' all Japanese Americans within varied distances from the Pacific coast were targeted. Unless they were able to dispose of or make arrangements for care of their property within a few days, their homes, farms, businesses, and most of their private belongings were lost forever.

From the end of March to August, approximately 112,000 persons were sent to ``assembly centers''--often racetracks or fairgrounds--where they waited and were tagged to indicate the location of a long-term ``relocation center'' that would be their home for the rest of the war. Nearly 70,000 of the evacuees were American citizens. There were no charges of disloyalty against any of these citizens, nor was there any vehicle by which they could appeal their loss of property and personal liberty.

``Relocation centers'' were situated many miles inland, often in remote and desolate locales. Sites included Tule Lake, California; Minidoka, Idaho; Manzanar, California; Topaz, Utah; Jerome, Arkansas; Heart Mountain, Wyoming; Poston, Arizona; Granada, Colorado; and Rohwer, Arkansas. (Incarceration rates were significantly lower in the territory of Hawaii, where Japanese Americans made up over one-third of the population and their labor was needed to sustain the economy. However, martial law had been declared in Hawaii immediately following the Pearl Harbor attack, and the Army issued hundreds of military orders, some applicable only to persons of Japanese ancestry.)

In the ``relocation centers'' (also called ``internment camps''), four or five families, with their sparse collections of clothing and possessions, shared tar-papered army-style barracks. Most lived in these conditions for nearly three years or more until the end of the war. Gradually some insulation was added to the barracks and lightweight partitions were added to make them a little more comfortable and somewhat private. Life took on some familiar routines of socializing and school. However, eating in common facilities, using shared restrooms, and having limited opportunities for work interrupted other social and cultural patterns. Persons who resisted were sent to a special camp at Tule Lake, California, where dissidents were housed.

In 1943 and 1944, the government assembled a combat unit of Japanese Americans for the European theater. It became the 442d Regimental Combat Team and gained fame as the most highly decorated of World War II. Their military record bespoke their patriotism.

As the war drew to a close, ``internment camps'' were slowly evacuated. While some persons of Japanese ancestry returned to their hometowns, others sought new surroundings. For example, the Japanese- American community of Tacoma, Washington, had been sent to three different centers; only 30 percent returned to Tacoma after the war. Japanese Americans from Fresno had gone to Manzanar; 80 percent returned to their hometown.

The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II sparked constitutional and political debate. During this period, three Japanese-American citizens challenged the constitutionality of the forced relocation and curfew orders through legal actions: Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Mitsuye Endo. Hirabayashi and Korematsu received negative judgments; but Mitsuye Endo, after a lengthy battle through lesser courts, was determined to be ``loyal'' and allowed to leave the Topaz, Utah, facility.

Justice Murphy of the Supreme Court expressed the following opinion in Ex parte Mitsuye Endo:

I join in the opinion of the Court, but I am of the view that detention in Relocation Centers of persons of Japanese ancestry regardless of loyalty is not only unauthorized by Congress or the Executive but is another example of the unconstitutional resort to racism inherent in the entire evacuation program. As stated more fully in my dissenting opinion in Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214, 65 S.Ct. 193, racial discrimination of this nature bears no reasonable relation to military necessity and is utterly foreign to the ideals and traditions of the American people.

In 1988, Congress passed, and President Reagan signed, Public Law 100-383--the Civil Liberties Act of 1988--that acknowledged the injustice of ``internment,'' apologized for it, and provided a $20,000 cash payment to each person who was incarcerated.

One of the most stunning ironies in this episode of denied civil liberties was articulated by an internee who, when told that Japanese Americans were put in those camps for their own protection, countered ``If we were put there for our protection, why were the guns at the guard towers pointed inward, instead of outward?''

Asian Americans and Asian immigrants also have suffered systematic exclusion from the political process and it has taken a series of reforms, including repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943, and passage of amendments strengthening the Voting Rights Act

three decades later, to fully extend the franchise to Asian Americans. It was with this history in mind that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was designed to make the right to vote a reality for all Americans.

Despite this track record of suffering familiar to all minority groups in America, we must not forget the positive history of Asian Americans.

Congresswoman Meng, the sponsor of this bill, put it best when she recalled how:

``Chinese Americans fought for the Union at the Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg during the American Civil War and Japanese Americans comprised the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II, which became the most decorated unit in the history of the U.S. Military.''

``While Chinese and Japanese Americans have demonstrated valor and bravery, they have also faced institutionalized disenfranchisement that manifested in U.S. laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and Executive Order 9066 that ordered the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Yet, from the first wave of Southeast Asian refugees on our shores to the Filipino Americans who helped found the farmworker labor movement--AAPIs have left an indelible mark on our American story.''

``From these Halls of Congress to every American classroom, our AAPI heroes such as Grace Lee Boggs--a human rights activist for seven decades; Larry Itliong--the quintessential leader for labor rights and justice; Dalip Singh Saund--the first Asian American elected to Congress; and Patsy Mink--the first woman of color elected to Congress, and the original champion of Title IX protections in the Higher Education Act, have fought for human and civil rights and social justice with their every breath. Shamefully, these stories are starkly missing from the narrative of American history.''

Mr. Speaker, these stories must not continue to be unknown to so many Americans. This bill would put an end to that shameful practice, so I am proud to support it and urge my colleagues to as well.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 441) to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana, Alaska, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the matter under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 441, the Don Young Alaska Native Health Care Land Transfers Act of 2022, serves as a testament to the legacy of advocacy that the late dean of the House and our friend, Don Young of Alaska, provided Alaska Natives.

This particular legislation was something that he was urging--as recently as right before his passing, before we all left--upon me to move as quickly as possible, and I am glad that we have been able to get it to this point.

This legislation directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to convey certain parcels of land to the Tanana Tribal Council, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium for the purpose of expanding social and healthcare services.

Together, these three nonprofit entities support the Alaska Native communities as Tribal health and social service providers in both urban and rural settings.

The Tanana Tribal Council, located in Tanana, Alaska, provides outpatient services to Alaska Natives. Since the council is rurally located, healthcare services are often underfunded and harder to come by.

This legislation's conveyance of approximately 11.25 acres of land to the council will allow it to build a new facility and expand existing services to its Indian Health Service beneficiaries, thereby increasing the quality of care available.

The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium delivers care to Alaska Natives as one of the oldest and largest Native-run healthcare organizations in the United States. The consortium operates the Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital, a 25-bed critical access facility located in Sitka, Alaska, which is in serious need of renovation due to its age and current condition.

This legislation's conveyance of roughly 10.87 acres of land to the consortium will facilitate the planned modernization of the hospital by granting the consortium title to the acreage.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium serves the healthcare needs of thousands of Alaska Native and American Indian patients in south-central Alaska. The consortium provides medical services at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and provides wellness programs, disease research and prevention, rural provider trainings, as well as water and sanitation systems construction.

This legislation will grant the consortium ownership over two parcels of land totaling approximately 3.5 acres, thus allowing the consortium to streamline its operations and conduct building refurbishments without reliance on the Federal Government.

My late friend and colleague, Representative Don Young, championed these three land transfers, now combined into H.R. 441, to promote health equity among rural Alaska Natives. His work on behalf of Indian Country never ceased throughout his time in Congress.

I am grateful that we are here today to support this legislation and these three critical Tribal health entities in Alaska, a reminder of the support that Indian Country received from Don Young.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill and call for its swift passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his work on these pieces of legislation today and acknowledge his work on Representative Meng's H.R. 3525, in particular. There were difficult things to navigate there, and we appreciate the effort on his part. Hopefully, we were as cooperative.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 3525, a bill I authored to establish a commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.

I want to first thank Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Westerman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Congressman Bentz, and Chairman Neguse and Ranking Member Fulcher of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for their work with me on bringing this bill to the floor.

Second, I thank Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, and Whip Clyburn for their support on this historic legislation. I also acknowledge and thank Chairperson Lofgren of the Committee on House Administration for her support in moving this bill forward.

I first introduced this bill in the 114th Congress, and during that Congress, we witnessed the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture that our former colleague, the legendary John Lewis, spearheaded for decades.

Since then, we have seen legislation establishing the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum signed into law.

Our communities and caucuses have stood together in each of these efforts, and it is a joy to see this AAPI museum study bill arrive at this point today.

America is filled with diverse stories of achievement and moments of tragedy. Within our shared history, there are countless tales of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, or AAPIs, contributing to every facet of our Nation.

As far back as the 1700s, AAPIs have shaped American society. From the Chinese laborers who helped build the transcontinental railroad, a vital piece of U.S. infrastructure, to the thousands of AAPIs who fought for fair working conditions for agricultural workers during the Hawaii sugar strike of 1946, AAPIs have and continue to shape this Nation's history.

Yet, those contributions are often unheard of and simply forgotten. It is time to change that. A national museum dedicated to collecting, preserving, and displaying these tales is long overdue.

Museums provide a space to reflect on our past, assess our present, and dream of the future that we are working toward.

My bill is one step closer to the creation of a national museum dedicated to our AAPI American history. The commission established through this legislation will be comprised of experts in their respective fields who will be responsible for studying the feasibility of creating a national museum and providing recommendations to Congress on whether to, and how to establish a national museum.

Additionally, the commission will study logistical questions of exhibit curation, fundraising capacity, cost of creating and maintaining such an institution, and whether or not this museum should be part of the Smithsonian Institution.

AAPIs are the fastest growing ethnic group in America, and the contributions of this community have shaped our Nation's infrastructure, economy, culture, and so much more. We must never forget that AAPI history is also American history.

Today's consideration of H.R. 3525 is a necessary step to ensure the full face of American diversity across our entire country is displayed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3525, offered by Representative Meng, to authorize a commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.

My home State of Oregon has a proud and growing Asian-American and Pacific-Islander population. Oregon is home to many cultural centers, museums, gardens, and historic sites related to Asian-American and Pacific-Islander heritage.

This commission would be tasked with preparing a report for Congress and the President providing recommendations regarding the feasibility of establishing and maintaining a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

The commission would be required to consider several factors, including the availability and cost of the collections to be acquired, the cost of constructing, operating, and maintaining the museum, and the feasibility of the museum becoming part of the Smithsonian Institution.

While I support this bill, I am concerned about the significant financial and operational challenges that adding an additional national museum to the Smithsonian's portfolio could pose.

Just 2 years ago, Congress authorized the establishment of the National Museum of the American Latino and American Women's History Museum. In addition to constructing two new museums, the Smithsonian is facing a facilities maintenance backlog approaching $1 billion; identified collection storage needs; a $900 million renovation of the National Air and Space Museum expected to conclude this year; and ongoing rehabilitation of other historic structures on the National Mall.

I appreciate Chair Grijalva's willingness to address Republican concerns about the Smithsonian's capacity. At markup, an amendment was adopted to require the commission to consider the potential impact on the Smithsonian's existing maintenance backlog and identified construction or renovation costs for new or existing museums.

Additionally, I appreciate an amendment adopted at markup to prohibit the use of Federal funds for the commission. These are good governance amendments that will strengthen the commission's work and eventual report.

I appreciate our friends on the other side of the aisle taking this bill through regular order and working with Republicans to address our concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say how important this bill is, in part because of the incredibly valuable folks we have in my part of my State, including the Kitamuras, the Nagakis, the Maedas, the Nambas, the Saitos, the Itos, the Tanakas, the Teramuras, and many others, all of whom are absolutely wonderful parts of our community.

They are also incredibly conservative, and I am sure will be happy to see the portions of this bill that reflect the agreement to make sure that we are able to pay for whatever it is that we do. They are truly deserving of this recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3525) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3525, the Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act, introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Grace Meng.

This legislation would establish a commission to study and report on the potential creation of a national museum of Asian Pacific American history and culture in the District of Columbia and its surrounding areas.

The establishment of this commission is a first step in acknowledging the long history, role, and contributions of Asian Americans in American culture.

I thank Representative Meng for championing this piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to support its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on House Administration,

Washington, DC, March 30, 2022.

Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Grijalva: I am writing to you concerning H.R.

3525. There are certain provisions in the legislation which

fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on House

Administration.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration, the Committee on House

Administration agrees to forego action on the bill. This is

done with the understanding that the Committee on House

Administration's jurisdictional interests over this and

similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In

addition, the Committee reserves its right to seek conferees

on any provisions within its jurisdiction which are

considered in a House-Senate conference and requests your

support if such a request is made.

I would appreciate your response confirming this

understanding with respect to H.R. 3525 and ask that a copy

of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your

committee report on the bill and in the Congressional Record

during consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Zoe Lofgren,

Chairperson.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas).

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is important. It comes at the right time. It is an affirmation of the inclusiveness, diversity, and the equal status of all of us as Americans.

I am very proud to support this. I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.