Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to honor the contributions and achievements of Sir Fernando Muy on his recent passing. Sir Muy was an entrepreneur, friend, community volunteer, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Sir Muy made an impact to each person he came in contact with and left them with compassion, patience, and generosity.

I had the honor of meeting Sir Muy at a community gathering at the On Leong Chinese Community Center last July. I learned that he was a kind and caring man who took interest in helping others. He was a man who pushed for the rights of Chinese both in the U.S. and internationally.

The title ``Sir'' was bestowed upon Fernando Muy by the 25th Knight of the Imperial Byzantine Order of the Star of Asia, by H.I.R.H. Prince Henri Constantine III the current leader of Byzantine Dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire. His title was placed upon him for his outstanding accomplishments in making great contributions to the public charity, culture, and his promotion of world peace. Other such winners of this award include President Harry Truman and John Glenn.

Since he had been oppressed by two Communist regimes in China and in Cuba, Sir Muy was a staunch opponent of Communism. With a sound financial foundation behind him, the retired entrepreneur decided to become active in the community. Sir Muy's contributions and tireless advocacy work helped make it possible for Chinese immigrants to have the rights they have today. He advocated and encouraged all immigrants to become citizens, to register to vote so as to exercise their duty and power as citizens.

Sir Muy worked tirelessly to reduce the tension between China and Taiwan by traveling to both countries to encourage on-going dialogue between the two sides. In Miami, his place of residence, he continued his personal commitment to the community by establishing the following organizations in Miami: Chinese Welfare Council in 1978, World Kwong Tung Community Association in 1991, Florida Chinese Federation in 1993 and Overseas Chinese Association in 2000. He also helped with the creation of the following: Chinese American Benevolent Association in 1956, Organization of Chinese Americans--South Florida Chapter in 1987, and United Chinese Association of Florida in 2003.

Sir Muy accepted the position of the National President of Overseas Chinese Association in 2000. He wanted to revitalize an inactive ten- year-old organization with only one chapter in the country of Macao. In order to make an international impact, he decided to stay in Taiwan. The mission of OCA is to unite all overseas Chinese worldwide, to promote harmony by using Founding Father Dr. Sun Yat-San's ``Three People's Principles''; preserve the Chinese heritage, and encourage members to actively participate in local civil affairs for equality, and advancement of Chinese.

Sir Fernando Muy will be remembered as a great philanthropist, a successful entrepreneur, a caring father and grandfather. Most of all, he will be remembered for his philanthropy and chivalry's spirit of justice, his commitment to advocate for the welfare and advancement of Chinese worldwide, and the promotion of the Chinese culture.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, June 7, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes on that day.

Had I been present I would have voted the following: ``yea'' on rollcall vote number 228 H. Con. Res 44--Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo; ``yea'' on rollcall vote number 229 H. Res. 282--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding manifestations of anti-Semitism by United Nations member states and urging action against anti-Semitism by United Nations officials, United Nations member states, and the Government of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 810, legislation that will dramatically expand the number of stem cell lines available for federally funded research. This bill will allow scientists to more effectively pursue cures and therapies for a wide array of life- threatening illnesses and disabilities affecting millions of Americans.

Earlier today, the House passed a related but very different bill: the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act, H.R. 2520. This legislation will create a new Federal program to collect and store umbilical-cord- blood stem cells for research purposes. I support the additional research on adult stem cells provided for by H.R. 2250, but this legislation is not a substitute for H.R. 810 and its emphasis on embryonic stem cell research.

Embryonic stem cells have a unique ability to develop into any type of cell as they mature, offering scientists tremendous insights on the replacement of damaged cells and organs, the mechanics of life- threatening diseases, and the testing and development of new drugs. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, have not shown this ability to differentiate into specific types of cells, have not yet been identified in all vital organs, and are difficult to identify, purify, and grow.

Although embryonic stem cell research promises extraordinary medical discoveries, the available supply of existing embryonic stem cells is woefully insufficient. According to the National Institutes of Health, NIH, only 22 of the 78 stem cell lines that were deemed eligible for Federal funding by President George Bush in 2001 are currently available to NIH investigators. Some of these 22 lines are too expensive or difficult to obtain, and some have been contaminated with non-human molecules diminishing their therapeutic value for humans. To make matters worse, these stem cell lines lack the genetic variation needed to develop therapies that will benefit the diverse population of the United States.

H.R. 810 addresses the shortage of embryonic stem cell lines by lifting the arbitrary and

indefensible August 9, 2001 cut-off date for stem cell eligibility. Since 2001, 128 embryonic stem cell lines have been developed, including disease-specific stem cell lines that allow researchers to understand the basic cause of some rare diseases. This legislation also provides stricter ethical guidelines to ensure that only the best and most ethical stem cell research will be federally funded.

The State of California has already taken steps to ensure that human embryonic stem cell research will be allowed to develop by establishing the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which will devote $3 billion to California universities and research institutions over the next 10 years. The passage of H.R. 810 will further empower and equip California scientific institutions to undertake cutting-edge research on the most pressing medical challenges of our day.

Let us make no mistake, the development of lifesaving medical procedures has been slowed by an unwarranted restriction on stem cell research. I believe that, as policymakers, we have a moral imperative to pursue innovative medical research that can improve the quality of life and prevent harmful illnesses and diseases for generations to come. I urge my colleagues to join the innumerable scientists, university leaders, patient groups, and medical research groups that support H.R. 810.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4469, the Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act.

I would like to recognize my colleague Representative Lynn Woosley from California for

her steadfast leadership in ensuring Angel Island Immigration Station is preserved and restored.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I support the federal authorization of $15 million for the preservation and restoration of Angel Island, where people from China, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, Australia, and the Philippines entered the United States to start a new life.

Angel Island Immigration Station is appropriately known as the ``Ellis Island of the West.'' Located in the San Francisco Bay, Angel Island served as a processing and detainment center for one million immigrants between 1910 and 1940. Of those one million people, 175,000 were Chinese immigrants and 150,000 were Japanese immigrants.

For the 30 years that Angel Island was in existence, detainees experienced overcrowded facilities, humiliating medical examinations, intense interrogations, and countless days--even years--waiting until approval of their applications or deportation. Although conditions could be deplorable, Angel Island was an entry point to a better future for many immigrants.

In 1940, Angel Island Immigration Station's administration building was destroyed. In 1963, California State Parks assumed the role of stewardship of the site when Angel Island became a state park.

In the 1970's, the site was set for demolition until a park ranger discovered etched writings on the walls. Etched by detainees, the writings and drawings on the wall reflect the hardships and hopes of detainees during the uncertain period in which they awaited decisions on their immigration applications. The cultural and historical value of these etchings sparked efforts to save this site. In 1997 Angel Island Immigration Station became a National Historic Landmark.

More than 50,000 people continue to visit Angel Island Immigration Station yearly, but sadly, the history of Angel Island is often left out of classroom lectures. However, with greater federal support, we can restore the Island's historic buildings, preserve irreplaceable immigration records, and keep alive the stories and memories of those who were detained on the Island.

While preserving the Angel Island Immigration Station is important to Asian Pacific Americans, it should be a priority for all Americans. Just as Ellis Island is a critical part of our nation's history, Angel Island offers American's a richer and more comprehensive understanding of our history and the diversity we celebrate in this nation.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support H.R. 4469 and its authorization of $15 million to restore and preserve historic buildings at Angel Island Immigration Station. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions of Asian Pacific Islander Americans, APIA. I would like to thank my colleagues for recognizing Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Thanks to the late Representative Frank Horton from New York and my good friend, Secretary Norman Mineta, along with Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, May is designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to celebrate and honor the contributions of the APIA community.

In the past year, the APIA community has lost extraordinary community activists, advocates, leaders, and long time friends, such as Fred Korematsu, Dr. John B. Tsu, K. Patrick Okura, Iris Chang, and my colleague and friend Congressman Bob Matsui.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I feel privileged to represent a community that is growing exponentially and exceedingly diverse in culture, ethnicities, and language. Today, there are over 12 million APIAs living in the U.S. and representing 4.5 percent of the total U.S. population. By the year 2050, there will be more than 33 million APIAs living in the U.S. My home state of California has both the largest APIA population--4.6 million--and the largest numerical increase of APIAs since April 2000.

I am proud to be a member of the APIA community, because we continue to serve as positive contributors to our many communities by investing in education, business, and cultural opportunities for all Americans.

APIAs continue to build clout and power in all sectors of society. For example, APIAs had a purchasing power of $296.4 billion in 2002, up 152 percent from 1990. APIAs in California had the most buying power-- $104.1 billion--but APIA buying power is growing fast in places like Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, as we honor the 40th anniversary of the Immigration Nationality Act of 1965 and the 30th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1975 this year, we need to remember that our country was founded and created to protect our freedom and civil liberties. And, as a nation of immigrants we must embrace our diversity.

Embracing diversity also means we need to do a better job of disaggregating data and information about the APIA community. The APIA community is often misperceived as a monolithic racial group and is often seen as the model minority. Aggregating such a large and diverse group makes it difficult to understand the unique problems faced by the individual ethnicities and subgroups, such as the Southeast Asian Americans, who are refugees that fled their home countries during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The APIA community continues to fight for our civil rights and against any injustices as Americans. Even after the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II, we as a community did not grow embittered, or cowed by discrimination; instead, we progressed and moved forward.

In closing, this Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we take pride in our history, accomplishments, and the promise of our future as we continue to pave the way for a better tomorrow in the name of ``Liberty and Freedom for All.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the first National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This commemorative day aims to raise the awareness

of Asian Pacific Islander American, APIA, communities about the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS as well as educating our communities about the progress in the areas of prevention, care and treatment, and vaccines.

Asian Pacific Islander Americans are among the fastest growing racial/ethnic populations in the United States. Despite stereotypes depicting APIAs as ``model citizens'' who enjoy perfect health, health advocates point out that HIV/AIDS awareness is lacking in many communities. Indeed, APIAs in the U.S. have higher rates of those preventable diseases that are also co-factors for HIV/AIDS--including hepatitis B and tuberculosis--than white Americans.

Worldwide, AIDS has killed more than 20 million people, including 3.1 million in 2004 alone. Through 2003, in the United States, approximately 930,000 people had been diagnosed with AIDS and more than 400,000 people were living with AIDS. While the number of reported AIDS cases among APIAs remains small, lack of detailed HIV surveillance, underreporting, and misclassification often mask the true impact of the HIV epidemic on APIAs.

Mr. Speaker, according to such groups as the San Francisco-based Asian and Pacific Island Wellness Center, the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, HIV data collected between 2000-2003 reveals a 54 percent increase in AIDS diagnosis among APIAs. As of December 2003, men accounted for 87 percent of APIA AIDS cases, with 71 percent occurring among men who have same-sex relations. Among APIA women, 49 percent of AIDS cases were attributed to heterosexual contact.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I want to say it loud and clear that there is no misunderstanding. HIV/AIDS is a public health emergency for Asian Pacific Islander Americans.

National API HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is the first step in breaking the silence and reducing the shame associated with HIV/AIDS, and I applaud the Banyan Tree Project for their efforts. Reducing stigma will give APIAs greater access to services we need and deserve, which in turn will reduce the spread of HIV.

I urge my colleagues to join me today, along with national, regional, and local HIV/AIDS groups, in supporting this effort to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among Asians and Pacific Islanders and to mobilize communities to get involved. Only through collaboration and a willingness to break down barriers and build bridges will we be able to win this fight against HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in memory of Alexander ``Sandy'' Ellenberg, and to recognize his lifelong achievements and legacy of volunteerism and dedication to public service.

In the Jewish faith, there is a commandment requiring that one give tzedakah, which in Hebrew means an act of ``charity'' or ``righteousness'' without expecting anything in return. Sandy Ellenberg was a man of faith, and his life represented a life-long example of tzedakah. Sandy Ellenberg was a good friend of mine and a true pillar to the local community; he was a man of character, compassion and goodwill. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him and were touched by his work.

Alexander Ellenberg was born on October 13, 1933 in Stockton, California--the first child in his family to be born in the United States. Sandy worked his way through the University of California, completing his undergraduate degree at Berkeley and his medical degree at UC San Francisco. Recognizing his own good fortune and the difficulty in achieving one's dreams, Sandy endowed an annual scholarship at Cal for a San Joaquin County student to study medicine.

A successful plastic surgeon by profession, Sandy said that he got the most joy from performing serious reconstructive surgery. Through these operations, he could use his medical training and surgical skills to repair damages, correct congenital disorders and bring hope back into the faces of those who suffered traumatic injuries and disfigurations. Twice, Sandy traveled to Venezuela to fix children's cleft palates and lips with Rotaplast International, a charitable organization sponsored by the Rotary Club.

In addition to his work with Rotaplast, Sandy was politically active and socially conscious--an advocate of civil rights, a generous political campaign donor and patron of the arts. He was a visible figure in the Jewish community: an active member of his local synagogue and a past board member of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. Sandy lived a rich and full life, and contributed to his community in so many ways.

Sandy Ellenberg died on February 27, 2005. On that day America lost one of its quiet heroes. In a world that is always looking out for the bottom line, where a ``free lunch'' is rarely ever ``free,'' Sandy Ellenberg was a breath of fresh air. He recognized his own good fortune, and was committed to making success, equality, freedom and happiness available to others. His life was an example of righteousness and unselfish giving--of tzedakah.

Sandy leaves behind his wife of fifty years, Maureen, and 2 sons, Steven and Gary. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends; Sandy is deeply missed by us all.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the life and work of Alexander Ellenberg, a man whose life exemplified goodwill and selfless giving; he was one of America's true heroes.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, May 12th, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes on that day.

Had I been present I would have voted the following: ``no'' on rollcall vote number 169, the Weiner Amendment limiting the number of Urban Area Security Initiative grants during any given fiscal year to 50, and ``yea'' on rollcall vote number 170, final passage of H.R. 1544, the Faster & Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the conference report to H.R. 1268, legislation providing $81.3 billion in emergency wartime supplemental appropriations to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The conference report's immigration-related provisions are neither wise, nor consistent with our national values. I am equally disturbed that Congress declines to institute greater accountability for the Bush Administration's use of wartime appropriations. Accordingly, I cannot in good conscience support this conference report.

On March 16, 2005, I joined the vast majority of my colleagues in voting for H.R. 1268. The legislation included many laudable provisions, including funding for tsunami relief, humanitarian assistance in Darfur, and needed equipment for our Nation's soldiers. On the other hand, I was deeply troubled by the bill's inclusion of the REAL ID Act, which called for egregious, new restrictions on immigrants and put us on the path to creating a national identification card. I had hoped that the Senate would prevail and remove these indefensible provisions proposed in the House bill.

I am particularly concerned with provisions in the bill that affect asylum seekers. This conference report would require that asylum seekers establish first that they would be subject to persecution if returned to their home country, and second that race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion is at least one ``central reason'' for that persecution.

These changes will deny asylum to people who cannot prove the central motive of their persecutor, who cannot produce corroborating evidence of their account, or whose demeanor is inconsistent with an immigration judge's preconceived expectations. This measure could place insurmountable legal obligations on already vulnerable asylum seekers by requiring unrealistic and unfair burdens of proof. U.S. law already has safeguards to prevent immigration by known terrorists and criminals.

Another section of the conference agreement establishes minimum requirements for States issuing driver's licenses and identification cards, including acceptable documentation for issuance of identification cards. As a result, States will have the burden of determining the authenticity of a wide array of documents. Placing these types of requirements on State motor vehicle authorities is prohibitively costly and ultimately unworkable. Federal authorities will not recognize State identification cards that fail to meet these requirements.

With respect to the current military operations, I am also discouraged that Congress remains unwilling to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its many missteps in Iraq, and I am troubled that the President may interpret this emergency supplemental as another blank check. The Bush Administration cannot account for billions of Federal dollars targeted for Iraq, and allegations of inappropriate no-bid contracts to ``well-connected'' multi-national corporations have never been thoroughly investigated. Efforts on the House floor by Representatives John Tierney and Jim Leach to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate allegations of war profiteering were rejected by the Republican leadership, and no substantive accountability measures were included in the conference report.

I understand well the responsibility the Congress has to fully support our Nation's troops, and as former Peace Corps volunteer, I appreciate the value of humanitarian aid to regions ravaged by natural disasters and human conflict. I would proudly support a bill that meets these important priorities, but I cannot vote for a conference report that incorporates unnecessary and unjust provisions designed to hurt immigrants.

This conference report is an abuse of the legislative process and a threat to the fabric of this Nation. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 250, a resolution that recognizes the goals and ideals of the week of May 9th as National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.

I first want to thank Mr. Murphy for his leadership on this resolution.

During the week of May 9, health advocates from around the country will be putting on a national media campaign, ``Aim for the B,'' to raise awareness about the disease and to educate the community about prevention through testing and vaccination.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers are startling. In the United States, 12 million people (1 out of 20) have been infected at some time in their lives with the hepatitis B virus, more than one million people in the U.S. have developed chronic hepatitis B infection, and more than 5,000 Americans die from hepatitis B-related liver complications each year.

Chronic hepatitis B is often called a ``silent disease'' because more than two-thirds of the 12 million Americans infected with hepatitis B have no recognized symptoms. Of those who are diagnosed, fewer than ten percent seek long-term medical care that could allow more hepatitis patients to lead long and healthy lives. Those who do not receive treatment often suffer cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer.

Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) are particularly susceptible to this disease--as many as 1 out of 10 APIAs are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus. Accordingly, liver cancer rates among males are 13 times higher among Vietnamese Americans, eight times higher among Korean Americans, and six times higher among Chinese Americans than among the general population.

The most common route of infection among APIAs is through mother-to- child transmission. In the United States, APIA children were found to have low vaccination rates despite national vaccination guidelines and availability. Many children worldwide remain unvaccinated and may become chronically infected as adults. Furthermore, the incidence of liver cancer among APIA ethnic groups is 1.7 to 11.3 times higher than rates among Caucasian Americans.

Hepatitis B is extremely infectious. In fact, the disease is 100 times more infectious than HIV. Most healthy adults (90 percent) who are infected will recover and develop protective antibodies against future hepatitis B infections. A small number (5 to 10 percent) will be unable to get rid of the virus and will develop chronic infection.

Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I want to say it loud and clear so that there is no misunderstanding. Hepatitis B is a public health emergency for Asian Pacific Islander Americans.

We need to break the silence and bring awareness to our community about this disease. Hepatitis B diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence. The weapons to combat this disease are available, including vaccination, early diagnosis and treatments. During National Hepatitis B Awareness Week, events will be held across the United States to raise awareness about hepatitis B, educate sufferers and their physicians about improved methods of treatment and prevention, and open the dialogue within communities to stop the transmission of this virus.

Recognizing the goals of National Hepatitis B Awareness Week is an important step in efforts to increase awareness about this deadly virus. This resolution also seeks to honor those in the community and in medicine who seek to prevent additional cases of hepatitis B and improve the quality of life for those who have already contracted it.

We all have constituents affected by this disease, so let us come together and support a comprehensive response and spread awareness on prevention.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and all of the events during National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.

Mr. Speaker, today, communities in the United States, Israel, and around the world will gather to observe Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, known in Hebrew as Yom Hashoah. This solemn day commemorates the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and this year it coincides with the 60th anniversary of the end of the War World II. On this day, we remember the six million Jews murdered during World War II.

I join all those here today in mourning the innocent lives and vibrant communities lost, destroyed by Nazis while the most of world silently and shamefully watched. We must combat anti-Semitism and intolerance wherever it exists in the world today.

It is vital that we remember this dark period in history. The Holocaust made clear man's capacity to do evil. We remember this tragic event and firm our resolve that history will not be repeated. As human beings, we have a responsibility to keep the Holocaust at the forefront of our collective historical memory.

I thank all those who have put today's program together to commemorate the Day of Remembrance and I appreciate all those who participated.

Mr. Speaker, the Day of Remembrance reminds us that we as people, we as nations, must take action against hatred and incitement targeted against any group; we saw how failure to take action over 60 years ago turned to mass devastation and murder.

Mr. Speaker, by taking the time to remember Yom Hashoah here in our Nation's Capital, we are keeping our promise that we will never forget the past and will fight to protect our future, a future that we hope is one step closer to the goal of ``never again.''

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of and in mourning for the millions who perished in the Shoah, the Holocaust, the most systematic and brutal persecution of a people ever perpetrated in human history.

We grieve for all human suffering and misery. The death of one is not more significant because of his or her race or their creed. But there were so many ones lost in that time. And not just individuals, whole families, whole villages, an entire way of life in many cases. Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, these countries will never regain the vitality they lost when they lost their Jewish people.

We grieve today not just for the Jewish deaths; Jews were not the only ones to perish in the Holocaust. This atrocity was visited upon Gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled, Catholics, Africans, trade- unionists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestant Pastors and anyone who opposed the Reich.

The Holocaust was and is an offense, not only to the victims, their families and their friends, but to humanity. Some demonize the Nazi brutality, calling it inhuman. But I think the fact that the Holocaust was a human event makes it all the more terrible. And it makes our obligation to prevent such a thing from ever happening again even more essential and pressing.

Pastor Niemoller famously reflected on his inaction at the time of the Holocaust:

First they came for the Communists, but I was not a

Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social

Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing.

Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade

unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a

Jew, so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was

no one left to stand up for me.

On this day of remembrance, let us pledge that this will not be our legacy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank my colleague, the co- chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, Representatives Tom Davis, Zoe Lofgren, Chris Smith and Loretta Sanchez for their leadership in bringing H. Res. 228 to the floor. This resolution honors the contributions to the United States made by the Vietnamese Americans since their arrival nearly 30 years ago.

Today, there are 1.2 million Vietnamese Americans living in the U.S. More than 484,000 Vietnamese live in my home state of California, giving us the largest Vietnamese American community outside of Vietnam; my hometown of San Jose the largest Vietnamese population of any city outside of Vietnam. The Vietnamese community makes up the largest population of Southeast Asian refugees to have settled in the United States.

When Saigon fell to the communists 30 years ago, the first wave of Vietnamese fled Vietnam. Approximately 135,000 Vietnamese refugees fled to the U.S.; a majority of them were ex-military and government officials who were our allies during the Vietnam War.

The second migration of refugees came from the southern portion of the newly reunified nation of Vietnam. Of the countless thousands who tried to flee the country in makeshift boats, as many as half perished at sea. Those who succeeded found refugee camps in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

In the late 1970s, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) negotiated an agreement under which the government of Vietnam would allow an orderly departure for those with relatives who had resettled abroad. From 1975 to 2002, a total of 759,000 Vietnamese refugees fled Vietnam and resettled in the United States.

The Vietnamese American community has made and continues to make positive contributions to the U.S. Vietnamese Americans can be found in any profession, becoming doctors, lawyers, actors, politicians, scientists, professional athletes, and entrepreneurs.

In 1992, Tony Quang Lam became the first Vietnamese American elected to public office; he served as a City Council Member in Westminster, CA until 2002. Eugene Trinh became the first Vietnamese American Astronaut for the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1992. Recently in the 2004 elections, Hubert Vo became the first Vietnamese American to win a Texas State Legislature seat, representing District 149 of Texas.

Madam Speaker, the list of accomplished Vietnamese Americans goes on, and these are just some examples of the vibrant Vietnamese American community. As we move forward and honor the accomplishments of this community, we must also address the disparities that still exist in this community, such as college graduation rates and the number of those living below the poverty level.

As we recognize the history and contributions of Vietnamese Americans, we continue to honor their stories of hardship, their noble struggles, and their extraordinary accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order today.

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

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, CAPAC, I feel privileged to be here tonight to speak of the history and accomplishments of the Asian American and Pacific Islander, AAPI, community.

Additionally, I will be highlighting those issues affecting our community that are also priorities for CAPAC.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and remember extraordinary community activists, advocates, leaders, and long-time friends of the AAPI community that we have lost this year, such as Fred Korematsu, Dr. John B. Tsu, K. Patrick Okura, Iris Chang, and my colleague and friend, Congressman Bob Matsui.

Thanks to the late Representative Frank Horton from New York and my good friend, Secretary Norman Mineta, along with Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, May is designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to celebrate and honor the contributions of the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

The first 10 days of May coincide with two important anniversaries: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843, to the United States; and the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.

In 1992, Congress passed the law that officially designated May of each year as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

The first AAPI settlement in this country dates to 1763, when Filipinos escaped imprisonment aboard Spanish galleons and established a community near New Orleans. Today, that AAPI community is one of the fastest growing populations in the country, with over 12 million AAPIs living in the U.S. and representing 4.5 percent of the total U.S. population.

My home State of California has both the largest AAPI population, 4.6 million folks, and the largest numerical increase of AAPIs since April of 2000.

Mr. Speaker, this year's theme for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is ``Liberty and Freedom For All.''

As we honor the AAPI community's contributions to this great Nation, I would also like to note the very social injustices the AAPI community still face. For example, the New York Times today reported a recent study commissioned by the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, a Washington-based civil rights organization.

The study showed that AAPIs portray only 2.7 percent of the regular characters on prime time national network television. Our community is still misrepresented in all areas of society, especially in the media and on prime time television even though we make up 5 percent of the total population.

Although we are often misperceived as monolithic, our community is extremely diverse in our languages, ethnicities, and culture. Aggregating such a large and diverse group makes it difficult to understand the unique problems faced by the individual ethnicities and subgroups such as the Southeast Asian Americans who are refugees who fled their home countries during the late 1970s and the early 1980s.

As a country, we need to better adjust the needs of the AAPI community when we discuss immigration, health, and education issues.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).

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

Mahalo.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) for her presentation, and I will reiterate her admonition to the media in terms of being able to depict Asian American communities.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak on a couple of points before I yield to the gentleman from Oregon. On the issue of immigration, Mr. Speaker, our Nation was founded by immigrants who valued freedom and liberty and who sought to be free from persecution from a tyrant government. Families fled from their home countries to seek refuge in this great Nation because they too believed in liberty, justice, and freedom for all.

AAPI families who seek to be reunited with their families overseas have not seen their dreams come true because of our broken immigration system. Over 1.5 million Asians are caught in the family immigration backlog and immediate family members from overseas wait as long as 10 years to reunite with their families in the U.S.; and if they are a young teenager, by the time they reach 18, they get switched to another line. Mothers and fathers wait to reunite with their children; but due to the long years of waiting, their children may have already reached the age of 18 and their families will have to start the process over again.

As we honor the 40th anniversary of the Immigration Nationality Act of 1965 and the 30th anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1975, we need to remember that our country was founded and created to protect our freedom and civil liberties.

As Chair of CAPAC, we have worked closely with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to speak out against the REAL ID Act. For the AAPI community, the REAL ID will make it harder for those seeking asylum to prove their case. This will prevent legitimate asylum seekers from obtaining relief in the United States. The REAL ID Act requires asylum applicants to prove that the central motive for their persecution was race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The REAL ID Act ignores the fact that those who flee brutal human rights abuses often escape from situations that preclude gathering of documentation to present ``corroborating evidence.'' Applicants may be denied based on any inconsistencies or inaccuracies in their stories. An escapee from the Darfur region cannot go back and track evidence of their persecution without facing a life threatening situation.

Therefore, I believe we need comprehensive immigration reform to fix

our broken immigration system, not a national ID that continues the problem.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to touch on a couple more subjects, if I may.

As Americans, we need to ensure that our children receive a quality education by providing adequate teacher training, funds for after- school and extracurricular activities, and ensuring that college is affordable for every student that desires to receive a higher education.

According to the U.S. census, 50 percent of Asians age 25 or over have a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. However, I would like to emphasize that when we disaggregate the data for AAPI subgroups, we find that the ``model minority'' stereotype is, in fact, a myth.

Only 9.1 percent of Cambodian Americans, 7.4 percent Hmong Americans, 7.6 percent Lao Americans, and 19.5 percent Vietnamese Americans and 16 percent of native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who are 25 years and older have a bachelor's degree.

These numbers show that we must do a better job of disaggregating data and information about our communities to assess the needs of those hard-working Americans who still falter behind.

To address the disparities between subgroups of the larger AAPI community, we need Congress to pass the Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions bill, which the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) will be introducing later this month. This legislation will provide Federal grants to colleges and universities that have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent AAPI and at least 50 percent of its degree-seeking students receive financial assistance.

As a caucus, we will work to increase the availability of loan assistance, scholarships, and programs to allow AAPI students to attend a higher education institution; to ensure full funding for teachers and bilingual education programs under the No Child Left Behind Act; to support English language learners; and to support full funding of minority outreach programs for access to higher education such as the TRIO programs to expand services to serve AAPI students.

In health, Mr. Speaker, a common misperception of AAPIs is that as a group we face fewer health problems than other racial and ethnic groups. In fact, AAPIs as a group and specific populations within this group do experience disparities in health and health care. For example, AAPIs have the highest hepatitis B rates of any racial group in the

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Washington for his great work and also for making sure that the lessons of internment is not only academic, but also personal, and for dedicating sites that will be a hands-on experience for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to continue on Social Security and, as we continue this debate on Social Security, I want to emphasize the fact that privatizing Social Security will impact the Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders just as it will impact all Americans. We need to protect and secure Social Security for the AAPI community, because Social Security provides retirement security to AAPI families. More than 785,000 AAPIs receive Social Security benefits, and the average monthly benefit for AAPIs is $716.

Social Security needs a solid source of funding, not a plan that makes the problem worse by draining trillions of dollars away from Social Security. Social Security is a generational promise to honor our parents and Americans who have paid into Social Security for years, and we need to fight to protect and secure the promise of benefits.

On a personal note, my mother, who is 88, has worked all her life. She has worked in the fields, she has worked with my father as a sharecropper in strawberries and, later, she was a domestic worker, taking care of other people's homes and cleaning their homes. All of this work has dignity to it. It provided sufficient revenues to put food on our table. However, she did not have a pension plan. She did not have other plans that would sustain her in her retirement years. She is one of those 90 percent of widows who depend upon Social Security for 90 percent of their income on a monthly basis. It is for those women, for children who have survived family tragedies and became orphans, for those who are disabled, that we submit that Social Security should not be deformed, but perhaps reformed and have a sense of solvency into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to extend my gratitude to the patriotic men and women serving our country in the military, including 60,813 AAPIs serving on active duty in the U.S. armed services, as well as the 28,066 in the Reserves and the National Guard. I also commend and thank the 351,000 AAPI veterans who fought for this country.

I would like to highlight and honor the Filipino veterans who have not been compensated and recognized for their service, which I believe is a national disservice to these brave veterans. As a country, it is our duty to ensure that these veterans have equal access to all of the benefits and treatment that other veterans receive. We believe that our troops should be taken care of when we send them into battle and that they should be given the respect when they return home.

With regard to the Filipino veterans, I stand with my colleagues, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) to support their bipartisan legislation, H.R. 302, to restore full benefits to those veterans who fought for our Nation in World War II when they were asked and recruited to become our allies in fighting the Japanese military during World War II. However, this effort has been stalled and frustrated over the years. It is not an issue of who is in the administration, it is an issue of the State Department. I would also ask my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle to take note of this bill that is being sponsored by the gentlemen from California (Mr. Cunningham) and (Mr. Filner), to study it and understand that a promise made should not be a promise broken as it was in 1946, but a promise kept. We have an opportunity in this session to keep that promise, and to make good our word to those veterans who fought alongside of our veterans and soldiers in World War

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 748, the ``Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.''

Over 20 years after Roe v. Wade, a woman's right to an abortion continues to be challenged and undermined. Amendments to appropriations bills have been added to restrict abortion coverage. A nationwide campaign of violence, vandalism, and blockades continues to curtail the availability of abortion services and endangers providers and patients. Anti-choice lawmakers continue to push for legislation that attempts to ban ``partial-birth'' abortions, reinstate ``global gag rule'' policies, restrict access to mifepristone and contraceptives, and protect those who participate in violence against abortion clinics through bankruptcy laws.

Now, Congress is considering H.R. 748, legislation that would make it a Federal crime for doctors or family members to help young adults obtain an abortion.

Like many of my colleagues, I believe that it is important for teenagers to talk to their parents about their decision to have an abortion, and research suggests that most do. Unfortunately, in the real world, parental involvement is not always in a minor's best interest. Many young women who choose not to involve their parents have valid reasons. One study concluded that one-third of teens who do not involve their parents are victims of family violence and fear its recurrence or they are forced to leave their homes due to their pregnancy.

To make matters worse, this legislation would endanger a young woman's health by delaying the abortion until later in the pregnancy when it is less safe by turning them to possible dangerous alternatives.

It is for all of these reasons that we must protect the rights of young women to access safe, affordable and appropriate health care.

We need to ensure that instead of making abortion more difficult and dangerous for young women, Congress should make abortion less necessary by providing opportunities for young women to make educated choices through comprehensive sex education and ensuring young women have access to a range of family planning options.

I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 748.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the anniversary of a tragic event. April 24th 2005 marks a solemn occasion in world history: the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. From 1915 to 1923, the Christian Armenian population endured a policy of systemic killing implemented by the then-Ottoman and early Turkish Empires, resulting in the ethnic slaughter of one and a half million Armenians.

Since that time, descendants of Armenian immigrants have proudly clung to their identity, prospering in communities throughout the world. Here in the United States, we are especially fortunate to have a vibrant Armenian community that has greatly enriched American civic life.

It is vital that we remember this dark period in history. Losing the memory of this tragic event would only perpetuate the injustice. For too long, the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th Century, has been denied the recognition that it properly deserves. As human beings, we all have a responsibility to keep events such as the Armenian Genocide at the forefront of our collective historical memory. We cannot begin to overcome the challenges of the future until we acknowledge our past mistakes.

It is perhaps the tragedy of the 20th Century that a cataclysmic occurrence such as the Armenian Genocide has to share a place in our memory with other horrific events such as the wartime atrocities perpetuated during WWII, the ethnic cleansings in Cambodia and Bosnia, and the Rwandan genocide. I truly believe we must take the time and make the effort to find reconciliation between the perpetrator and victims of these events.

Currently, we are confronted by a genocide unfolding in Sudan, where tens of thousands die every month; we must not allow ourselves to turn a blind eye.

Mr. Speaker, recognizing the Armenian Genocide will help heal the wounds humanity has suffered in the past century. By acknowledging the horrors of our past and working to protect our future, we take one step closer to the goal of ``never again.''