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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MAY AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
WHEREAS, the month of May commemorates the rich and diverse culture of Asian American Pacific Islanders, and the many contributions they have made to both Cook County, and our country as a whole; and
WHEREAS, on October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution designating the annual celebration of Asian/Pacific Heritage Week during the first 10 days of May; in May 1990, the holiday was further expanded when Congress designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; and
WHEREAS, the more than 300,000 Asian American residents of Cook County have contributed significantly to the development of our neighborhoods and cities; and
WHEREAS, Asian, along with Irish immigrants and African Americans among others, constructed and operated the transcontinental railroads that passed through Cook County and provided the basis for our county's economic strength as a transportation center; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is home to Asian American veterans who fought heroically for our nation through many of her conflicts in the 20th century, including Filipinos who, alongside soldiers from Maywood Illinois, survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines during World War II, and Japanese Americans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Teams who served our nation with the highest military honors despite being designated for internment in American concentration camps on the west coast; and
WHEREAS, Asian American immigrants have made -and continued to make- tremendous efforts in professional fields such as medicine, engineering, education, accounting and chemistry; and
WHEREAS, Asian Americans, both native born and naturalized immigrants, are making strides in a wider range of professional fields including government, the arts, journalism, the legal profession, athletics, international trade, higher learning and the entertainment ind...
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