Bill Text: IL SR0278 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares May of 2023 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in honor of the contributions made by Asian American and Pacific Island residents and communities across Illinois.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-31 - Added as Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy [SR0278 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SR0278-Introduced.html

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SR0278 LRB103 32372 MST 61785 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The month of May first commemorated Asian
American and Pacific Islander heritage in 1979 and has been
celebrated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month since
1990; this commemoration uplifts the stories of more than 50
distinct ethnic groups and more than 100 languages that
comprise Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; and
WHEREAS, The month of May was chosen to commemorate Asian
American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to mark the first
arrival of Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 and the
completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869
through the incredible effort of mostly Chinese immigrant
workers; and
WHEREAS, Illinois is home to more than 870,000 Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders, according to the most recent
American Community Survey data available from the U.S. Census
Bureau; the five largest communities represented are Indian
Americans, Filipino Americans, Chinese Americans, Korean
Americans, and Pakistani Americans; and
WHEREAS, Through immigration and refugee resettlement and
as multi-generational families, Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders have taken many pathways to call Illinois home; and

SR0278 - 2 - LRB103 32372 MST 61785 r
WHEREAS, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders comprise
the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the country, and
Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are vital
parts of communities across Illinois in cities, suburbs, and
rural areas of the state; and
WHEREAS, The history of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders is deeply intertwined in the history of the United
States and is often fraught with discrimination, exclusion,
and violence; despite these and other challenges, Asian
American and Pacific Islander communities continue to arise;
they have been a vital part of the development of Illinois and
of the United States in every facet of public life and in the
advancement of civil rights; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May of 2023
as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in honor
of the contributions made by the Asian American and Pacific
Island residents and communities across Illinois.