Bill Text: NY K02227 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2024, as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 38-10)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-21 - adopted [K02227 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K02227-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 2227

BY: M. of A. Rules (Lee)

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 2024, as Asian Pacific American  Heritage  Month
        in the State of New York

  WHEREAS, Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Americans have contributed
greatly  to  the  wealth and cultural heritage of our great State of New
York; and

  WHEREAS, This  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to  memorialize
Governor  Kathy  Hochul  to proclaim May 2024, as Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month in the  State  of  New  York,  in  conjunction  with  the
observance of National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; and

  WHEREAS,  Asian Pacific Islander Americans comprise many ethnicities
and  languages,  and  their  myriad  achievements  embody  the  American
experience; and

  WHEREAS,   Asian   and  Pacific  Islander  Americans  have  fostered
enterprise to include many of our Nation's most successful  and  dynamic
businesses;  these men and women are leaders in every aspect of American
life such as government, industry,  science,  medicine,  the  arts,  our
Armed Forces, education and sports; and

  WHEREAS,  New  York received some of the first Asian arrivals in the
early 1800s; sailors and traders of the  China  trade  route  became  an
essential  part  of  the  port culture that formed in New York City, the
city of immigrants and the American Dream; and

  WHEREAS, New York is home to Asian and Asian Pacific Islanders  from
all  parts  of the Asian continent and Pacific Islands, including Japan,
China,  Taiwan,  Korea,  Thailand,  Vietnam,  Laos,   Burma   (Myanmar),
Cambodia,   the   Philippines,   Samoa,  Fiji,  Guam,  India,  Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan; and

  WHEREAS, The United States Congress  passed  a  joint  Congressional
Resolution  in  1978,  to  commemorate  Asian and Asian Pacific American
Heritage Week during the first week of May; this date was chosen because
two important anniversaries occurred during this time:  the  arrival  of
the  first  Japanese  immigrants  in  America  on  May  7, 1843, and the
completion of the transcontinental railroad by Chinese laborers  on  May
10, 1869; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1990,  Congress  voted  to  expand it from a week to a
month-long celebration; in May 1992, the month of  May  was  permanently
designated as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month"; and

  WHEREAS,  There  are  many  notable Asian and Asian Pacific Islander
Americans from New York, some of  whom  include:  Wataru  "Wat"  Misaka,
player  for  the  New York Knicks in the 1947-48 season; Yuri Kochiyama,
Nobel Peace Prize nominee; Roger Y. Tsien, awarded the 2008 Nobel  Prize
in  chemistry for his discovery and development of the green fluorescent
protein (GFP) with  two  other  chemists:  Martin  Chalfie  of  Columbia
University   and   Osamu  Shimomura  of  Boston  University  and  Marine

Biological Laboratory; Jip Chun, who worked for Otis  Elevator  Co.  and
invented  a  fire  safety  switch  in  all  elevators; Lucy Liu, Chinese
American actress from Woodside, Queens; Hikaru Utada, Japanese  American
singer,  songwriter,  arranger,  and  producer; Bill Lann Lee, Assistant
United States Attorney General  for  the  United  States  Department  of
Justice  Civil  Rights  Division  under  President  Bill Clinton; Sheryl
WuDunn, a SUNY Trustee and writer for The New York Times and  the  first
Asian  American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1990; Zubin Mehta, Conductor,
New York Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mingus,  jazz  double  bassist,
composer,  band leader; Laura Chang, science editor, The New York Times;
Michiko Kakutani,  The  New  York  Times  literary  critic  and  author;
Jennifer  Lee, journalist, The New York Times; John Liu, the first Asian
American elected to the New York City  Council  (representing  Flushing,
Queens)  in  2001  and  New York City Comptroller; Grace Meng, the first
Asian American elected  to  the  U.S.  Congress  from  New  York;  Benny
Agbayani,  former outfielder for the New York Mets; Yung Wing, the first
Chinese person to graduate from a  U.S.  college  (Yale  in  1854);  and
Jeremy  Lin,  player for the New York Knicks in the 2011-2012 season, to
name a few; and

  WHEREAS, According to a newly released report,  Asian  Americans  of
the  Empire  State:  Growing  Diversity and Common Needs, from the Asian
American Federation, the Asian population in New York State grew fastest
outside of New York City; the number of Asian residents in the  suburban
counties  surrounding  New  York  City grew by 47% and those in counties
outside of the New York City metro area grew by 56%; and

  WHEREAS,  With  the  population  growth   upstate   came   increased
diversity;  Burmese  Americans went from being too few to be reported to
the sixth largest Asian group in upstate counties in 2010; and

  WHEREAS, By recognizing the  accomplishments  and  contributions  of
Asian and Asian Pacific Americans, this great Empire State reaffirms our
commitment  to diversity and equal opportunity for all, thereby ensuring
a bright future for all New Yorkers and Americans; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2024, as Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of  New
York.