2004 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

1. MAY IS DESIGNATED AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH. THE 2004 THEME IS "FREEDOM FOR ALL--A NATION WE
CALL OUR OWN". THIS RECOGNITION WAS ORIGINALLY INTRODUCED AS
PACIFIC/ASIAN HERITAGE WEEK BY CONGRESSMEN FRANK HORTON AND NORMAN
MINETA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN JUL 1977. ON 23 OCT 1992,
THE 102ND CONGRESS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED PUBLIC LAW 102-450,
DESIGNATING MAY AS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
2. WHEN ASIAN IMMIGRANTS FIRST ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY
WERE WELCOMED IN SOME PLACES, AND MERELY TOLERATED IN OTHERS. IN
THE LATE 1800'S, CHINESE AND OTHER ASIANS WERE LEGALLY EXCLUDED FROM
CITIZENSHIP AND QUOTAS WERE PLACED ON THEIR IMMIGRATION TO THE
UNITED STATES. THESE LAWS WERE REPEALED DURING WORLD WAR II.
FURTHER IMMIGRATION-LAW CHANGES MADE IT EASIER FOR ASIANS TO ENTER
THE UNITED STATES.
3. ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE CONTRIBUTED IMMENSELY TO OUR NATION THROUGH 
SCIENCE, ART, AND LEADERSHIP. TODAY ABOUT 5,000 MARINES OF ASIAN
DESCENT SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY. MANY ASIAN AMERICAN MARINES BRING
WITH THEM CULTURAL TALENTS AND SKILLS THAT HAVE PROVEN VALUABLE IN
PERSONNEL AND DIPLOMATIC EVENTS AND MOST RECENTLY THE WAR ON
TERRORISM. OF THOSE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTORS IS THIS YEAR'S
RECIPIENT OF THE FEDERAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COUNCIL'S
MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD, FIRST LIEUTENANT PHILIP TADENA. 1STLT
TADENA, PLATOON COMMANDER AT MOTOR TRANSPORT INSTRUCTION COMPANY,
MARINE CORPS DETACHMENT, FORT LEONARD WOOD, MO. HAS DISTINGUISHED
HIMSELF THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN ASIAN SPONSORED ORGANIZATIONS,
MENTORING ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND VOLUNTEERING WITH
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ASIAN
PACIFIC AMERICANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER
ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN
OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.