STATEMENT BY CHAIR
VICTORIA LIPNIC
ASIAN AMERICAN AND
PACIFIC ISLANDER (AAPI) HERITAGE MONTH 2017
During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage
Month, we recognize the many contributions of generations of Asian Americans,
Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to building this great nation. From
farmworkers to railroad laborers, to entrepreneurs and scientists, and to
members of the armed forces and public servants, AAPIs have helped shaped the very
fabric of America.
We also recognize
the many injustices AAPIs have faced throughout history – from the overthrow of
the Kingdom of Hawaii and its devastating effects on native Hawaiian language
and culture; to exclusionary laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and
the Immigration Act of 1924; and to the internment of Japanese Americans during
World War II. Racism, exclusionary laws, and alien land laws, from the latter
half of the 1800s through the 1960s, restricted immigration, property rights,
and civil rights for many AAPIs. Even more recently, members of the South Asian
American community have faced prejudice and bigotry post 9/11.
In light of the continued work to
be done, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) remains committed
to doing its part in protecting civil rights for all in the workplace and
creating equal employment opportunity.
Not far from EEOC headquarters in
Washington, DC, is the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World
War II. The memorial, which features a
pair of cranes entangled in barbed wire, commemorates Japanese American
veterans who fought during World War II as well as the patriotism and
experience of those held in interment camps during the war. The memorial also
includes a quote from President Harry S. Truman made while presenting a
citation to a Japanese American regiment:
“You fought not only the enemy
but you fought prejudice -- and you won. Keep up that fight and we will
continue to win -- to make this great Republic stand for what the Constitution
says its stands for: the welfare of all of the people all of the time.”
President Truman’s words echo the very
core of our work – fighting prejudice and creating equal employment opportunity
for everyone in the American workplace. This AAPI Heritage Month, join me in
celebrating the rich history and contributions of Asian Americans, Native
Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and reaffirming our commitment to ensuring
equal employment opportunity for all.
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