(Washington, DC) Today Congressman Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs) released the following statement in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which begins today, May 1.
“As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I want to acknowledge Asian Pacific Americans in Colorado for their enormous contributions to our state and to our country. The term ‘Asian Pacific American’ is a misnomer in many respects, because it is does not capture the rich diversity of communities that include Indians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Filipino, Pacific Islanders, Taiwanese and so many others. What often binds these communities, however, is a remarkable record of achievement in entrepreneurship, academic excellence, and artistic and cultural expression.
“The Asian Pacific American community includes over 320,000 veterans and more than 48,000 brave troops who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. These men and women, along with all of those serving in our armed services, deserve the very best equipment while they are fighting abroad and the very best treatment when they return. In addition there are 1.1 million small business owners in the Asian Pacific American community. These businesses are a critical economic engine for our country, and we will need to tap the wisdom and expertise of these business leaders in addressing the economic downturn our country is facing.
“I believe that legislation we craft in the halls of Congress ought to reflect the values we espouse in the streets of America: hard work, regard for innovation, education, opportunity, security and personal responsibility. Asian Pacific Americans have shown that they understand the opportunities our great country offers and the accountability it requires from each of us in order to succeed. As a Member of Congress I will continue the fight to provide veterans the benefits they deserve and small businesses the support they need to weather this economic storm. May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month inspire all of us to reflect on our shared history and to work harder toward bettering our shared future.”
To contact the Udall press office, call Tara Trujillo at 720-333-3425 or Heather Fox at 303-725-6595.