Title
Proclamation Declaring May 2018 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. (City Manager 2110)
Body
Proclamation
Whereas, in 1978, Congress proclaimed the first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week to take place in May of 1979, during the first ten days of the month and then, in 1992, designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; and
Whereas, the first ten days of May include two milestones in Asian Pacific American history: arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 in the United States; and contributions of Chinese workers to building the transcontinental railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869; and
Whereas, sadly, this time of year also recalls a darker aspect of the Asian and Pacific Islander experience that we must not forget. On May 6, 1882, President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prevented Chinese laborers from entering the United States and denied Chinese immigrants a pathway to citizenship for more than 60 years. In 1924, the Johnson-Reid Act, known as the Immigration Act of 1924, ended further immigration from Japan; and
Whereas, during World War II, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, on February 19, 1942, authorizing the Secretary of War to "prescribe military areas ... from which any or all persons may be excluded," and Public Law 503, on March 9, 1942, enforcing his executive order, resulting in approximately 120,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry, including Alamedans, being evicted from their homes, and held in internment camps; and
Whereas, on August 10, 1988, Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 providing that, "as described by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, a grave injustice was done to both citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry by the evacuation, relocation, and internment of civilians during World War II. As the Commission documents, these actions were carried out without adequa...
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