Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 19, 2005 <br />Action Agen a <br />Item No. -;~: <br />SUBJECT: Asian Pacific American History Month <br />DEPARTMENT: Human Rights and Relations <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Proclamation <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Milan T, Pham, 960-3877 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To proclaim the month of May as Asian Pacific American History Month, <br />BACKGROUND: In June 1977, Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y, <br />Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the President to proclaim <br />the first 10 days of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. President Jimmy Carter <br />signed a joint resolution declaring May 4-10, 1979 as the first Asian Pacific American Heritage <br />Week, In 1990, President George H. W, Bush expanded the celebration to the entire month. <br />Public Law 102-450, approved on October 23, 1992, designated May of each year as National <br />Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. May was chosen for the observance to commemorate <br />the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in May 1843. "Asian Pacific <br />American" is a political appellation that encompasses many ethnic groups with diverse <br />backgrounds, histories, languages, and cultures. <br />Asian American activists and advocacy organizations have long attempted to get government to <br />recognize the importance of reflecting Asian Americans in American history by declaring the <br />month Asian Pacific American History Month, The term gives expression to cultural, linguistic, <br />and ethnic diversity while recognizing common experiences and important contributions to <br />American History, Asian Pacific American History Month recognizes and celebrates the <br />collective accomplishments and contributions of Asian Pacific American communities, <br />In Orange County, Asian Americans constitute almost 5% of the County's population. A <br />substantial percentage (29,9%) of Asian Americans are limited English proficient, The County's <br />new Limited English Proficiency Coordinator will be addressing the issues of service to the <br />Asian Pacific American community as well as the Hispanic community, <br />The Department, in collaboration with the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, <br />Hmong National Development, Advocacy for North Carolina Asian Pacific Americans, the North <br />Carolina Chapter of the National Association for Asian American Professionals, Asian Pacific <br />