III.1. Proclamation for AsianPacific American Heritage Month; Imihy Bean
CITY OF HOPKINS
City Council Report 2023-041
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: PeggySue Imihy Bean, Special Projects and Initiatives Manager
Date: May 2, 2023
Subject: Proclamation for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
MOTION TO Adopt a Proclamation for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in
Hopkins.
OVERVIEW
Asian/Pacific American Heritage month commemorates all Asian Americans and Pacific
Island Americans in the United States. Asian/Pacific is a broad term encompassing all the
Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese
people to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion
of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the
tracks were Chinese immigrants.
Congress began recognizing various portions of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Month as
early as 1977. In 1992, Congress formally designated May as Asian/Pacific Heri tage
month.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Proclamation for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/about/
Administration
A Proclamation Commemorating
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
WHEREAS, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, recognized during the Month of
May, pays tribute to all Americans hailing from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands
of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Melanesia includes New Guinea, New
Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Micronesia includes the Marianas,
Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States
of Micronesia. Polynesia includes New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rot uma, Midway
Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and
Easter Island).
WHEREAS, Asian/Pacific Americans are the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the
United States of American, and are recognized for their contributions to the United States
of America, and to celebrate the culture and history of this ethnic minority group; and
WHEREAS, May was designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
because of the first documented arrival of Japanese immigrants to the United States on
May 7, 1843, and the completion of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869,
which was completed mostly by Chinese Immigrant laborers; and
WHEREAS, the first documented arrival of an Asian or Pacific Islander person to
Minnesota occurred in Duluth, Minnesota in 1875, and Minnesota has provided asylum
and relocation for many Asian refugees, from the Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians,
and Hmong in the 1970’s and 1980’s and Tibetans and Karen peoples during the 1990’s,
while other Asian and Pacific Islanders have immigrated to Minnesota in their pursuit of
opportunities and freedom; and
WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islanders have been subjected to discriminatory
treatment throughout their time in the United States, including the wrongful internment of
Japanese Americans during World Ward II and recent irrational blame for the COVID -19
pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins recognizes our Asian/Pacific American community
members, City staff and local businesses, restaurants and cultural institutions including
Hopkins Public School Chinese Immersion Program XinXing for their positive impact on
the community; and
WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islanders have made the United States and the
City of Hopkins a better place through their hard work, initiative, creativity, and sharing of
their cultural heritage, and deserve to be recognized for their achievem ents and
participation in our civic life; and
NOW THEREFORE, I, Patrick Hanlon, Mayor of the City of Hopkins in the State of
Minnesota, along with my fellow Council Members, recognize, adopt, and proclaim the
month of May 2023, as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City
of Hopkins, and urge all residents to observe this month with appropriate programs,
activities, and ceremonies, and to honor the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders throughout the year.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the Seal of the City of
Hopkins, Minnesota to be affixed this 2nd day of
May, 2023.
_______________________________________
Patrick Hanlon, Mayor