Speech #1030036989

Mr. Speaker. the immigrant experience is richly woven in the tapestry of America. reflecting our multicultural and multifaceted society. As the Statue of Liberty beckoned European immigrants to our shores bordering the Atlantic. tales of gold mountains beckoned Asian immigrants to our shores bordering the Pacific. My grandparents left their homeland to work on the sugar plantation In Hawaii. As is common for all immigrants. my grandparents were lured by the faith and promise of a better life In a new land. As a thirdgeneration JapaneseAmerican or sansei. I recognize the power and the intensity of their Immigrant experience. The immigrant experience has defined our cultural identity and linked us to our collective past. This unique experience. filled with hope. renewal. expectation. and a willingness to venture into the unknown. must be preserved for future generations. to appreciate the struggle. the burden and the joy that Is the experience of the JapaneseAmericans. As we celebrate AsianPacific American Heritage Month. I am honored to take this moment to recognize and applaud the efforts of the JapaneseAmerican National Museum. The museum endeavors to preserve for future generations. the experience of our immigrant forefathers. to teach us the lessons of their labors. and to make us feel what It truly means to be JapaneseAmericans. In 1985. the JapaneseAmerican National Museum. a private. nonprofit institution. was founded in the city of Los Angeles. A permanent museum site in the heart of Little Tokyo was obtained through the city of Los Angeles. In May 1992. the museum opened its doors to the public. The JapaneseAmerican National museum is the first museum in the United States expressly dedicated to sharing the experience of the Americans of Japanese ancestry by preserving the experiences of the "Isse" or firstgeneration Japanese Americans and the "Nisei" or secondgeneration Japanese Americans. The museum captures a vital part of our cultural heritage and preserves the link to our collective. immigrant past. The mission of the museum is to: "Make known the JapaneseAmerican experience as an integral part of our Nations heritage. to Improve understanding and appreciation for Americas ethnic and cultural diversity." The historic building that serves as the founding site of the JapaneseAmerican National Museum received the 1993 Cultural Affairs Award from the city of Los Angeles and the 1993 Preservation Design Award for Adaptive ReUse from the California Preservation Foundation. The museum will be devoting much of Its energy in 1993 to the development of phase II of the facility.