[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E928] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH ______ HON. NANCY PELOSI of california in the house of representatives Thursday, May 23, 2002 Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with Mr. Wu, Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and other members of the caucus to observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I commend Mr. Wu for his leadership of the Caucus. The theme this year is ``Unity in Freedom.'' In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack, our nation has gained a new sense of unity and a new appreciation for our freedoms. Immigrants and ethnic groups are a vibrant and vital part of who we are as a country, and we must use these challenging times to learn about, and to draw strength from, each other. Asian Pacific Heritage Month provides us with the opportunity to recognize the important contributions of Asian Pacific Americans. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we have three exciting projects underway that will help educate all Americans on the experiences of immigrants from Asia and the Pacific region. In the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, plans are underway to establish two important links to our past: the Pacific Coast Immigration Museum and the Building 640 Interpretive Center. I am seeking funding this year to advance these two projects. The immigration museum will serve as a western counterpart or ``bookend'' to the famous Ellis Island Immigration Museum. It will celebrate the unique experience of Americans who came to the West Coast from Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America and other regions. It will be the only museum to present the history of all immigrants who settled on the West Coast. The Pacific Coast Museum will also provide active linkages to other historical sites and institutions throughout the region. Building 640 at the Presidio was the site of the original all-Nisei language school of the Military Intelligence Service of World War II, the forerunner of the famous Defense Language Institute in Monterey. While their families were living in internment camps, Japanese Americans were trained in Building 640 to assist the U.S. military with translation and battlefield interrogation. The interpretive center will be dedicated to the Military Intelligence Service and to the exploration of the Japanese American experience. An important related project is the effort underway to preserve the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay. Congresswoman Woolsey is leading the drive to obtain federal funding for Angel Island. Between 1910 and 1940, hundreds of thousand of immigrants from around the world entered the United States through Angel Island. The immigration station is best known for the experience of Chinese immigrants from 1882 to 1943, when the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited many Chinese from coming to the U.S. and denied citizenship to foreign- born Chinese. Many Chinese were interned at Angel Island for up to two years. Together, these three projects offer a way to tell stories of great resonance to current and future generations. The contributions of people of different origins to our common heritage and our military security have never been more relevant. I am pleased to have this opportunity today to honor all of the contributions of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. ____________________