Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Recognizing May as Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American Heritage Month.
Body
WHEREAS, the people of Madison join each May to pay tribute to the generations of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans (APIDA) who have enriched the history of our community and the United States; and,
WHEREAS, the 2026 theme for APIDA Heritage Month is “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together,” recognizing the key positive roles APIDA people play in America today in community building and civic life; and,
WHEREAS, the month of May was selected for APIDA Heritage Month because of the inextricable role Asian Americans have played in the 250 years of United States history, including the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the first transcontinental railroad that was completed on May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from Chinese immigrants; and,
WHEREAS, APIDA Heritage Month provides the people of Madison with an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and history of diverse communities in all areas of public and private life, as well as understanding the unique historical and current challenges they face; and,
WHEREAS, Madison’s APIDA population totaled 25,815 in the 2020 census; and,
WHEREAS, Asian Americans have faced unique exclusionary policies and racial discrimination, including the first federal law to prohibit immigration because of race and nationality, mass incarceration polices based on ethnicity, and wars causing mass displacement and creating generations of refugees; and,
WHEREAS, Asian Americans continue to face xenophobia and inequitable immigration policies, including hate crimes, cultural erasure, and racial profiling; and,
WHEREAS, there are approximately 24 million United States residents who identify as Asian, and approximately 1.6 million United States residents who identify as Native Hawaiian or other P...
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