Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month; cultural and economic impact.

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION

STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION 1029 By: Munson and Pae of the House

and

Kirt of the Senate

AS INTRODUCED

A Resolution honoring May as Asian/Pacific American
Heritage Month; recognizing the cultural and economic
impact of Asian/Pacific Americans and immigrants; and
honoring Oklahomans of Asian/Pacific descent.

WHEREAS, May is recognized by the United States Congress as
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, honoring the contributions
and paying tribute to generations of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders (AAPI) who have made our state and nation their home; and
WHEREAS, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in
May to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the
United States in May of 1843; and
WHEREAS, May also marks the anniversary of the completion of the
transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of those
who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants; and

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WHEREAS, the Chinese were the first Asian group to settle in
Oklahoma, living in the Guthrie Territory after the Land Run of
1889; and
WHEREAS, the Japanese population quickly grew in Oklahoma in the
1920s and 1940s, and during World War II, several fought for the
United States, including four sons of Kutaro Nishimuta, a farmer in
Payne County. His sons served in the U.S. Army 442nd Regimental
Unit, an all-Japanese outfit and one of the most decorated units in
the war; and
WHEREAS, nearly three percent of all Oklahomans identify as
Asian American or Pacific Islander, citing origins in Cambodia,
China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine
Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific
Islands; and
WHEREAS, Oklahoma City is home to "Little Saigon", the Asian
District made up of the state's largest population of Asian
descendants, predominately Vietnamese. Visitors flock to the
district each year to experience the international cuisine, culture,
and shopping; and
WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islander citizens have made
a tremendous impact on our state and nation, serving in vital roles
as state and national leaders, starting businesses, making
breakthroughs in science and technology, serving in our military,
excelling in sports, arts, education, and more.

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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 60TH OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING THEREIN:
THAT the month of May is recognized by the Oklahoma State
Legislature as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
THAT the Oklahoma Legislature recognizes the contributions of
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of Oklahoma and
the United States.

DIRECT TO CALENDAR.