SJR44,,112023 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 44 May 15, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Agard, Carpenter, Hesselbein, James, L. Johnson, Larson, Roys, Smith and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Hong, Shankland, J. Anderson, C. Anderson, Bare, Cabrera, Clancy, Conley, Considine, Emerson, Goyke, Jacobson, Joers, Kitchens, Madison, Moore Omokunde, Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Sinicki, Shelton, Snodgrass, Snyder, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Tusler. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
SJR44,,22Relating to: recognizing Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month as a time to honor the important contributions of Asians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. SJR44,,33Whereas, the people of Wisconsin join together each May to pay tribute to the generations of AANHPI who have enriched the history of the United States; and SJR44,,44Whereas, the history of AANHPI in Wisconsin is inextricably tied to the story of Wisconsin; and SJR44,,55Whereas, there are approximately 24 million U.S. residents who identify as Asian and approximately 1.6 million U.S. residents who identify as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, comprising about 7 percent of the total population; and SJR44,,66Whereas, Wisconsin’s AANHPI population totaled 194,173 in 2020 and has increased 82 percent since the 2000 Census; and SJR44,,77Whereas, the AANHPI community is an inherently diverse population, composed of more than 45 distinct ethnicities and more than 100 language dialects; and SJR44,,88Whereas, the immigration of Hmong refugees from Laos to Wisconsin from 1975 through the 1990s enriched the state immeasurably as Wisconsin has the third largest Hmong population in the U.S.; and SJR44,,99Whereas, the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month because the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from Chinese immigrants; and SJR44,,1010Whereas, AANHPI Heritage Month provides the people of Wisconsin with an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and history of AANHPI communities and understand the challenges they face; now, therefore, be it SJR44,,1111Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin State Legislature recognizes AANHPI Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of Wisconsin, and recognizes that Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities strengthen and enhance the rich diversity of Wisconsin.
