I am excited to join in the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Asian American Action Fund for their dedication to encouraging and fostering participation in the democratic process by the Asian American and Pacific Island community and all Americans.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made many contributions to the development of this country. Their successes have enabled the nation to grow as a whole, and have inspired all of us to strive to create better lives for our families and our own communities. You have achieved great successes, yet there are still many barriers that continue to challenge the AAPI community and our nation as a whole.
Most urgently, we must end the war in Iraq. I have put out a detailed plan for a political settlement in Iraq. That is the only way we can get out without leaving a mess behind, and it would allow us to responsibly withdraw most of our troops next year.
While Asian American and Pacific Islanders constitute 4.4 percent of the U.S. population, they are severely underrepresented in the government — particularly in the federal judiciary. As President, I will work hard to ensure that my judicial appointments and administration reflect the great diversity of the nation.
We must also make a serious commitment to ending discrimination in the form of access to educational opportunities. We must work to make sure that every child in this country is getting a good education. We can do this by reducing class size; increasing our support to early childhood education and preschool education; and making sure there is an effective teacher in every classroom. We need to make sure that every qualified student has the ability to pursue a higher education degree. Pell grants and incentives to pay for college haven't kept pace with rising tuition costs. My college ACCESS plan would expand help for middle class families paying for college by creating a refundable $3,000 tax credit — which would cover the average tuition at two-year public colleges and cover more than half the average tuition at four-year public universities. The ACCESS plan would raise Pell grants to $6,300 so that, together with the ACCESS refund, low-income students would be eligible to receive up to $9,300 in tuition assistance.
Asian American and Pacific Islanders continue to face barriers to quality health care and social services in this nation. Over 2.25 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders lack health insurance. As President, I would make a comprehensive plan for full coverage of all Americans a top priority. I would immediately focus on prevention, treatment, simplification and modernization of the health care system. I would cover every child, provide catastrophic coverage and work to lower health care costs for employers.
I thank you for the opportunity to discuss these issues during this month of celebration and look forward to working with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
"Thank you to the Asian American Action Fund for its leadership in encouraging Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to participate in the political process. It is my immense pleasure to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to recognize, honor and express gratitude to Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), who have been an integral part of our American story, helping build and strengthen America.
"For centuries, America has been enriched by our diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and by the contributions that Chamorros, Native Hawaiians, and Samoans have made in their ancestral homelands. We can see those contributions today in the national railroad system that many AAPIs helped to build as well as the many AAPI men and women who serve with honor in our United States Armed Forces today. The tradition of public service runs deep in the history of AAPIs in America. From Dalip Singh Saud, who was the first Asian American to serve in Congress, to the great Patsy Mink, the very first woman of color to ever serve in Congress, to Norman Mineta who was the first Asian American appointed by a President to serve as a Cabinet Secretary, AAPIs have served this country with honor and distinction. And it is not just the famous names and faces that have left a bold imprint on the fabric of our nation. Leaders of community based organizations, small business owners, and the growing number of AAPIs in public service demonstrate what is best and what is possible in America. I salute the contributions and sacrifices that AAPIs have made to ensure a better life for their families and for American society.
"The numerous accomplishments of the AAPI community, however, can mask the challenges that still exist for many — discrimination, language barriers, and poor access to quality, affordable health care. As Senator, I have worked with the AAPI community to promote policies that help meet the community's underserved needs. For example, I sponsored the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act to restore access to health care for low-income legal immigrant women and children as well as the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act to provide more job training funds for people with limited English skills.
"Although some AAPIs have reached the pinnacle of higher education, I am fully aware that others in the AAPI community continue to remain behind. For this reason, I have been a strong advocate for making college affordable and accessible. As Senator, I fought to increase the federal Pell Grant, which today covers only a third of tuition at an average public college and co-sponsored the DREAM Act, which makes it possible for hardworking young people to receive in-state tuition at state colleges. I also led the passage of legislation that will bring more qualified teachers into the classrooms and more outstanding principals to lead our schools.
"As we consider reform to our current broken immigration system, we must address issues like family reunification. Under our current system, families are separated for long periods of time, sometimes decades. Last year, during the debate on the comprehensive immigration reform, I offered an amendment to address the backlog of family visas. I will continue to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that brings families together.
"Let's be clear, while we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May, I will continue working to ensure that AAPIs are included at the table everyday and that the needs of the community are prioritized year-round. As we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, let us all rededicate our efforts to creating better opportunities and brighter futures for all Americans."
The Asian American Action Fund has made important contributions to the political process on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) since its founding eight years ago.
The AAPI community has made innumerable contributions in American history and it is important that we recognize and celebrate these achievements. We all know that there is much work still to be done. From the "model minority" myth to language accessibility to the struggle for equal opportunity to the challenges of our broken immigration system, all Americans must share responsibility for breaking down the barriers that prevent us from realizing the American Dream.
In order to ensure these goals, I have outlined a bold and transformational agenda that will give everyone the same chance that America has given me. First, we must guarantee health care for every American. Nearly 18 percent of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders lack health insurance. Rates are even higher among many AAPI communities: 34 percent for Korean Americans, 27 percent for Vietnamese Americans and 20 percent for Chinese and Filipino Americans. I have a plan to take on the insurance and drug companies and guarantee true universal health care that provides everyone in America with the option of a public plan. To combat the language barriers that have led to major health disparities, I will establish a national 24-hour medical translation and interpretation hotline for rural and smaller hospitals and will give urban hospitals additional resources to provide language access.
Additionally, we know that more than 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, our education system remains shockingly unequal. States spend $900 less per student in their most diverse school districts. The lack of federal funding for education has led to cuts for English language and minority outreach programs. I will invest in teacher pay and training to attract teachers where we need them most, reduce class size, create second-chance schools to help dropouts get back on track, expand early childhood education and strengthen high school curricula.
We must also come together to help the 37 million Americans who wake up in poverty every day -- including more than 1.4 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Poverty rates are disproportionately higher among Hmong Americans (38 percent), Cambodian Americans (29 percent) and native Hawaiians and Samoan Americans (both 18 percent). I will raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012, create one million stepping stone jobs, expand the earned income tax credit, strengthen labor laws to make it easier for workers to join a union and step up enforcement against wage violations. I also support a family assistance policy that supports training and education, such as English classes.
Over the last 20 years, the number of hate crimes against Asian Americans has grown faster than crimes against any other group and since 9/11, Americans of South Asian descent have become targets of racial profiling. I believes that everyone is entitled to live in dignity without fear of violence and I support strengthening the federal hate crimes legislation to ensure law enforcement officials have all the tools and resources they need to protect every community in America. I will ban racial profiling in law enforcement and ensure that all everyone in America is treated with dignity and respect.
Further details and proposals for other issues important to the AAPI community can found on my website, www.johnedwards.com and in my AAPI Policy Statement (pdf). In the future, I know that we can work together to overcome the unique challenges faced by Asian American and Pacific Islanders as well as the problems that face all Americans as we fight to build One America.
"The Asian American Action Fund deserves our gratitude for standing up for our nearly 13
million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and celebrating and saluting their contributions to America. I'm delighted to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Fund.
"I spent much of my childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, and for most of my adult life, I've
lived in Chicago, a city with its own vibrant Asian American community. So I understand and am committed to the issues that are important to the Asian American community.
"I am proud to champion initiatives that help the AAPI community. One of my top priorities as President will be making sure that AAPIs and all Americans have affordable, high-quality health care by signing a universal health care bill by the end of my first term. I was one of four Senators who crafted the Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act, and as President, I'll continue working on your behalf by ensuring that the nearly 2.4 million AAPIs without health insurance get the treatment they need — and we'll reduce the language and cultural barriers that often prevent that from happening.
"We'll also work to ensure that AAPIs are getting the pay and jobs they deserve by raising the minimum wage and investing in small businesses. But today, too many workers don't have the skills they need to compete because they don't have a college degree. AAPIs face a special challenge here: there's a substantial need for programs and funding to assist the large number of AAPI students who don't speak English as a first language. So let's ensure that schools monitor the progress of students learning English. And let's make college more affordable by increasing need-based college assistance like Pell Grants — something I've consistently supported.
"When it comes to immigration, we know that 9 percent of undocumented immigrants are AAPIs. I have played a leading role in crafting comprehensive immigration reform that will strengthen our security while reaffirming our heritage as a nation of immigrants.
"We also need to protect the civil rights of AAPIs, and that means protecting the right to vote. I was a leader in the effort to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and extend it for 25 years, as well as the effort to fund the Help America Vote Act. But protecting the rights of AAPIs also means stopping racial profiling and protecting AAPIs from violent, racially-motivated hate crimes. That's why I cosponsored the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act to strengthen federal hate crimes law. I also helped pass tough legislation in the Illinois Senate to make hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
"Finally, I want to forge a more effective regional framework for collective security in Asia to promote stability and confront transnational threats like avian flu.
"I greatly appreciate the support I've already received from the AAPI community, and I want you to know that I'll continue to work on your behalf in the months and years to come."
We are indebted to the Asian American Action Fund for its tireless work on behalf of the Asian American and Pacific Island community and those of us who have supported Asian American participation in the Democratic process. Like many Americans, I join you in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We are one nation, but we must never forget our many ethnic roots, relations, and cultures.
As a member of Congress, I had the privilege of serving with my late friend Patsy Mink, without whose hard work Title IX and its equality measures would never have come about. As Ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton, I had numerous opportunities to study and learn from Asian American experiences. I have had the privilege of working and in some cases negotiating with a number of leaders from Pacific Rim nations and have come to understand this area in a unique way.
The public service accomplishments of AAPI's members are lengthy, and they directly address many of the policy areas to which I have devoted my career. In the area of immigration, I have worked tirelessly to insure we have a fair and equitable system that keeps families together and allows for uniform treatment — regardless of ethnicity — while insuring the security of our nation.
Education is especially important, and the AAPI community has frequently led in this area. I hope that you will join me in my efforts to scrap the ineffective and counter-productive provisions of No Child Left Behind and in seeking an average starting wage for teachers of at least $40,000. I have also proposed an initiative to build 250 Math, Science and Innovation Academies throughout the country, so we can help our children become the next generation of American engineers, mathematicians, scientists and teachers. To staff these schools and others, we need to hire and train 100,000 new math and science teachers.
I know too that we share many concerns about the state of our foreign policy today. The current administration has squandered our good will. We must work with our allies and friends to restore our reputation as a fair, credible leader in international affairs. We must renew our commitment to international law and multilateral cooperation. We must employ tough, patient diplomacy and we must lead the fight against global poverty and illness.
And we must withdraw all of our troops from Iraq. All of them. Leaving behind a small residual force is the not the 'responsible' course of action. It is, rather, an 'inside-the-Beltway' solution that somehow passes for received wisdom: ten or twenty thousand soldiers and marines will not be able to do the job that 160,000 cannot do today. We need to get them out. All of them.
Please explore my website and learn more about my positions and issues. Again, thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective with you as we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
