“AMERICANS ARE UNITED!”
Series 1: BUILDERS OF THE HOMELAND!
Part 3: Asian Americans Makes History as United Builders of the Homeland
AGN LIFE: April 10, 2021
America’s lands span the globe, from Alaska (the largest U.S. state by area) which is larger by area than California, Montana and Texas combined, to Micronesia (a subregion of the western Pacific Ocean) to the Caribbean Islands of the Greater Antilles. At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million square kilometers), it is the world’s third- or fourth-largest country by total area.
With such a large area spanning millions of square miles and continents, one might think it is impossible to have a united people. However it may appear, the first clue as to the validity of America having a united people comes from it’s name. The United States of America (50 states plus territories) is UNITED in not just name or theory but in reality, in practice.
While having different opinions and ideas is as American as its vast lands, Americans have always made history as united builders of the homeland. In all areas of life Americans have excelled.
Inventors and creators of products that have made life better in many ways for countless millions, have Americans to thank. Various fields like science, healthcare, construction, housing, farming, sports, designers, family, social justice and as mentors are just a few areas that stand out. There are untold other more complex categories where united Americans have been trailblazers.
Asian Americans make history
Asian Americans in the United States with origins from East Asia, Indian subcontinent, or Southeast Asia. Analyses of the 2010 census have shown that Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic minority in the United States.
Asian Americans have been a major asset to the building and construction of America since the 16th century. Generations of Americans with Asian ancestry performed vital tasks needed in the creation of American cities and industries.
The wisdom of Asian Americans is reflected in their creativity and ingenuity. By excelling in various skills they were able to come to what would become the United States.
Filipinos have been in the territories that would become the United States since the 16th century. In 1635, an “East Indian” is listed in Jamestown, Virginia preceding wider settlement of Indian immigrants on the East Coast in the 1790s and the West Coast in the 1800s.
In 1763, Filipinos established the small settlement of Saint Malo, Louisiana, after fleeing mistreatment aboard Spanish ships. Since there were no Filipino women with them, these ‘Manilamen’, as they were known, married Cajun and Native American women.
The first Japanese person to come to the United States, and stay any significant period of time was Nakahama Manjirō who reached the East Coast in 1841, and Joseph Heco became the first Japanese American naturalized US citizen in 1858.
Chinese sailors first came to Hawaii in 1789, a few years after Captain James Cook came upon the island. Many settled and married Hawaiian women. Most Chinese, Korean and Japanese immigrants in Hawaii arrived in the 19th century as laborers to work on sugar plantations. There were thousands of Asians in Hawaii when it was annexed to the United States in 1898.
On March 24, 2021 California Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Asian American Assemblyman Rob Bonta as the state’s attorney general. He is the first Filipino American to hold the position in California’s history.
Governor Newsom said, “He’s a remarkable person … A person of character. A person of honor. A person of justice.”
Bonta, 48, represents Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro in the state legislature. He said, “Asian, Latino, Black, Native American, LGBTQ, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, so many of us have been targeted and attacked because of who we are, where we’re from and who we love. But that hate has not defined who we are or what we can achieve.”
Asian American and Indian American Gitanjali Rao, age 15 of Lone Tree, Colorado said, “Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate,” in her 2020 Kid of the Year interview. The brilliant young scientist and inventor is TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year.
Rao was selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees. She spoke of her work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems in the United States and all over the world.
Asian Americans have made enormous contributions to academia, civil service, politics, government, military, and community service. The U.S. economy has benefited from the expertise of Asian Americans providing additional support for many new award winning multiethnic cultural institutions that benefit all Americans.
Since Americans are united, regardless of where or why they came … there is an inescapable fact according to one historian … “We the people of the United States can and will work together to build a more perfect union.”
“AMERICANS ARE UNITED!”
Series 1: BUILDERS OF THE HOMELAND!
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