President signs bill to establish commission to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture
Today, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law legislation brought to the Senate floor by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), to establish a commission to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.
“Amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, the creation of such a museum would help promote understanding about Asian Pacific Islander American communities and their many contributions to American history and culture,” according to Sen. Hirono. The bill previously passed in the House, where it was introduced by Representative Grace Meng (D-NY), and passed in the Senate unanimously in May.
“Despite many noteworthy contributions in various spaces, Asian and Pacific Islander American individuals and communities have largely been excluded or erased from American history,” said Senator Hirono in a news release today.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD“We are often pejoratively depicted as foreigners, instead of people who have lived in and positively contributed to this country for generations—narratives which have fueled xenophobia and prejudice, contributing to decades of racist laws and discrimination.”
–US Sen. Mazie Hirono
Establishing a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture, she said, “would help combat these harmful narratives by helping us to better understand each other, and our shared history as Americans.”
“Throughout our history, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders have literally shaped the history and the contours of this country,” said President Biden. “Museums of this magnitude and consequence are going to inspire and educate. More than anything else, it’s going to help people see themselves in the story of America – the story that has made us a better America.”
The bill establishes an eight-person commission, appointed equally by House and Senate Majority and Minority leadership, comprised of individuals with deep expertise in the research, study, and promotion of Asian Pacific American history, museum administration, and other relevant fields.
The commission would be responsible for submitting a report with recommendations to the President and Congress on the potential creation of a museum. Congress would then need to act on those recommendations to establish the museum.
Congress has previously established other similar museums. In 2003, Congress passed a law to create the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2020, Congress passed legislation to create a National Museum of the American Latino.
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