China News Service, April 26. The American Overseas Chinese News reported that at a time when violent attacks against Asian Americans are frequent in the United States, some lawmakers want to establish a national museum that will focus on the history and culture of Asian Americans.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to discuss this agenda on Tuesday (26th) afternoon, and is expected to vote on whether to set up an eight-member group to refine specific plans for the acquisition of collections, site selection, and financing for the National Asian Museum.
"I was born and raised in this country," said Grace Meng, a Chinese-American Democrat from New York who proposed the bill, the Washington Post reported. The contributions made and the pain they endured are poorly understood."
"My hope is that visiting the National Museum of Asian Americans will become a permanent way for Americans and visitors to learn about the lives of Asian Americans," Meng said.
Meng Zhaowen hopes that the museum will display all aspects of Asian history, including historical materials related to the Chinese Exclusion Act, and information about Asian Americans who served in the U.S. military.
The implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese workers from entering the United States for 20 years beginning in 1882.
"We want to make sure that the collections of Asian American museums are as detailed as possible," Meng Zhaowen said.
In fact, it took 100 years for the National Museum of African American History and Culture to finally open in 2016, before calls to build a museum of Asian American history began to grow.
If approved, the Asian American Museum could compete with the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum on Washington's National Mall.
The two museums were approved by Congress in 2020.
According to data from the Pew Research Center, there are 22 million Asians in the United States from more than 20 different countries, and Asians are also the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, with an increase of 36% in the past 10 years.
By 2060, the Asian American population is projected to exceed 46 million.
However, since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, attacks against Asian Americans have become more frequent across the United States.
In 2021, well-known Chinese-American television reporter Lisa Ling testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on the need for a museum of Asian American history.
Ling Zhihui pointed out: "When the story and history of a race is excluded from the narrative of a country, this group is easily ignored and dehumanized by society. ... We should have a place that allows us to Bringing the children to witness the past and present of Asians, realizing that Asians have always been an integral part of this country.” (End)