President Biden signs Rep. Grace Meng's bill that seeks to create the National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture
Photo: Patrick Semansky / AP
Today, President Biden signed a bill (H.R. 2525) to establish a commission that will study the feasibility and potential creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. The bill was sponsored and introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY).
At the signing ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “When my mother was 19 years old, she came to the United States from India to become a breast cancer researcher. Growing up, my mother made sure that my sister Maya and I learned of the important, glorious history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in America. Because that, of course, is part of the history of America.”
“To teach this history is to help all of us as Americans understand where we come from. And to teach this history is to help us understand who we are,” VP Harris continued. “The National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture will teach and tell the story of our country. This is a story about heroes who shaped our nation for the better, from the South Asian Americans who helped transform farming up and down the Pacific coast, to the Japanese Americans who defended our freedom during World War Two, to the Chinese American garment workers who marched through the streets of New York City 40 years ago to win better pay and benefits for all workers. This is also a story about some of our country’s darkest moments: the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans, the murder of Vincent Chin, discrimination against South Asian Americans after 9/11, and today’s epidemic of hate, which is fueling violent acts against many communities including the AA and NHPI community. Because, you see, this is also American history, and we must teach it as it really happened so that we can learn from our best moments and learn from our darkest moments, and in particular, then, to ensure they are never repeated, our darkest moments. By equipping people with knowledge and historical context, then we can fight ignorance, dispel misinformation, and work toward a future where all people can live without fear and a future where all people — all people can help write the next chapter of American history.”
“I am ecstatic and overjoyed at this historic moment and honored and proud to have championed this crucial effort, especially after fighting for this legislation in Congress over the past seven years,” said Rep. Grace Meng. “I thank and commend President Biden for signing my bill into law and understanding the importance of establishing a national AAPI museum. Since the beginning of his administration, President Biden has proven to be a true friend and ally of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. He has partnered with me to address the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence, listened to the concerns I have raised with him about issues impacting AAPIs, and now he has joined me in taking the first step toward memorializing our history and culture in a national museum. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have shaped our nation since its founding. From the struggles we’ve endured to the accomplishments we’ve made, it’s time for more Americans, and our future generations, to know our story. And a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture would provide the physical space for people to learn how we have helped make America the country that it is today. It would help ensure that more Americans understand that Asian Pacific American history IS American history. I thank all who have helped to get my bill over the finish line, from my congressional colleagues to the many groups and organizations that supported the measure, and I look forward to the study for establishing this museum beginning soon.”
The newly signed legislation, entitled the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act,” will create a commission of eight individuals with various expertise in museum planning or AAPI history and culture to examine the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, funding and operating such a facility in the nation’s capital, possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. which is the world’s largest museum and research complex.
Rep. Grace Meng’s measure will require the commission to:
Report recommendations for a plan of action on the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture;
Develop a fundraising plan to support the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the museum through public contributions;
Obtain an independent review of this fundraising plan, including an analysis of the resources necessary to fund the construction of the museum and its operations and maintenance without reliance on federal funds;
Report on the availability and cost of acquiring collections for the museum, identify potential locations for the facility in Washington, D.C., and determine its regional impact on other related museums; and
Submit to Congress a legislative plan of action on whether to and how to establish and construct the museum.
The legislation will also direct the commission’s recommendations to address whether the museum should be part of the Smithsonian. The commission will have 18 months to complete the study and its members will be appointed by the House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, House Minority Leader and Senate Minority Leader.
