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RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTRY OF HAWAII INTO THE UNION AS THE 50TH STATE -- (Senate - July 28, 2009)
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Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 225, submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 225) recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 225) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 225
Whereas August 21, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary of Proclamation 3309, signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower, which admitted Hawaii into the Union in compliance with the Hawaii Admission Act (Public Law 86-3; 73 Stat. 4), enacted into law on March 18, 1959;
Whereas Hawaii is a place like no other, with people like no other, and bridges mainland United States to the Asia-Pacific region;
Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961;
Whereas Hawaii contributed to a more diverse Congress by electing--
(1) the first Native Hawaiian member of Congress, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole;
(2) the first Asian-American Senator, Hiram Fong;
(3) the first woman of color elected to Congress, Patsy T. Mink;
(4) the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate, Daniel Kahikina Akaka; and
(5) the first Japanese American to serve in the Senate, Daniel Ken Inouye;
Whereas Hawaii is an example to the rest of the world of unity and positive race relations;
Whereas Pearl Harbor is a strategic United States military base in the Pacific and became a national historic site after the December 7, 1941, surprise aerial attack by Japan that thrust the United States into World War II;
Whereas Hawaii is home to 1/4 of the endangered species in the United States;
Whereas Hawaii has 8 national parks, which preserve volcanoes, complex ecosystems, a colony for victims of Hansen's disease, and other sites of historical and cultural significance;
Whereas Kilauea ranks among the most active volcanoes on Earth;
Whereas President George W. Bush nominated the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Centre for consideration for the World Heritage List;
Whereas Hawaii has produced musical legends ranging from traditional favorites such as Alfred Apaka, Don Ho, and Genoa Keawe, to Hawaii renaissance performers such as Eddie Kamae, Raymond Kane, Gabby Pahinui, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, the Brothers Cazimero, and the Beamer Brothers, to contemporary stars such as Keali'i Reichel, Ledward Kaapana, Jake Shimabukuro, and Raiatea Helm;
Whereas Hawaii is culturally rich because the Hawaiian culture has been protected through Hawaiian language immersion schools, hula competitions such as the Merrie Monarch Festival, canoeing voyages undertaken by vessels such as the Hokule'a, and the continuing historic preservation of Hawaiian traditions;
Whereas the Hawaii Statehood Commission held a Joint Session of the Hawaii State Legislature in honor of statehood and will celebrate the milestone with a public discussion and the arrival of the USS Hawaii; and
Whereas for all of these reasons Hawaii is a truly unique State: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State.
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, 50 years ago next month, the 85th Congress of the United States voted to allow a tiny island archipelago made up of people of every race and creed and situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean entry into the Union.
August 21, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary of the execution of Proclamation 3309, signed by President Dwight David Eisenhower, which admitted Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State.
On a personal note, 50 years ago today, I was elected by the people of Hawaii to serve as the first Member of the House of Representatives from the State of Hawaii. It is a moment I shall never forget. And on August 25, 1959, I had the great honor and privilege of standing behind the great President of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower, when he signed Proclamation 3309.
The territory of Hawaii was annexed to the United States in 1898 by a joint resolution of Congress based on a treaty signed with the Hawaiian government.
For many years thereafter, many delegations of Congressmen and Senators visited the territory of Hawaii to consider the pleas submitted by generations of our people requesting statehood. Finally, during the 85th Congress in 1959, members of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs, led by Congressman Leo W. O'Brien, visited the territory of Hawaii to make an inquiry into granting it statehood. The members of the committee met with local leaders and government officials in Hawaii and noted that the islands of Hawaii formed a unique and successful racial melting pot and claimed that if the rest of the Nation could mix as well, our democracy would be advanced by a century.
The State of Hawaii has been a rich cultural addition to the United States, thanks to the ancient culture of Native Hawaiians, the diverse multiracial society created by generations of Asian and European immigrants, and the stunning natural beauty of our tropical climate. Hawaii has produced the first Chinese and Japanese American Members of Congress, the first woman of color in Congress, and the first Native Hawaiian in the Senate. The Honorable Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States, was born and raised in Honolulu, HI.
Hawaii is much more than hula dancing, lovely beaches, and beautiful
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Hawaii's location in the middle of the Pacific between the U.S. mainland and the nations of Asia has made it a major center of military defense for the United States. Pearl Harbor serves as a critical naval outpost, allowing our fleet to connect to the United States, Asia, and other Pacific nations. So critical is Pearl Harbor's location to our national defense that it was targeted by our enemies at the beginning of World War II. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought the United States into World War II and revealed the loyalty the people of Hawaii had for the United States and the sacrifices they were willing to make for their country. Thousands upon thousands of young men from Hawaii volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. Senator DAN AKAKA and I were two of the volunteers.
Nearly 8 billion visitors from around the world each year are drawn to Hawaii's breathtaking beaches, scenic sites, and unique culture. Hawaii is home to one-fourth of the endangered species in the United States. We have eight national parks, including the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is the home to Kilauea, the most active volcano on Earth. Hawaii has truly added to the diversity and richness of the United States--culturally, racially, ecologically, and geographically.
Today, the Congress of the United States celebrates Hawaii as the 50th State to enter the Union.
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the resolution offered by my colleague and dear friend, Senator Inouye, and passed by this body. It is a resolution honoring the historic milestone of Hawaii's 50th anniversary of statehood.
In the center of the Pacific on islands rising from the bottom of the ocean, Hawaii joined our great and diverse Nation as its 50th State 50 years ago. Similar to the 49 States that came before it, Hawaii has something unique to share with the world.
Everyone who is born in Hawaii or comes to Hawaii embraces the aloha spirit as a value and way of life. The aloha spirit is good for the United States and it is good for the world.
I was a teacher at Kamehameha Schools when Congress voted to make Hawaii the 50th State in March of 1959. Fire crackers and sirens went off across the island of Oahu in celebration. The bells at historic Kawaihao Church started to ring and hundreds of people gathered there.
The next day, the newspaper headlines hailed the good news. My brother, Rev. Dr. Abraham Akaka, who was minister at Kawaihao Church, delivered the sermon. Brother Abe named Hawaii ``The Aloha State,'' and 50 years later we still call it that.
I would like to quote a few words my brother said on that historic day in March of 1959:
Aloha consists of this new attitude of heart, above negativism, above legalism. It is the unconditional desire to promote the true good of other people in a friendly spirit, out of a sense of kinship. Aloha seeks to do good, with no conditions attached. We do not do good only to those who do good to us. One of the sweetest things about the love of God, about Aloha, is that it welcomes the stranger and seeks his good. A person who has the spirit of Aloha loves even when the love is not returned. And such is the love of God.
This is the meaning of aloha, Hawaii's gift to the cultural fabric of the United States and the world.
While we celebrate this landmark anniversary next month, we must remember that the privileges of statehood came with obligations. Hawaii and the United States have a sacred trust relationship with the indigenous people of Hawaii that still remains to be fulfilled.
In admitting Hawaii as the 50th State, Congress and the people of Hawaii have recognized the importance of addressing the needs of Native Hawaiians and preservation of their culture and traditions. I am proud to continue this legacy as we move forward with that promise.
I congratulate Hawaii and its people on 50 years of statehood. I am proud to represent this great State in the Senate.
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