San Francisco, December 21, 2018, — The Chinese American World War II Veterans Recognition Project, a program of the National Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.) Community Involvement Fund, a federally recognized non-profit organization, is pleased to announce that on Thursday, December 20, President Donald Trump has signed the Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act into law. Chinese Americans who served in the six branches of the United States Armed Services during WWII are finally getting the honor and recognition long due them.
S. 1050 sponsor Senator Tammy Duckworth with the National C.A.C.A. Advocacy Team. (Photo by Esther Lee, C.A.C.A. Boston Lodge)
“The Chinese-American community has been working very closely with political leaders from every state to ensure unanimity in the passing of this great legislative bill. Now that President Trump has signed this legislation into law, we applaud his recognition of the Chinese Americans who also served to open paths of opportunities as members of “‘America’s Greatest Generation,’” said National C.A.C.A. Veterans Project Coordinator and C.A.C.A. Past National President Ed Gor.
“We would like to express our gratitude to Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) for their early support of S1050, the Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act. And, to our original co-sponsors in the House, many thanks go out to Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) who championed HR2358 to a supermajority in the House of Representatives,” said E. Samantha Cheng, project director of the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project.
Few people know that more than 18,000 plus Chinese Americans served during WWII for the United States. The Chinese Exclusion Act was still in force when the US first entered the war in 1941 and the Magnuson Act of 1943 repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act thus allowing Chinese to legally immigrate to the United States.
“Notwithstanding discriminatory treatment under the Chinese Exclusion Act, tens of thousands of Chinese American men and women enlisted in the military during our country’s hour of need in World War II,” said C.A.C.A. National President Davace Chin. “We are extremely grateful and appreciative for Congress’s recognition of the loyalty, service and sacrifice made by Chinese American veterans. This highest honor is poignant and bittersweet.”