Bill Text: NY K00522 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 12, 2019, as Filipino Independence Day in the State of New York

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 40-21)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-11 - adopted [K00522 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-K00522-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 522

BY: M. of A. Zebrowski

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        June  12,  2019, as Filipino Independence Day in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS,  The  earliest  documented   Filipino   presence   in   the
continental  United  States  was  on  October  18,  1587, when the first
"Luzones Indios" set  foot  in  Morro  Bay,  California,  on  board  the
Manila-built galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza; and

  WHEREAS, The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian
American  group in the United States, with a population of approximately
3,900,000 people; and

  WHEREAS,  Filipino  American  servicemen  and  servicewomen  have  a
long-standing history in the Armed Forces from the Civil War to the Iraq
and  Afghanistan  conflicts,  including  the 25,000 Filipinos who fought
under the United States flag during WWII  to  protect  and  defend  this
country; and

  WHEREAS,  Filipino  Americans  are  an  integral  part of the United
States  health  care  system  as  nurses,  doctors,  and  other  medical
professions; and

  WHEREAS,  Filipino  Americans  have  contributed greatly to the fine
arts,  music,  dance,  literature,  business,   journalism,   education,
science,  technology, government, politics, fashion, and other fields in
the United States that enrich the landscape of the country; and

  WHEREAS, Efforts should continue to promote the  study  of  Filipino
American  history  and  culture, as mandated in the mission statement of
the Filipino American National Historical Society, because the roles  of
Filipino Americans and other people of color have been overlooked in the
writing, teaching and learning of United States history; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  vital for Filipino American youth to have positive
role models to instill in them the importance of education, complemented
with the richness of their ethnicity and the value of their legacy; and

  WHEREAS, The United States of America granted  independence  to  the
Philippines  on July 4, 1946, through the Treaty of Manila; July 4th was
chosen as the date by the United States because it  corresponds  to  the
United  States'  Independence  Day,  and  that  day  was observed in the
Philippines as Independence Day until 1962; and

  WHEREAS, On  May  12,  1962,  President  Diosdado  Macapagal  issued
Presidential  Proclamation  No.  28,  which declared June 12th a special
public holiday throughout the Philippines; and

  WHEREAS, This special holiday was affirmed in commemoration  of  the
people's  declaration of their inherent and inalienable right to freedom
and independence; and

  WHEREAS, On August 4, 1964, Republic Act No. 4166 renamed  the  July
4th  holiday  as  "Philippine  Republic  Day",  proclaimed  June 12th as
"Philippine  Independence  Day",  and  enjoined  all  citizens  of   the
Philippines  to observe the latter with befitting rites; now, therefore,
be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo  to  proclaim  June  12,  2019,  as
Filipino Independence Day in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York.