Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Asian American Pacific Islander Roundtable

San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined members of the Asian Pacific Islander Council to host an Asian American Pacific Islander Roundtable to discuss immigration issues, anti-AAPI hate efforts and equitable recovery for working families and essential workers. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your very generous – generous introduction. I – I accept every compliment on behalf of the House Democrats, who make so much of that possible. And we're very proud of President Biden and the Vice President as well – the first Asian American Vice President of the United States – for their cooperation in all of this. Some of this is historic and others brand new.

Thank all of you. Well, because of her – what Mabel said in the beginning, I think I will take a little different tact. I was just shuffling the cards here because every time she said something, I thought, ‘Get rid of that, she already said that, she already said that.' And let's just have a real conversation as we can get into questions sooner. But if I just may stand up so I can see all of you better.

Mabel, thank you. Thank you for your invitation to be here, for your leadership here. And for pointing out that some of our solutions are really better accomplish – reached and solved by going through the arts, where there can be understanding, understanding.

Now let me just first say thank you to all of you. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for your hospitality. Gordon and I have been working on housing for how many years, Gordon? Forever, it seems. And Anni, with self-help for the elderly, we go way back, right Anni? A very long – a very long time. And they have been leaders. I have learned from them along the way. Mabel, thank you. Sandy Mori –

Does this not work?

Sandy Mori, thank you. Claudine has she – oh my gosh. We take orders from Claudine, whether a stamp or a day or whatever it happens to be. All of you have been wonderful teachers, friends and resources in terms of where we go from here.

My first, very first – just may talk politics for a moment. My very first, very first political event was in Chinatown. Florence and John Fang, at the time, had it at their restaurant. My very first event. It was not a fundraiser. It was a community event – people coming in to meet this new person who was going to be running for Congress. My most recent birthday, I celebrated in Chinatown in addition to coming here.

[Applause]

But in any event, personally, politically, but more importantly, from a policy standpoint, you have been a tremendous resource. Most of you know that much of what I have been able to do in terms of immigration, I learned in Chinatown. The most successful naturalization programs in the country, and – are Chinatown and springing from our community. So any challenges that we have that we need to confront, I know where to come – to know more about all of that.

But let me just get to what Mabel said about the arts. I truly believe that, in this difficult time in our country, where there's such division – and you've addressed some of it, about some of the hate crimes and the rest – where there's such division, one of the things that gives me hope are the arts. Because when we are dealing through the arts, speaking in that way, we laugh together, we cry together, we're inspired together, we forget our differences, even among ourselves, as to approach and the rest – we forget our differences.

And this is really important because, as we come out of Memorial Weekend – and we were all quoting at the Presidio yesterday, President Lincoln. President Lincoln talked about unifying, bringing people together, bringing people together. And he said we do that, we strengthen that union, ‘by the better angels of our nature, better angels of our nature.' And what Mabel, what you were talking about – so this is just remarkable because it frames the coming together that we had year in and year out. Yes, but in smaller groups, a different subject matter, et cetera, even in between those annual meetings.

But to take it to a place, to the arts, where the people can really understand there are solutions. That's why we want to have the Smithsonian Institution recognize the role of the Asian Pacific American community. That's historic, and there are – actual bills and things we all talk about. But we do have the, shall we say, artistic presentation of it. I'm happy to say that on Tuesday, one week from today, in Washington, we will have the enrollment ceremony for Grace Meng's bill to send it on to the President to be signed in terms of a step forward getting that museum at the Smithsonian.

So I just wanted to take it to the place that you brought us to begin with, with gratitude for your recognition of so many of these things. But many of them would not have happened without the intellectual resource the community has always been.

I come here to hear what your current and more recent concerns are, or confirming others that have been there. And there's so many things to talk about that I thought, probably the best thing to do was for us to more quickly get to questions so that the priorities of the discussion are your priorities. But listening to the different organizations, some of which I've worked with for decades, others new, all very exciting. I'll just close by saying this – did I say I was going to close already? Well, I'll just close another time. I might mean it this time.

[Laughter]

And that is to say, just what I said before: there is – it's a difficult time out there. I don't know what the motivation is for some people, but the fact is, their own insecurities make them concerned about newcomers to our country, people who are different from them. And again, the – America's greatness springs from the fact that we have had an open door for newcomers to our country. And every family that has come here – some of them 200 years ago, some of them two months ago – every newcomer comes to America with their optimism. Imagine the courage, the hope for a better future for their families.

Those – optimism, hope, courage – those are American traits. And every newcomer who comes with those traits makes America more American.

So even Ronald Reagan said, ‘If we were to close the door, America would lose its prestigious place in the world.' Even Ronald Reagan – you have to read his last speech as President of the United States. It would give you great warmth. Ronald Reagan. I'm quoting now two Republican presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.

So why don't we just get on with the questions? I know that we were focused on health care issues, housing, economic opportunity, immigration, violence, the arts, so many things. Let's – why don't we just see how you prioritize. Again, thank you for being here, but also for your leadership, each and every one of you for what you do. With that, any questions? Thank you.