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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Members of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance |
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are celebrating 100 years of community leadership at their 51st |
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Biennial National Convention in Houston on July 27-30, 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Founded in San Francisco in 1895 as the Native Sons |
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of the Golden State, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance is the |
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nation's second-oldest community support organization focusing on |
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civil and immigration rights; it soon expanded to other California |
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cities and incorporated on May 15, 1912, to open interstate |
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chapters called lodges; in 1915, with lodges in Chicago, |
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Pittsburgh, Detroit, Boston, and other cities across the country, |
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it adopted its present-day name; the national growth of the |
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organization eventually led to the establishment of two Texas |
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chapters, the Houston Lodge and San Antonio Lodge; and |
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WHEREAS, The organization began admitting women in 1977, and |
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less than 20 years later, regional lodges had almost equal numbers |
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of male and female presidents; the first female national grand |
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president was elected at the 1997 convention, and today the |
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Alliance benefits from the skillful leadership of grand president |
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Carolyn Hong Chan and executive vice president Virginia C. Gee; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, members of the Alliance have |
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worked with steadfast resolve to promote civil rights, social |
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justice, and family unity; they have supported innumerable civic |
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and educational programs in their communities, and their good works |
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are guided by their cardinal principles, "to fully enjoy and defend |
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the rights and privileges of American citizenship, to support and |
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obey the laws and Constitution of the United States, to cultivate |
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the mind through exchange of knowledge, to effect a higher |
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character among the members, and to observe and practice the |
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fundamentals of brotherly love and mutual help"; and |
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WHEREAS, The members of the Chinese American Citizens |
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Alliance have devoted themselves to the betterment of their |
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communities, and they are indeed deserving of special recognition |
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for their dedication to civic life and social progress; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby welcome the members of the Chinese American |
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Citizens Alliance on the occasion of their 51st Biennial National |
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Convention and congratulate them on their organization's |
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centennial; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Alliance as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |