Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA)

On March 31, 2004, the House International Relations Committee approved a resolution applauding the contributions of Indian-Americans to the United States. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), the Committee’s top-ranking Democrat, strongly recommended passage of House Concurrent Resolution 352 which has now gone to the full House. Resolution 352 was introduced on Jan. 28 by Rep. Millender-McDonald (D-CA).

Some extracts from Res. 352 read as follows: “Recognizing the contributions of people of Indian origin to the United States and the benefits of working together with India towards promoting peace, prosperity, and freedom among all countries of the world....

“Whereas people of Indian origin who have for decades immigrated to the United States have made extraordinary contributions to the United States, helping to make the United States a more efficient and prosperous country; Whereas these contributions have spanned disciplines ranging from science, technology, business development, and public service, to social justice, philanthropy, literature, and the arts; Whereas generations of doctors and nurses of Indian origin have attended to the sick in large cities as well as in rural regions of the United States that are otherwise underserved; Whereas people of Indian origin have designed defense systems that protect United States naval ships while at sea, and have contributed to engineering, designing, and participating in the United States space shuttle program, at great personal sacrifice;.....

“Whereas people of Indian origin have invented many of the technologies that power the computer and the internet, have created and directed laboratories that produced significant breakthroughs in modern medicine, and have taught at, and are leaders of, many United States institutions of higher learning.”