WWII Chinese American Vets still Seeking Recognition

(Newsy) There is rush to push Congress to award the Congressional Gold Medal to honor about 20000 Chinese Americans who served in WWII. Veterans Day honors the sacrifices people have made to protect this country but one group is still waiting to be recognized: Chinese Americans who fought in WWII. Seventy-three years after the war advocates with the Chinese-American WWII Veterans Recognition Project are pushing for Congress to officially honor as many as 20000 Chinese-Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill calls for a single Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded collectively to the vets as a symbol for their service. The bill passed in the Senate but has yet to pass the House advocates are rushing to get the bill passed before the start of the new Congress in January. E. Samantha Cheng: Theyre dying. These people serve. ... They served their adopted country and they deserve to be recognized. ... I think every immigrant community needs to be recognized for their contributions to U.S. history. Ours just happened in a war time. ... We are losing them daily we have less than 50 left all across this country thats shameful. While pushing for this bill recognition program director E. Samantha Cheng met so many WWII veterans along the way. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. Just last year more than 250000 Filipino WWII Veterans were finally recognized for their service. They were promised U.S. citizenship and benefits but that promise was revoked after the war. Cheng: If you feel so strongly about something and you want people to know what youve done on behalf of the United States as a community you have to make that happen. No ones doing it for you. Seriously. No one will give a banana at all what your forefathers did unless you bring it to their attention. Source Page