City of Petaluma
Proclamation
ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND
PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH – MAY 2025
WHEREAS, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month seeks to honor and recognize the participation and contributions of AANHPI people who have been a core part of the history of our nation and our City, and continue to be instrumental in its ongoing success; and WHEREAS, many diverse groups and cultures make up Petaluma’s history; Petaluma is the ancestral home of the Lekatuit Nation and was once a major village of the Coast Miwok people; and Mariano Vallejo was one of the earliest agricultural industrialists to employ a multicultural labor force that included Native Hawaiians, Mexican Californians, and a large number of California Indians; and WHEREAS, Petaluma’s natural resources generated great wealth, thanks in large part to the labor of Chinese emigrants; industrialists such as McNear and Wickersham employed Chinese laborers in the late 1800s to build the railroad, manually dig levees and shape the P etaluma River, construct stone walls, manufacture bricks, work as domestics, and more—all of which contributed to Petaluma’s development as a thriving agricultural and shipping center; and
WHEREAS, although the labor of AANHPI workers was crucial to the economic success of the region, leaders at all levels took action to exclude them socially and economically from the benefits of their work; the AANHPI community faced extensive discrimination, violence, and racism —including the Chinese Exclusion Act, which restricted Chinese immigration to the United States; the California 1913 Alien Land Law, which barred Asian immigrants from owning land; and the mass incarceration of people of Japanese descent during World War II; and
WHEREAS, the Sonoma County Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and local AANHPI leaders are dedicated to advancing education, leadership, and advocacy for the AANHPI community; through preserving cultural heritage, combating hate, promoting civi l and human rights, and elevating underrepresented voices, they ensure that the historic contributions and experiences of local and regional AANHPI individuals are recognized and celebrated in Petaluma’s civic life; and WHEREAS, Asian and Pacific Islanders comprise 17% of California’s population and approximately 7% of the population of Petaluma; today, AANHPI individuals are thriving members of Sonoma County communities, contributing as parents, farmers, caregivers, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, educators, scientists, medical professionals, and more; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Kevin McDonnell, Mayor of Petaluma, along with members of the City Council, do hereby proclaim May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City of Petaluma —embracing an inclusive history for a more just future, and celebrating the generations of AANHPI people whose contributions have been pivotal to our nation and to our local community.
Kevin McDonnell, Mayor
Caitlin Corley, City Clerk