Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / Presidential Documents 25825

Proclamation 7299 of April 29, 2000

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Over the last two centuries, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have

contributed immeasurably to the richness of our dynamic, multicultural

society. Whether recent immigrants or descendants of families who have

been here for generations, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders embody

many of our Nation’s core values, including devotion to family, commitment

to hard work, and pride in their heritage.

The people of this diverse and rapidly growing community have contributed

to every aspect of our national life—from engineering and computer science

to government, the arts, and sports. For example, Vinod Dahm helped to

revolutionize computer technology through the invention of the pentium

chip. Governors Benjamin Cayetano of Hawaii and Gary Locke of Washington

have devoted their lives to public service. The talents of novelist Amy

Tan have delighted readers across our Nation, while architect and sculptor

Maya Lin’s stirring memorials to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights

Movement have uplifted and inspired all who have experienced them. And

diver Greg Louganis and football star Junior Seau have thrilled sports fans

everywhere with their skill and athleticism.

While many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders today are thriving, others

are still struggling to overcome obstacles. Because of oppression in their

countries of origin, some new immigrants have arrived without having completed their education; once here, some have encountered language and

cultural barriers and discrimination. Pacific Islanders, too, must overcome

barriers to opportunity caused by their geographic isolation and the consequences of Western influences on their unique culture. For these and

other reasons, too many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face lowpaying jobs, inadequate health care, and lack of educational opportunity.

To assist this community in meeting these challenges, last June I signed

an Executive order establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Initiative’s goal is to improve the quality

of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by increasing their participation in Federal programs—including health, human services, education, housing, labor, transportation, economic, and community development programs—which may not have served them in the past.

My Administration remains dedicated to building an America that celebrates

and draws strength from its diversity. Let us use this month to reflect

on the many gifts Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have brought

to our nation and embrace the contributions that Americans of all backgrounds make to our increasingly multicultural society.

To honor the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

and to recognize their many contributions to our Nation, the Congress,

by Public Law 102–450, has designated the month of May as ‘‘Asian/Pacific

American Heritage Month.’’

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States

of America, do hereby proclaim May 2000 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage

25826 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / Presidential Documents

Month. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this occasion

with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth

day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence

[FR Doc. 00–11141

Filed 5–2–00; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3195–01–P

of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

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