Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 1996

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Part VI

The President

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Proclamation 6892--Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 1996

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 6892 of May 6, 1996

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 1996

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our national character has been enhanced by citizens
who maintain and honor cultural values and customs
brought from other lands. Americans of Asian and
Pacific Islander ancestry have long been a part of that
tradition, enriching the fabric of our society with
their unique talents and abilities. This month provides
a welcome opportunity to recognize these gifts and to
celebrate the daily contributions that Asian and
Pacific Americans make to our country's progress.

Every sector of American life has benefited from the
extraordinary leadership of those who trace their roots
back to Asia and the Pacific Island region. In the arts
and sciences, the business world, law, academia, and
government, these remarkable individuals have expanded
our horizons, achieving exceptional success and
demonstrating a dedicated belief in equal opportunity.
Asian and Pacific Americans have worked to overcome
challenges, often in the face of discrimination and
prejudice, and have successfully embraced the
opportunities of the American Dream.

As we stand on the threshold of the 21st century, ready
to compete in the global marketplace and strengthen our
partnerships with the nations of the Pacific Rim, let
us draw on the strengths added by Asian and Pacific
Americans and applaud their proud legacy of service and
dedication to this country.

To honor the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific
Americans 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 1996
as Asian/Pacific American Heritage 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
sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen
hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.