Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 2000

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 low-
paying 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

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