National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, 2011

Proclamation 8718 of September 21, 2011

National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

To win the future and restore our position as the
global leader in education, we must ensure all young
Americans, regardless of background, have the
opportunity to realize their full potential. As our
Nation's largest minority group, Hispanics represent
more than 11 million students in America's public
elementary and secondary schools. During National
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week, we renew our
commitment to strengthening and expanding opportunities
in higher education for our next generation of Hispanic
leaders.

The hundreds of HSIs across our country are helping
Hispanic students gain access to a quality higher
education. These institutions play an essential role in
equipping students with the skills necessary to thrive
in the 21st century. Graduates of HSIs are leaders in
science, technology, engineering, and math--fields that
are crucial to America's competitiveness in an
increasingly global economy. As hubs of research and
innovation, they are integral to helping us achieve our
goal of having the highest proportion of college
graduates in the world by 2020.

Last year, I renewed and enhanced the White House
Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics to
improve educational outcomes for Hispanic students from
pre-school through higher education and adult
education. We are working to expand access to pre-
kindergarten programs and reduce high school drop-out
rates for Hispanic students, while recruiting more
Hispanic teachers and school leaders. Building on this
foundation, we are committed to strengthening the
capacity of HSIs and other higher education
institutions serving Hispanic students to provide the
best education possible.

This week, as we celebrate the immeasurable
contributions HSIs have made to our Nation, we are
reminded that in this new century, America will only be
as strong as the opportunities we provide to all our
people. Our future is inextricably tied to the future
of the Hispanic community, and by working to strengthen
HSIs, we will secure a brighter tomorrow for our
children, helping them reach for the dream that has
come to define our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim September 18 through
September 24, 2011, as National Hispanic-Serving
Institutions Week. I call on public officials,
educators, and all the people of the United States to
observe this week with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities that acknowledge the
tremendous contributions these institutions and their
graduates have made to our country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.