[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26213-26214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10744]



[[Page 26211]]

Vol. 78

Friday,

No. 86

May 3, 2013

Part IV





The President





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Proclamation 8965--Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 
2013



Proclamation 8966--Jewish American Heritage Month, 2013



Proclamation 8967--National Building Safety Month, 2013



Proclamation 8968--National Foster Care Month, 2013



Proclamation 8969--National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2013



Proclamation 8970--National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, 2013



Proclamation 8971--Older Americans Month, 2013



Proclamation 8972--Law Day, U.S.A., 2013



Proclamation 8973--Loyalty Day, 2013
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 86 / Friday, May 3, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 26213]]

                Proclamation 8965 of April 30, 2013

                
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage 
                Month, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Each May, our Nation comes together to recount the ways 
                Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) helped 
                forge our country. We remember a time 170 years ago, 
                when Japanese immigrants first set foot on American 
                shores and opened a path for millions more. We remember 
                1869, when Chinese workers laid the final ties of the 
                transcontinental railroad after years of backbreaking 
                labor. And we remember Asian Americans and Pacific 
                Islanders who have made our country bigger and brighter 
                again and again, from Native Hawaiians to the 
                generations of striving immigrants who shaped our 
                history--reaching and sweating and scraping to give 
                their children something more. Their story is the 
                American story, and this month, we honor them all.

                For many in the AAPI community, that story is one also 
                marked by lasting inequality and bitter wrongs. 
                Immigrants seeking a better life were often excluded, 
                subject to quotas, or denied citizenship because of 
                their race. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders 
                endured decades of persecution and broken promises. 
                Japanese Americans suffered profoundly under internment 
                during World War II, even as their loved ones fought 
                bravely abroad. And in the last decade, South Asian 
                Americans--particularly those who are Muslim, Hindu, or 
                Sikh--have too often faced senseless violence and 
                suspicion due only to the color of their skin or the 
                tenets of their faith.

                This year, we recognize the 25th anniversary of the 
                Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and the 70th anniversary of 
                the Chinese Exclusion Act's repeal--milestones that 
                helped mend deep wounds of systemic discrimination. And 
                with irrepressible determination and optimism, Asian 
                Americans and Pacific Islanders have prevailed over 
                adversity and risen to the top of their fields--from 
                medicine to business to the bench. But even now, too 
                many hardworking AAPI families face disparities in 
                health care, education, and employment that keep them 
                from getting ahead.

                My Administration remains committed to addressing those 
                disparities. Through the White House Initiative on 
                AAPIs, we are working to ensure equal access to Federal 
                programs that meet the diverse needs of AAPI 
                communities. We are standing up for civil rights, 
                economic opportunity, and better outcomes in health and 
                education. We are fighting for commonsense immigration 
                reform so America can continue to be a magnet for the 
                best and brightest from all around the world, including 
                Asia and the Pacific.

                Meeting those challenges will not be easy. But the 
                history of the AAPI community shows us how with hope 
                and resolve, we can overcome the problems we face. We 
                can reaffirm our legacy as a Nation where all things 
                are possible for all people. So this month, as we 
                recognize Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are 
                fulfilling that promise in every corner of our country, 
                let us recommit to giving our children and 
                grandchildren the same opportunity in the years ahead.

                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 May 2013 as Asian

[[Page 26214]]

                American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I call 
                upon all Americans to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/AAPI and 
                www.AsianPacificHeritage.gov to learn more about the 
                history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and 
                to observe this month with appropriate programs and 
                activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2013-10744
Filed 5-2-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F3