[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 87 (Thursday, May 5, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26653-26654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09756]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 87 / Thursday, May 5, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 26653]]

                Proclamation 10377 of April 29, 2022

                
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific 
                Islander Heritage Month, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific 
                Islander Heritage Month, our Nation recognizes the 
                innumerable contributions, vibrant cultures, and rich 
                heritage of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and 
                Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPIs). As some of the 
                fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups in the Nation, 
                AA and NHPI communities represent a multitude of 
                ethnicities, languages, and experiences that enrich 
                America and strengthen our Union.

                AA and NHPIs have long played an essential role in 
                writing the American story. From serving our country in 
                uniform, advocating for civil rights, starting new 
                businesses, and winning Olympic medals, the 
                contributions of the AA and NHPI community touch the 
                lives of Americans every day. AA and NHPIs serve with 
                distinction at the highest levels of Federal, State, 
                and local government. I am proud to have Vice President 
                Kamala Harris, the first person of South Asian descent 
                to serve as Vice President, and Katherine Tai, the 
                first Asian American United States Trade 
                Representative, in my Administration.

                As we celebrate AA and NHPI communities, we must also 
                redouble our commitment to combating the surge of anti-
                Asian hate crimes. The First Lady and I shared the 
                Nation's outrage as we witnessed these crimes increase 
                by 339 percent last year compared to the year before in 
                cities across America. Many other incidents of anti-
                Asian bias, xenophobia, and harassment that surfaced 
                throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were not even 
                reported. We cannot allow these horrific acts to 
                continue threatening the safety of AA and NHPI 
                Americans--especially women, girls, and the elderly. 
                These acts are wrong; they are un-American; and they 
                must stop.

                In my first week in office, I directed all executive 
                departments and agencies to combat xenophobia, hate, 
                and discrimination against AA and NHPI communities. I 
                also signed into law last May the COVID-19 Hate Crimes 
                Act to provide law enforcement with resources to 
                identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and 
                ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible 
                to AA and NHPI communities.

                As we work to ensure that hatred has no safe harbor in 
                America's future, we must confront shameful chapters in 
                our history. That is why, for example, I signed into 
                law the Amache National Historic Site Act--to 
                memorialize the 10,000 Japanese Americans who were 
                unjustly imprisoned at Amache during World War II. And 
                we will continue to root out racial injustices of our 
                past and advance equity for all Americans as we move 
                forward.

                Toward that aim, my Administration is making long-
                overdue investments in AA and NHPI communities. I 
                reestablished and expanded the President's Advisory 
                Commission and the White House Initiative on Asian 
                Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The 
                American Rescue Plan helped reduce poverty among AA and 
                NHPI families by approximately 26 percent. We have 
                increased access to capital, training, and counseling 
                for AA and NHPI entrepreneurs so their businesses can 
                thrive. We are also working

[[Page 26654]]

                to ensure that healthcare resources are available to AA 
                and NHPI communities. And we are rebuilding our 
                immigration system so everyone is treated fairly and 
                humanely--including AA and NHPI communities.

                This month, we celebrate our fellow Americans from AA 
                and NHPI communities and pay tribute to all they have 
                done to help fulfill the promise of America for all. 
                Together, let us recommit ourselves to building a 
                country in which every American--regardless of who they 
                are, where they come from, or what they look like--has 
                an equal opportunity to thrive.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2022 as 
                Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 
                Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to learn more 
                about the history of AA and NHPIs, and to observe this 
                month with appropriate programs 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 twenty-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-09756
Filed 5-4-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P