[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 36451-36452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12058]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 107 / Monday, June 5, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 36451]]


                Proclamation 10591 of May 31, 2023

                
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate 
                the achievements and dreams of the millions of people 
                of Caribbean origin now living in the United States 
                while honoring the shared history of joy and 
                perseverance that has united and enriched life across 
                our region for centuries.

                There is no single Caribbean American identity. The mix 
                of cultures, languages, and religions alive across the 
                United States and the islands reflects the diversity of 
                spirit that defines the American story. Meanwhile, our 
                countries are bound by common values and a shared 
                history--overcoming the yoke of colonialism, 
                confronting the original sin of slavery, and charting 
                new opportunities across borders and generations.

                Since our founding, Caribbean Americans from Alexander 
                Hamilton to Colin Powell have contributed to the United 
                States in the most profound ways. Today, pathbreakers 
                like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor continue 
                advancing our work toward a more perfect Union. I am 
                especially proud of the extraordinary leaders of 
                Caribbean heritage now serving in my Administration--
                from Vice President Kamala Harris to Secretary of 
                Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Homeland 
                Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Press 
                Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. And I take equal pride in 
                the generations of Caribbean Americans who literally 
                built this country--bringing tremendous hope and energy 
                to bear as small business owners, teachers, health care 
                workers, military service members, union organizers, 
                community leaders, and so much more.

                For too long, too many have faced systemic barriers to 
                success. As President, I have issued two separate 
                Executive Orders to change that, pushing to advance 
                racial justice across every policy that my 
                Administration pursues. As we have passed historic laws 
                to rebuild our Nation's infrastructure, lower 
                prescription drug costs, create a clean energy economy, 
                and transform American manufacturing to once again lead 
                the world, we have done so with an eye for equity, 
                rebuilding our economy from the middle out and bottom 
                up. As a result, we have created 12.7 million jobs--
                bringing Black and Latino unemployment to record lows--
                and we have helped millions to start and grow their own 
                businesses. At the same time, we are using all the 
                tools we have to make our Nation's broken immigration 
                system as orderly, safe, and humane as possible, 
                sending support to the border while expanding lawful 
                pathways for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and 
                Venezuelans--among others--to come to the United States 
                without taking the dangerous journey to our southern 
                border. What we really need is for the Congress to 
                finally pass comprehensive immigration reform, 
                including a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farm 
                and essential workers, and temporary status holders, 
                many of whom are from the Caribbean. I will not quit 
                pressing the Congress to act.

                Beyond our borders, we are working with our Caribbean 
                partners to expand opportunity and keep the region safe 
                so more of our neighbors can build lives at home. We 
                partnered with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 
                November 2022 to launch the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit 
                and disrupt firearms trafficking in the region. We are 
                also working to improve access

[[Page 36452]]

                to development financing and advance clean energy 
                projects across the Caribbean through the United 
                States-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate 
                Crisis 2030.

                A central promise of this country is the idea that 
                everyone is created equal and deserves to be treated 
                equally throughout their lives. It is a cornerstone of 
                our common heritage in this hemisphere, even as we keep 
                striving to finally make that vision real. Caribbean-
                American Heritage Month is a chance to celebrate the 
                rich diversity that covenant has brought us and to 
                renew its promise for future generations of Caribbean 
                Americans and for us all.

                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 June 2023 as 
                National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I encourage 
                all Americans to join in celebrating the history, 
                culture, and achievements of Caribbean Americans with 
                appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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

[FR Doc. 2023-12058
Filed 6-2-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P