[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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 stu

[[Page 2081]]

dents 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.
BARACK OBAMA