[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8965--APR. 30, 2013

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.





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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
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.
BARACK OBAMA