[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9434 of April 29, 2016

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing
racial group in our country, growing over 4 times as rapidly as the
population of the United States. As one of the most culturally and
linguistically diverse groups in America, the AAPI community reminds us
that though we all have distinct backgrounds and origins, we are bound
in common purpose by our shared hopes and dreams for ourselves and our
children. Our Nation's story would be incomplete without the voices of
countless Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who
have called the land we all love home. This month, we honor the
irreplaceable roles they have played in our past, and we recommit to
ensuring opportunities exist for generations of AAPIs to come.
The AAPI community's long and deeply-rooted legacy in the United States
reminds us of both proud and painful chapters of our history. Confronted
with grueling and perilous working conditions, thousands of Chinese
laborers on the transcontinental railroad pushed the wheels of progress
forward in the West. Japanese American troops fought for freedom from
tyranny abroad in World War II while their families here at home were
interned simply on the basis of their origin. And many South Asian
Americans in particular face discrimination, harassment, and senseless
violence often in the communities in which they live and work.
Today, AAPIs lend their rich heritage to enhancing our communities and
our culture. As artists and activists, educators and elected officials,
service men and women and business owners, AAPIs help drive our country
forward. Yet despite hard-won achievements, AAPIs continue to face
obstacles to realizing their full potential. One in three AAPIs does not
speak English fluently, and certain subgroups experience low levels of
educational attainment and high levels of unemployment. AAPIs also often
experience heightened health risks, and millions of AAPI men, women, and
children in the United States live in poverty.

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My Administration is committed to supporting and investing in AAPI
communities. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 20 million uninsured
adults have gained health insurance coverage, including 2 million AAPIs.
Among Asian Americans under the age of 65, the uninsured rate has
declined by 55 percent since 2013. Last year, we brought together
thousands of AAPI artists; advocates; and business, community, and
Federal leaders from across America for the first-ever White House
Summit on AAPIs to discuss the key issues facing their communities. The
Summit was hosted by the White House Initiative on AAPIs, which I
reestablished during my first year in office and is housed within the
Department of Education. We are working with Federal agencies to build
stronger and more robust regional networks across our country that
improve access to Federal resources and expand opportunities. We have
worked to protect civil rights, foster educational equity, and create
economic opportunity across our country. Because a lack of detailed data
perpetuates the false notion of AAPIs as a model minority, we are
working across Government to improve data collection to counter existing
stereotypes and to shed light on the realities faced and resources
needed by the AAPI community. Through the White House Task Force on New
Americans, Federal agencies are working with cities and counties around
America to build welcoming communities that allow immigrants and
refugees to thrive. And we will continue working to allow more high-
skilled immigrants to stay in our country--too many talented AAPIs are
held back from fully realizing our country's promise, and too many have
suffered the consequences of our Nation's broken immigration system.
Peoples of diverse backgrounds and circumstances have long come to our
country with the faith that they could build a better life in America,
and spanning generations, the story of AAPIs in the United States
embodies this promise. During Asian American and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month, let us celebrate the many contributions our AAPI
brothers and sisters have made to the American mosaic, and let us renew
our commitment to creating more opportunities for AAPI youth as they
grow up and embrace the hard work of active citizenship, adding their
unique voices and experiences to our Nation's narrative.
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 2016 as Asian
American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans
to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/AAPI to learn more about our efforts on
behalf of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, 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 sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA