[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 10 (Monday, March 15, 1993)]
[Pages 370-371]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Proclamation 6533--Irish-American Heritage Month, 1993
March 6, 1993
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
The story of the Irish in America, of those millions of Americans
who trace their ancestry back to the Emerald Isle, is typical of so many
American immigrants, yet is also uniquely influenced by the rich culture
of Ireland. Like so many of our forebears, they came to this land
seeking a better future. In the process of becoming Americans, they
changed themselves, changed America, and changed the world.
By 1776, 300,000 natives of Ireland had already emigrated to the
Colonies. They fought bravely in the American Revolution and helped to
establish a new Nation. Eight signatories of the Declaration of
Independence were of Irish origin. In the early years of the young
Republic, as workers on the canals and railroads, they played a major
role in the settlement of the West.
However, it was not until the great potato famine of the late 1840s
that the trickle of Irish immigration became a flood. More than one
million Irish men and women came to the United States during that
period. They moved primarily into our great cities, which they quickly
transformed into the bustling beehives of activity that they have been
ever since.
Confronted by prejudice and sign after sign proclaiming ``No Irish
Need Apply,'' the new immigrants immersed themselves in the politics of
such cities as New York, Boston, and Chicago. In fact, the political
legacy of the Irish-American community may well be the most important of
all its contributions to our Nation. Presidents John F. Kennedy and
Ronald Reagan, as well as 16 other Presidents, have proudly proclaimed
their Irish-American heritage. America has been blessed by the
leadership of other Irish Americans as well, including Mike Mansfield,
Tip O'Neill, and Tom Foley in the Congress, and Al Smith, Ray Flynn, and
Richard Daley at the State and local levels.
However, the contributions of Irish Americans go well beyond
politics. In Washington, D.C., alone, James Hoban designed and
supervised the construction of the White House and assisted in the
construction of the Capitol; Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey completed the
construction of the Washington Monument after it had been abandoned
during the Civil War; and William Wilson Corcoran founded the gallery
that now bears his name.
Irish Americans have also enriched the culture of their adopted
land. Whether we think of Finley Peter Dunne, who satirized politics in
the early 20th century; Jimmy Breslin, who has done much the same more
recently; or Eugene O'Neill, one of the great playwrights of all time,
the Irish contribution to American literature is broad and deep. In the
performing arts, composer George M. Cohan, dancer Gene Kelly, and
actress Grace Kelly have come to symbolize America to the world.
In tribute to all Irish Americans, the Congress, by House Joint
Resolution 500, has designated March 1993 as ``Irish-American Heritage
Month'' and has authorized and requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of this month.
Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United
States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 1993 as Irish-
American Heritage Month. I urge all Americans to observe this month with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of
March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
seventeenth.
William J. Clinton
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:34 a.m., March 8,
1993]
[[Page 371]]
Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March
9.