[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 18 (Monday, May 10, 1999)]
[Pages 773-774]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7189--Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 1999

April 30, 1999

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Seeking America's bright promise of freedom and fairness, millions 
of men and women of Asian and Pacific descent have immigrated to our 
Nation through the past 2 centuries to participate in our great 
experiment in democracy. Although they left behind their native lands 
and many of their loved ones, they carried in their hearts a rich and 
ancient history and a proud heritage.
    Throughout the decades, the principles and cherished traditions of 
Asian and Pacific Americans have infused our way of life, and their 
diligence and determination have helped build and sustain our Nation. 
Asian immigrants and indigenous U.S. Pacific Islanders have made 
contributions to every facet of American life. Yet all too often, Asian 
immigrants and Pacific Islanders had to endure discrimination as our 
society struggled with its growing diversity. Overcoming prejudice and 
other hardships, these determined men and women have strengthened our 
society, our economy, and our national character in the process.
    Asian and Pacific Americans today continue to make substantial 
contributions to our country and our culture, and this year's theme, 
``Celebrating Our Legacy,'' calls on us to recognize our common human 
spirit. Scientists and researchers like David Ho untangle the mysteries 
of human biology; astronauts like Kalpana Chawla explore the heavens; 
human rights activists like Dith Pran inspire us with their courage and 
conviction; athletes like Michele Kwan dazzle us with their grace and 
endurance; and inspiring leaders like Daniel Inouye and Bill Lann Lee 
fight for justice and equality for all our people. These sons and 
daughters of Vietnam, India, China, Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Fiji, the 
Philippines, Thailand, and many other nations, as well as the islands of 
Guam, American Samoa, and Hawaii, have enriched every aspect of our 
society with their talents, intellect, and determination.
    While our Nation has made enormous strides on the path to full 
equality and inclusion, our work is far from finished. My Administration 
has strived to empower the Asian and Pacific American community by 
working to strengthen our economy, enforce our civil rights laws, invest 
in health and education, and promote racial reconciliation. Thanks in 
part to our economic initiatives, the median household income for Asian 
and Pacific Americans has significantly increased since 1993, while the 
poverty rate has declined by more than 8 percent. We have launched a new 
initiative to end racial and ethnic health disparities, and we 
established the first-ever Office of Minority Health Research and 
Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Working to 
renew our commitment to excellence in education, my Administration also 
has secured a 35 percent increase in funding for bilingual and immigrant 
education.
    To honor the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Americans and to 
recognize their many contributions to our Nation, the Congress, by 
Public Law 102-450, has designated the month of May as ``Asian/Pacific 
American Heritage Month.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1999 as Asian/Pacific American 
Heritage Month. I call upon the people of the United States to observe 
this occasion with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and 
of the Independence of the

[[Page 774]]

United States of America the two hundred and twenty-third.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8.45 a.m., May 4, 1999]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on May 5. 
This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate 
issue.