[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 18 (Monday, May 6, 2002)]
[Pages 728-729]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7550--Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, 2002

 May 1, 2002

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Our Nation's rich cultural diversity reflects our Constitution's 
core vision of freedom and justice for all. Throughout our history, 
Asian/Pacific Americans have made great contributions to America's 
heritage and prosperity. During this month, we proudly celebrate Asian/
Pacific Americans, one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the 
United States, for their remarkable role in our Nation's development.
    Through the years, Asian immigrants and Pacific Islanders have 
enriched the American way of life. Nobel Prize winner Dr. Subrahmanyan 
Chandrasekhar's groundbreaking theories on the evolution of stars helped 
lay the foundation for modern astrophysics. Actress Anna May Wong was 
one of the first Asian Americans to achieve great fame in American film. 
And the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team, composed primarily of Asian/Pacific Americans, valiantly 
served our Nation during World War II. These units are remembered as 
some of the most highly decorated in U.S. military history.
    During the observance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, we 
celebrate the cultural traditions, ancestry, native languages, and 
unique experiences represented among the more than 30 ethnic groups from 
Asia and the Pacific found here in the United States. We also recognize 
millions of Asian/Pacific Americans whose love of family, hard work, and 
community has helped unite us as a people and sustain us as a Nation.
    To honor the achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans, the Congress, 
by Public Law 102-450, as amended, has designated the month of May each 
year as ``Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.''

[[Page 729]]

     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, do hereby proclaim May 2002 as Asian/Pacific American 
Heritage Month. I call upon our citizens to learn more about the history 
of Asian/Pacific Americans and how they have contributed so much to our 
national heritage and culture.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of 
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the Independence 
of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 3, 2002]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on May 2, and it was published in the Federal Register on May 
6.