Proclamation 6686

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

The Pacific Ocean is ringed by some of the most populous, dynamic, and promising countries the world has ever known. So rapid has the progress been in this region that the new Pacific community has come to exemplify the ideals of growth and prosperity. America is well-placed to play a major role in that thriving community, not only because of geography and history, but also because of the leading role that countless Americans of Asian/Pacific descent play in our diverse society.

Americans of Asian and Pacific ancestry share twin heritages-the stimulating cultural legacy of the lands of their ancestors and the liberty that is the birthright of every American. Drawing on the values and customs of their homelands and their expectations of America's promise, Asian/Pacific Americans have long helped to advance and enrich our Nation. We can all be profoundly grateful for their contributions to every field of human endeavor, from science, law, and literature to agriculture, commerce, government, and the arts.

Many of these achievements have been the work of brave and tireless immigrants who, through determination, creativity, intelligence, and dedication to American ideals of freedom and fairness, have added strong threads to the fabric of America's multicultural society. As they have built a community of tremendous talent and breadth, they have helped our country to usher in this new era of great opportunity and unlimited hope.

To honor the achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans and to recognize their contributions to our Nation, the Congress, by Public Law 102-450, has designated the month of May of each year as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of May 1994, 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 ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:02 a.m., May 10, 1994]