Proclamation 6823

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

America has always drawn strength from the extraordinary diversity of its people. The earliest settlers came to this great land seeking opportunity, bringing with them an abundant wealth of traditions from countries the world over. Thus the vibrant Hispanic culture has long been entwined with our Nation's heritage, and people of Latin American and Spanish ancestry have infused our national life with energy and vision. In the arts, the sciences, the business world, academia, and government, Hispanic Americans have added immeasurably to our progress.

Later this month, I will proudly bestow on the late Willie Velasquez our Nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His landmark work to register Hispanic voters helped to bring these Americans into the mainstream of American public life, and the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project that he founded continues to thrive today.

Last year, I was pleased to sign an Executive order creating the President's Advisory Commission and White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Recognizing the vital importance of providing every one of our children with fundamental knowledge and skills, the Commission was charged with creating an agenda to increase educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

Today, as we stand on the threshold of a new century, we look to the outstanding contributions of Hispanic Americans for inspiration and leadership. Let us join in support of Hispanic children and families as they strive to fulfill the American Dream.

To pay tribute to the achievements of Hispanic citizens and to honor the importance of Latin American and Spanish traditions in our national culture, the Congress, by Public Law 100-402, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as "National Hispanic Heritage Month."

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 1995, as National Hispanic Heritage Month. I call upon government officials, educators, and all the people of the United States to honor this observance with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, and encourage all Americans to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of equality.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:59 a.m., September 15, 1995]