Presidential Document2023-09522
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023
Primary source
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Published
May 3, 2023
Signed
April 28, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 27655-27656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09522]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 3, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 27655]]
Proclamation 10559 of April 28, 2023
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates the
diversity of cultures, breadth of achievement, and
remarkable contributions of these communities; of brave
immigrants who, motivated by the promise of
possibilities, picked up their lives and found new
homes here; of native peoples who have stewarded these
lands since time immemorial; and of community leaders
shaping a brighter future for us all. Throughout our
history, they have represented the bigger story of who
we are as Americans and embodied the truth that our
diversity is our strength as a Nation.
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific
Islanders (AA and NHPIs) represent us at every level of
government, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the
first Vice President of South Asian descent; Ambassador
Katherine Tai, the first Asian American United States
Trade Representative; and Dr. Arati Prabhakar, who is
the first South Asian American to lead the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy. Earlier this
year, I was also proud to nominate Julie Su to serve as
the Secretary of Labor. From historic Oscar-winning
performances in film to achievements across business,
culture, sports, and civil rights, AA and NHPIs shape
and strengthen the fabric of this Nation. We see their
contributions as business owners and caregivers as well
as their service in the military and on the frontlines
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the immeasurable ways AA and NHPIs enrich this
country, we continue to see persistent racism,
harassment, and hate crimes against these communities.
Attacks on Asian American women and elders, have left
too many families afraid to leave their homes and too
many loved ones traumatized. The devastating murder of
eight victims in Atlanta, six of whom were women of
Asian descent, pierced the soul of this Nation. This
year, after the shootings in Monterey Park and Half
Moon Bay, both the Vice President and I visited
California to honor the victims; grieve with the
community; and witness their resilience, heroism, and
courage. Hate must have no safe harbor in America, and
every person deserves to be treated with dignity and
respect. To address the rising tide of anti-Asian
violence, I signed the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes
Act into law--which included the Jabara-Heyer No HATE
Act, making it easier for Americans to report hate
crimes and to help State, local, and Tribal law
enforcement agencies better track these hateful acts.
This year I was proud to launch the first-ever National
Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity
for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander Communities. This plan reflects my
Administration's commitment to improving the lives of
AA and NHPIs--ensuring that the census collects
accurate data so they are properly reflected when new
policy is made; advancing safety, inclusion, and
belonging for AA and NHPI communities; promoting
language access and preservation; advancing AA and NHPI
representation in the Federal workforce; and striving
toward an equitable COVID-19 recovery. The White House
was proud to host celebrations such
[[Page 27656]]
as Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, Lunar New Year, Nowruz, and
Vesak so we could celebrate with diverse AA and NHPI
communities from across the Nation.
We are also creating economic opportunities for AA and
NHPI workers and business owners. The Small Business
Administration has distributed nearly $16 billion in
loans to AA and NHPI entrepreneurs since I took office.
I was proud to sign Executive Orders to ensure the
Federal workforce reflects the diversity of the
American people. Our efforts are paying off. In the
Asian American community, unemployment has fallen by
more than half since I took office, and as of 2021,
entrepreneurship had risen at the fastest rate in over
a decade.
As we make progress to advance equity and opportunity,
we know our work is far from done. To help more AA and
NHPIs see themselves in the story of America, I signed
historic legislation bringing us closer to creating the
National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and
Culture. To honor the traditional practices and
ancestral pathways of Pacific Island voyagers, I
expanded protections for the Pacific Remote Islands. To
help Americans reckon with and learn from more shameful
chapters of our history, I signed into law the Amache
National Historic Site Act, which establishes a
memorial to the 10,000 Japanese Americans who were
unjustly incarcerated at Amache during World War II.
Facing past wrongs helps us build a more just and
equitable future.
This country's fundamental promise holds that every
person is created equal and deserves to be treated
equally throughout their lives. We have never fully
lived up to that ideal, but we have never walked away
from it either. This month, we renew our work to put
the American Dream within reach of all people, and we
celebrate the vibrancy, contributions, and future of AA
and NHPI communities across America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2023 as
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to learn more
about the history of AA and NHPIs and to observe this
month with appropriate programs and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
seventh.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-09522
Filed 5-2-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 3, 2023.
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