[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49815-49816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25110]
[[Page 49813]]
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Part VI
The President
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Proclamation 7121--National Hispanic Heritage Month, 1998
Proclamation 7122--National Historically Black Colleges and
Universities Week, 1998
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 180 / Thursday, September 17, 1998 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 49815]]
Proclamation 7121 of September 15, 1998
National Hispanic Heritage Month, 1998
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The presence of Hispanics on this continent predates
the founding of our Nation, and, as among the first to
settle in the New World, Hispanics and their
descendants have had a profound and lasting influence
on American history, values, and culture. Since the
arrival of the earliest Spanish settlers more than 400
years ago, millions of Hispanic men and women have come
to the United States from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and
other Caribbean regions, Central America, South
America, and Spain, in search of peace, freedom, and a
more prosperous future. They brought with them a deep
commitment to family and community, a strong work
ethic, and an unwavering belief in the American Dream.
In a Nation that derives so much of its strength from
many cultures and races, Hispanic Americans are a
thriving force in our society and a vital part of our
economy. For example, businesses started and operated
by Hispanic women constitute one of the fastest-growing
categories of small business in the United States
today. This entrepreneurial spirit has contributed to
the strongest U.S. economy in a generation.
As we approach the 21st century and face the challenges
of a global economy, we recognize that the success of
our Nation is closely tied to the success of our
citizens of Hispanic heritage, who are a large and
increasing segment of our population. My Administration
is committed to ensuring that Hispanic Americans have
the opportunities they need to realize their dreams of
a better life.
The key to those dreams is education. We must continue
to reach out to Hispanic youth, encouraging them to
stay in school, graduate from high school, and go on to
college so that they can compete successfully for good
jobs and take advantage of promising career
opportunities. As part of these efforts, my
Administration is committed to ensuring that our $600
million Hispanic Education Action Plan is fully funded.
This initiative will provide the investments needed to
help Hispanic students master basic skills and become
proficient in English. It will also assist schools in
implementing reforms to reduce dropout rates, enable
adults to receive basic skills training and participate
in English-as-a-second-language programs, and offer
assistance to colleges and universities that serve
large numbers of Hispanic students.
This month, as we remember with special gratitude the
gifts that Hispanic Americans bring to every aspect of
our national life, let us reaffirm our efforts to
ensure that all Hispanic American families have the
tools and opportunities they need to make the most of
their lives. Working together, we can meet the
challenges of the 21st century in a way that will
celebrate our differences and unite us around our
common values.
To honor Hispanic Americans for their many
contributions to our Nation and our 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.''
[[Page 49816]]
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim September
15 through October 15, 1998, as National Hispanic
Heritage Month. I call upon all government officials,
educators, and the people of the United States to honor
this observance with appropriate programs, ceremonies,
and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-third.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 98-25110
Filed 9-16-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P
