PROCLAMATION 7190—APR. 30, 1999
113 STAT. 2077
Guam, American Samoa, and Hawaii, have enriched every aspect of
our society with their talents, intellect, and determination.
While our Nation has made enormous strides on the path to hill equality and inclusion, our work is far from finished. My Administration
has strived to empower the Asian and Pacific American community by
working to strengthen our economy, enforce otir civil rights laws, invest in health and education, and promote racial reconciliation. Thanks
in part to our economic initiatives, the median household income for
Asian and Pacific Americans has significantly increased since 1993,
while the poverty rate has declined by more than 8 percent. We have
launched a new initiative to end racial and ethnic health disparities,
and we established the first-ever Office of Minority Health Research
and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Working
to renew our commitment to excellence in education, my Administration also has secured a 35 percent increase in funding for bilingual and
immigrant education.
To honor the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Americans and to
recognize their many contributions to our Nation, the Congress, by
Public Law 102-450, has designated the month of May as "Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month."
NOW. THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1999 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 thirtieth
day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-
nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-third.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Proclamation 7190 of April 30, 1999
Older Americans Month, 1999
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
As we look forward to the 21st centiuy, we honor the millions of older
Americans whose contributions have strengthened and sustained oui
Nation throughout the 20th century. These special citizens have led us
through times of conflict, depression, peace, and prosperity and have
witnessed firsthand the milestones that have defined this era as the
"American Century." This month, as we salute their achievements, let
us also renew our commitment to preserve for older Americans a quality of life that will help them look ahead to the future with peace of
mind.
In recent decades, extraordinary advances in science, technology, and
medicine, as well as our increased awareness of the importance of
good nutrition and physical fitness, have enabled Americans to live
longer, healthier lives. Over the course of the past 100 years, the aver-
�
