Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Major Media Sponsor

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, the third day of January,

one thousand nine hundred and ninety-two

An Act

To designate May of each year as 'Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month'.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that--

(1) on May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrants came to the United States;

(2) on May 10, 1869, Golden Spike Day, the first transcontinental railroad in the United States was completed with significant contributions from Chinese pioneers;

(3) in 1979, at Congress' direction, the President proclaimed the week beginning on May 4, 1979, as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, providing an opportunity for the people of the United States to recognize the history, concerns, contributions, and achievements of Asian and Pacific Americans;

(4) in 1990, 1991 and 1992, Congress designated and the President proclaimed the month of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month;

(5) nearly 8,000,000 people in the United States can trace their roots to Asia and the islands of the Pacific; and

(6) Asian and Pacific Americans have contributed significantly to the development of the arts, sciences, government, military, commerce, and education in the United States.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL COMMEMORATION.

(a) DESIGNATION- May of each year is designated as 'Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month'.

(b) FEDERAL PROCLAMATION- The President is authorized and requested to issue annually a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the month designated in subsection (a) with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.

(c) STATE PROCLAMATIONS- The chief executive officer of each State is requested to issue annually a proclamation calling on the people of the State to observe the month designated in subsection (a) with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.

(d) DEFINITION- For purposes of subsection (c), the term 'State' means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.