Ronald Reagan

“ Some came to escape the chains of religious persecution, others to flee the bonds of political oppression, and still others came seeking a land of opportunity, the chance to begin life anew. Some of the most recent have scaled walls and crawled under barbed wire and through mine fields, while others risked their lives in makeshift boats on perilous seas. ”

“ No matter how they came, today they are all Americans who take pride in the traditions of their ancestral homeland while at the same time dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the principles for which our Nation stands. ”

“ Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 21, 1986, as Ethnic American Day. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and advance mutual understanding and friendship among all Americans regardless of their ethnicity. ”

“ They now are taking their full and rightful place in America's social and political life. Their contributions are legion in every area of endeavor: science, the arts, medicine, business, government, sports, religion, and the media. ”