Proclamation 6212—Polish American Heritage Month, 1990

Many Americans proudly trace their roots to Poland, and land whose rich and colorful past is rivalled only by the bright promise of its future. This month, as we celebrate the many contributions that Polish Americans have made to our Nation's history and culture, we also reaffirm the strong and friendly ties between the United States and their ancestral homeland.

Poles were among the first immigrants who came to these shores in search of liberty and opportunity, and they and their descendants have always been in the forefront of efforts to keep America free, strong, and prosperous. During the Revolutionary War, the great Polish heroes Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski helped to secure the Independence of our fledgling Republic. Since then millions of other men and women of Polish extraction have likewise invested their hopes in this Nation's bold experiment in self -- government, working hard to ensure its success and inspiring us all through their great faith in God and their devotion to democratic ideals.

While Polish Americans have inspired us by their example, they have also enriched us through efforts to preserve their unique ethnic heritage. Heirs to the rich historic and cultural legacy established in the land of Copernicus and Chopin, these Americans have shared with their fellow citizens a wealth of Polish music, art, craftsmanship, and folklore.

The deep cultural and familial ties between the peoples of the United States and Poland have long been intertwined with the sturdy fiber of shared values and aspirations. For generations Poles have demonstrated the same belief in individual rights and dignity that inspires our own system of government. The Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, one of the first written national constitutions in history, was modeled after that of the United States and dramatically asserted the Polish people's desire for liberty and self -- determination. Despite decades of repression by ruling officials, military invasion by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, and the declaration of martial law in 1981, the people of Poland have remained firm in their devotion to democratic ideals. During the past year they have thrown off the heavy yoke of communism and begun to enter the community of free nations. Under the leadership of Eastern Europe's first non-Communist government in more than 40 years, they have been working to build a new economic order to break the cycle of impoverishment and decline imposed by nearly half a century of totalitarian rule.

The United States wholeheartedly supports Poland's democratic transition and her people's ongoing efforts to establish a pluralistic society and free market economy. In addition to direct financial aid, the United States has launched a series of initiatives designed to encourage private sector investment in Poland and to promote the growth of market institutions in that country. In May, I proudly announced the decision to create the Citizens Democracy Corps, whose first mission is to establish a center and clearinghouse for American private sector assistance and voluntary activities in Eastern Europe. Moreover, throughout the past several months, U.S. Government officials, as well as business and labor leaders, have traveled to Poland to share their expertise and to help establish cooperative ventures in areas such as agriculture, business management, and financial services.

Polish Americans are especially proud of the positive developments that have been taking place in their ancestral homeland, and rightly so. During this Polish American Heritage Month, we celebrate both their unique ethnic identity and the enduring ties that unite all Americans with the courageous, freedom-loving people of Poland.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 289, has designated October 1990 as "Polish American Heritage Month" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 1990 as Polish American Heritage Month. I urge all Americans to join their fellow citizens of Polish descent in observance of this month.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH