Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring June 2018 “Immigrant Heritage Month” in the State of California.

PROCLAMATION

California is a land of immigrants within a nation of immigrants. Each generation of Americans has been refreshed by new arrivals from foreign countries. Every immigrant group has strengthened our society with both a wealth of cultural traditions and a great eagerness to become American. Whether they came to enjoy our nation’s promise of freedom and opportunity, to rejoin family and communities already here or to escape hostile and dangerous conditions in other countries, immigrants and refugees from around the world have proven to be great Californians, contributing enormously to the unmatched dynamism and wealth of our state.

At times in our history we have excluded immigrants from our political process, our businesses and our communities, as many of us forget our own immigrant heritage. But in each case immigrants have prevailed and claimed their rightful place as an integral part of the fabric of American life. When we reflect on our own immigrant journeys, however long ago they may have been, we recognize the many struggles and hardships of our ancestors and understand why we must remain welcoming communities.

This month, I encourage all Californians to celebrate the many forms of immigrant heritage and the vast contributions that immigrants have made to our state and nation. We can all take pride in how welcoming and attractive our state is to immigrants and the laws and policies we have adopted to help integrate them as full members of our society. This Immigrant Heritage Month, let us renew our commitment to this course of action that has yielded so many benefits for our state and continue to pursue laws and policies that provide for the successful integration of the newest Californians.

NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim June 2018, as “Immigrant Heritage Month”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 1st day of June 2018.

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EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

ATTEST:

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ALEX PADILLA

Secretary of State