Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday issued a formal proclamation declaring June 2025 as Immigrant Heritage Month in California, paying tribute to the millions of immigrants who have helped shape the state’s economic, cultural, and civic landscape.
In his statement, Newsom praised immigrant communities as “boldly strengthening and fueling our state,” emphasizing their role in building the world’s fourth-largest economy. The proclamation underscores the state’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity, while also pushing back against what the governor called a “rising wave of hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric” across the country.
“California would not be the rich hub of culture and economic activity it is today without the influence of ideas, heritage, and history from around the world,” the governor wrote.
The announcement comes amid a renewed national debate over immigration enforcement, following a series of federal crackdowns in California that have triggered protests and heightened concerns among immigrant communities across Southern California.
“Right now, immigrants and their families are being subjected to indiscriminate immigration enforcement, including those who have been here for decades, who have paid taxes, created families, and built homes here,” the proclamation reads.
California is home to more than 10 million immigrants, and nearly half of all children in the state have at least one immigrant parent, according to data from the Public Policy Institute of California.
From 2021 to 2023, an estimated 6.1 million immigrants were employed in the state — accounting for one in every three workers. In 2023, nearly 45% of working households in the state included at least one immigrant, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.
Newsom also highlighted the global impact of California’s immigrant-led innovation economy, pointing out that nearly half of the nation’s billion-dollar startups in 2022 were founded by immigrants.
While celebrating these achievements, the proclamation also serves as a call to action. Newsom reiterated his administration’s support for comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for long-term residents and essential workers.
“We continue to call for Congressional action,” the governor wrote, “to meet the needs of California’s immigrant families and industry, from the Central Valley to Silicon Valley.”
Newsom concluded the proclamation by encouraging Californians to reflect on the many ways immigrants have enriched the state and to recommit to the values of inclusion and opportunity.
“This month, we celebrate all that immigrants are and all that they bring to this country,” he wrote. “We hold fast to supporting our immigrant communities… to ensure the promise of opportunity for all to thrive continues for generations to come.”
