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Address: Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month
The White House
June 6, 2015
Hi everybody. One of the remarkable things about America is
that nearly all of our families originally came from someplace else. We’re a nation of immigrants. It’s a source of our strength and something
we all can take pride in. And this month
– Immigrant Heritage Month – is a chance to share our American stories.
I think about my grandparents in
Kansas – where they met and where my mom was born. Their family tree reached back to England and
Ireland and elsewhere. They lived, and
raised me, by basic values: working hard, giving back, and treating others the
way you want to be treated.
I think of growing up in Hawaii,
a place enriched by people of different backgrounds – native Hawaiian,
Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and just about everything else. Growing up in that vibrant mix helped shape
who I am today. And while my father was
not an immigrant himself, my own life journey as an African-American – and the
heritage shared by Michelle and our daughters, some of whose ancestors came
here in chains – has made our family who we are.
This month, I’m inviting you to
share your story, too. Just visit
whitehouse.gov/NewAmericans. We want to
hear how you or your family made it to America – whether you’re an immigrant
yourself or your great-great-grandparents were.
Of course, we can’t just
celebrate this heritage, we have to defend it – by fixing our broken
immigration system. Nearly two years
ago, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to do that. They passed a commonsense bill to secure our
border, get rid of backlogs, and give undocumented immigrants who are already
living here a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, paid their taxes, and
went to the back of the line. But for
nearly two years, Republican leaders in the House have refused to even allow a
vote on it.
That’s why, in the meantime, I’m
going to keep doing everything I can to make our immigration system more just
and more fair. Last fall, I took action
to provide more resources for border security; focus enforcement on the real
threats to our security; modernize the legal immigration system for workers,
employer and students; and bring more undocumented immigrants out of the
shadows so they can get right with the law.
Some folks are still fighting against these actions. I’m going to keep fighting for them. Because the law is on our side. It’s the right thing to do. And it will make America stronger.
I want us to remember people like
Ann Dermody from Alexandria, Virginia.
She’s originally from Ireland and has lived in America legally for
years. She worked hard, played by the
rules and dreamed of becoming a citizen.
In March, her dream came true.
And before taking the oath, she wrote me a letter. “The papers we receive…will not change our
different accents [or] skin tones,” Ann said.
“But for that day, at least, we’ll feel like we have arrived.”
Well, to Ann and immigrants like
her who have come to our shores seeking a better life – yes, you have
arrived. And by sharing our stories, and
staying true to our heritage as a nation of immigrants, we can keep that dream
alive for generations to come.
Thanks, and have a great weekend. |
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