[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19867]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            CITIZENSHIP DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2008

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific 
American Caucus, I rise to celebrate Citizenship Day.
  Today, we celebrate our allegiance to the United States of America, a 
country that honors freedom, opportunity, and justice for all; whose 
promise of opportunity has inspired people--from around the world--
throughout our history, to leave their homelands to take part in the 
American dream.
  Citizenship Day gives us the opportunity to reflect upon our country 
and its dream.
  From our founding and at our very core, America has always been a 
nation of immigrants, documented and undocumented, who have made great 
contributions to our Nation. They built our transcontinental railroad 
that injected new life and industry into the American West, and their 
entrepreneurship and labor spurred the economy in our early American 
cities.
  By now, we should know that ``immigrant'' is not a dirty word. In 
2006, the Boston Globe reported that immigrants started one in four 
venture-backed companies since 1990, and two in five in high 
technology. Foreign-born entrepreneurs have certainly made their mark 
in my district in Silicon Valley, helping to found companies including 
Intel, Ebay, Yahoo and Google.
  Their contributions are also felt in the small business sector, as 
immigrants are one of the fastest-growing segments of small business 
owners in the U.S. Immigrant women are starting businesses at a rate 57 
percent higher than native-born women. And immigrant men start 
businesses at a rate 71 percent higher than native-born men.
  Looking toward our future with our aging workforce and our Social 
Security crisis, we need their contributions now more than ever. And 
despite this tough economy and in this tough economy, their 
entrepreneurial spirit is helping to keep our American dream alive.
  After all, generation after generation of immigrants have taken oath 
to become American citizens with love of country and commitment to 
America's promise. The faster we embrace each generation, the faster 
they become integrated as new Americans, and the stronger we are as a 
truly united country.
  That is why I introduced The Strengthening Communities through 
Education & Integration Act. The Act would invest in adult education 
programs for English-language learners, including civics programs that 
teach newcomers about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. 
As a former principal and school teacher, I know the importance of 
investing in our youth. This bill would ensure that our Nation's 
children and schools have adequate funding and resources for vital 
literacy programs for English-language learners. It would assist 
schools with teacher recruitment for English-language learners. It 
would provide tax incentives for employers to offer training and ESL 
programs to their employees, and would support State and local 
initiatives in English-language and civics education.
  My legislation is supported by a broad coalition of business groups, 
labor unions, literacy and education coalitions, immigrant advocacy 
organizations, Asian American and Hispanic advocates, and faith-based 
organizations, all who realize the importance of integrating new 
American communities.
   In the spirit of Citizenship Day, I invite you to join me as a 
cosponsor of H.R. 6617.

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