[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[May 3, 2002]
[Pages 712-714]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at a Cinco de Mayo Reception
May 3, 2002
Thank you all very much. Please, sientanse. [Laughter] Bienvenidos.
Welcome to the White House. This is the casa para todos. I'm honored you
all have come to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It's a pleasure to have you
here. The victory we commemorate today is a source of tremendous pride
to the people of Mexico and a source of inspiration to the people of
America.
I want to thank mi esposa, Laura, for her--
[laughter]--mi amor. I want to thank Sara for her passion for the education of Latino
children. She is a--well, she's unique. She's smart; she's capable.
After all, she's a tejana. [Laughter] But I really do appreciate her
focus, her willingness to work hard to make sure that every child has
got the opportunity to realize his or her dreams in America.
I want to thank el Embajador de Mexico, mi amigo Juan Jose
Bremer, tambien, esposa. Thank you all for coming. And I appreciate all the
Mexicanos who are here today. I'm glad you're here to celebrate a
special day in your country, here in the White House. It's an indication
of our friendship.
I want to thank members of my administration who are here, too many
to name. I will name the Cabinet Secretary, Mel Martinez. I appreciate
Mel's service. I see the Treasurer; mi abogado, Gonzales;
the new Surgeon General nominee, Rick Carmona.
Thank you, Rick; I appreciate you being here. I better stop now, before
I forget somebody.
I want to thank Ed Pastor, the Congressman
from the State of Arizona. Thank you for coming.
I want to thank Ana Maria for your
being here. I really appreciate you coming. You did a great job as the
emcee. And I know a lot of Americans watch your TV show, and we're
honored you're here. I really want to thank Pedro Fernandez.
Pedro, you're awesome. I'm not sure how you
say that in Spanish--[laughter]--or Mexicano, brillante. [Laughter] But
I want to thank you and your tres hombres for being here. [Laughter]
Al, thank you for leading the Pledge. Al
is the Director of the Selective Service. He wears the Medal of Honor.
And again, thank you all for coming. We're so honored to have you.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates a great victory in the battle of Puebla.
I remember when I went down, Jose, to--the
guest of the previous President, President Zedillo, to see a reenactment of the battle in Puebla. It was
exciting, and it was able to see firsthand the great courage and the
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victory in the battle for freedom that was fought against overwhelming
odds.
That victory continues to inspire liberty-loving people all across
the globe. It reminds us that the cost of freedom is always high, but it
is never too high. Brave and determined people, committed to a great
cause, can do great good. That was true 140 years ago, and it certainly
remains true today.
Just before September the 11th, I welcomed my good friend President
Vicente Fox aqui, in Washington, DC, as the
guest of honor at the very first state dinner I hosted as the President.
When he arrived, I said this--at the beautiful arrival ceremony we have
on the South Lawn--I said, ``The United States has no more important
relationship in the world than the one we have with Mexico.'' I meant it
then; I mean it now.
In the past 8 months, our relationship has grown even stronger. The
people of Mexico stand with the American people in the war on terror.
This is a decisive decade in the history of liberty, a decisive moment
in our history, and the United States is grateful we can count on the
strong support of Mexico.
America's strong relationship with Mexico is built on common values
and shared culture. We both value families; we both value communities--
the places where character is formed and traditions are passed from one
generation to the next. Americans appreciate the strong faith of the
Mexican people, a faith that provides hope and inspiration and unity,
even in the darkest of times. People on both sides of the Rio Grande
value independence and value freedom and opportunity. People on dos
lados del Rio Bravo appreciate the ability to work hard to achieve
dreams and to become successful as a result of hard work. By their
strong values and their determination to create a better life for
themselves and their children, immigrants from Mexico enrich American
life.
My relationship with President Fox is
similar to the relationship between our nations. It is built on the
solid ground of respect and trust and friendship. President Fox is a
great Mexican patriot, a man who--a man of honest talk and convictions
who is passionately concerned for his people's welfare. I know
firsthand; I've heard him speak clearly about the welfare of the people
of Mexico.
We're both deeply committed to helping the entire American familia
achieve prosperity and, as importantly, to live in peace. Mexico and
America share a continent, and we are dedicated to common goals.
We are working together to create a smart border, one that will
speed the safe flow of people and commerce but protect our two nations
from terrorism and crime.
We are working together on a partnership for prosperity, to better
focus the creativity and resources of the private sector on the critical
task of development.
We're working together to address the important issue and
challenging issue of immigration. I've asked our Congress to pass an
extension of section 245(i) of our immigration law to allow families to
stay together while they become permanent residents. There is no reason
why this law should not be passed.
We're working together to improve conditions for people living along
the border. It's really important that we do so.
We're working together to create an entire hemisphere that lives in
liberty and trades in freedom. And I appreciate President Fox's leadership in our hemisphere. I rely upon his advice
and good counsel; I appreciate his vision.
Our two nations will succeed together--we will succeed together--
because our futures are bound to each other. Geography made us
neighbors, but our shared values and rich cultures have made us the
closest of friends.
The great Mexican leader Benito Juarez had a strong bond with
President Abraham Lincoln. Juarez said, ``Between individuals,
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as between nations, `el respecto al derecho ajeno es la paz'--respect
for the rights of others is peace.'' The United States and Mexico have a
relationship of respect. It is the foundation of our enduring peace and
lasting friendship.
I want to thank you all again for coming to the White House to
celebrate Mexico's strong and vibrant culture, its extraordinary
history, our common future. May God bless the people of Mexico, and may
God continue to bless the people of the United States.
Thank you for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 2:48 p.m. in the East Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Sara Martinez Tucker, president
and chief executive officer, Hispanic Scholarship Fund; Mexican
Ambassador to the U.S. Juan Jose Bremer and his wife, Marcela S. Bremer;
Rosario Marin, U.S. Treasurer; Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the
President; Ana Maria Canseco, reporter, Univision; Pedro Fernandez,
singer; Alfred Rascon, Director, Selective Service System; and former
President Ernesto Zedillo and President Vicente Fox of Mexico. In his
remarks, he referred to section 245(i) of the Immigration and
Naturalization Act which expired April 30, 2001. The Office of the Press
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.