    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 5, 2004]
    [Pages 773-776]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Cinco de Mayo Celebration
    May 5, 2004

        Thank you all for coming. Thanks for being here. Thank you all.
    Please be seated. Sientese. [Laughter] Bienvenidos. Welcome to the Casa
    Blanca. This is the people's house, and we're glad you're here to
    celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Laura and I are thrilled
    so many came today. We're pleased to celebrate this important day with
    you.
        This day marks an important victory for freedom in Mexico. That's
    what the day marks, and that victory can be celebrated by all who love
    freedom. We honor freedom today. We also proudly observe Cinco de Mayo
    because we honor the ideals of liberty. We value the heritage and the
    contribution of Mexican Americans in our country, and we respect our
    friend and neighbor, the great nation of Mexico.
        I want to thank Gaddi Vasquez for his
    service to our country as the Director of the Peace Corps. I think he is
    incredibly well suited to take on this important job of spreading peace
    and freedom and liberty throughout the world. Plus, you're a darn good
    introducer. [Laughter]

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        I'm proud that my longtime friend Tony Garza is with us today, the Embajador a Mexico de los Estados
    Unidos. Mr. Ambassador, thank you for coming. Roger Noriega is with us, who is the Assistant Secretary of State
    for Western Hemisphere Affairs. That means he's at the State Department
    in charge of affairs particularly with people who speak Spanish. It's a
    big job, and he's doing a heck of a good job. Thank you for coming.
        My lawyer is here, the White House Counsel--el juez--Judge Al
    Gonzales. Thank you, Judge, for coming.
    I appreciate you being here. Hector Barreto, who is the Administrator of the Small Business
    Administration. Hector, como esta? Thank you for coming. El Embajador de
    Mexico a los Estados Unidos, Carlos de Icaza. Ambassador, thank you for coming.
        And finally, we're very fortunate to have the Attorney General of
    Mexico with us today. Rafael Macedo de la Concha is with us. I'm so proud you're here, General. Thank
    you for coming, and thank you for the close cooperation. Delighted
    you're here.
        I want to thank the Members of Congress who have joined us. I see
    we've got two strong Members of the House of Representatives. These
    brothers--the Diaz-Balart boys, I call them--[laughter]--Lincoln y Mario.
    They're from Miami, and they're great Members. Thanks for coming. Devin
    Nunes from California is with us. Congressman,
    thank you for coming. And finally, Congressman Steve Pearce from New Mexico--I appreciate you coming, Steve. I'm
    honored you're here.
        Bishop, thank you for lending such grace to this occasion. I
    appreciated your strong words, and I really appreciate your faith, and I
    love your background. You're doing a heck of a job.
        Marco, thank you as well. Adonde esta,
    Marco? Oh, Marco. [Laughter] I think you'd have gotten a better seat
    after all that work. [Laughter] Thank you for what you do. I appreciate
    you. And I want to thank Jimena. Thank you for coming.
    Your grandmother would be proud. I want to thank Banda El Recodo for a
    very good job. And what a fabulous voice on Marco Antonio Solis. Thank
    you, Marco--very good job, appreciate you.
        I've got to thank my friend Emilio Estefan for putting the show together again. I want to thank
    you, Emilio. And I always like to remind Emilio, both of us married
    really well--[laughter]--didn't we? [Laughter]
        I know we've got leaders from around the country--Hector
    Flores of LULAC is with us. Manny
    Lujan is with us. I want to thank the
    representatives from other grassroots organizations for coming today,
    for representing the Mexican American population so well in the Halls of
    Congress and throughout.
        I see that the administrator of NASA is with us today, Sean
    O'Keefe. And with the administrator--I know I'm
    not supposed to be talking about the Mexican American
    astronaut that's with you--[laughter]--but
    you shouldn't have worn the uniform like that. [Laughter] You stand out.
    [Laughter] I'm proud you're here, Commander. Thank you for coming.
        Somebody said don't introduce him,
    because there's supposed to be, like, a special announcement tomorrow.
    [Laughter] Something along those lines. [Laughter] Well, keep it off the
    record. [Laughter] Appreciate your service. Congratulations. It's a
    proud day for the Mexican American culture to know that you're--
    [applause].
        The great triumph of Mexican forces on May the 5th, 1862, has
    inspired liberty-loving people everywhere, and it's helped shape the
    character of modern Mexico. Against great odds, a small and
    underequipped army defeated the skilled army of a European power. We've
    had that experience in America too. [Laughter]
        Our two nations have very different histories, but our journeys have
    led us in the same direction. We believe in the rights and dignity of
    everyone. We believe that

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    liberty is always worth defending. The ideals we share are among the
    many ties between our nations. Twenty-four million people of Mexican
    ancestry live in the United States today. It's almost 10 percent of our
    population, and America is better off for it.
        Mexican Americans have brought many strengths to our Nation, a
    culture built around faith in God, a deep love for family, a belief that
    hard work leads to a better life. Every immigrant who lives by these
    values makes our country better and makes our future brighter.
        Many Mexican and Hispanic Americans have shown their belief in this
    country by defending it. More than 600,000 of our veterans are of
    Mexican descent. Hispanic Americans have fought bravely in all our wars,
    including our own fight for independence. And for their valor, over
    three dozen have received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
        On Cinco de Mayo, 2004, more than 130,000 Hispanic Americans are
    serving in the United States Armed Forces. Several of these fine men and
    women are with us today. Please rise so we can thank you for your
    service to our country.
        Hispanic Americans serve our country in all kinds of ways. With us
    today are also firefighters from communities close by. They're part of
    the brave brotherhood of firefighters who answered the alarms and come
    to the aid of their neighbors against all hazards. We want to thank you
    for your service. We want to thank you for your sense of duty. We want
    to thank you for your contributions to our country. Welcome to the White
    House, and thanks for being here.
        On this holiday, we also look with pride to the vital and enduring
    friendship between the United States and Mexico. We share the busiest
    border in the world. We share a growing trade relationship that amounts
    to more than $230 billion per year. We share a commitment to freedom and
    prosperity throughout our neighborhood.
        In March, I hosted Vicente Fox--or we hosted
    Vicente Fox--[laughter]--at our ranch in Crawford, Texas. Our years of
    working together and our mutual respect are a reflection of the strong
    partnership between our two nations. Mexico and America have come a long
    way in 142 years, and we face the future as trusted partners, strong
    allies, and close friends.
        Across Mexico and America today, there will be a great many
    celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, none of them quite like here in the White
    House--[laughter]--none of them with the fantastic entertainers we had
    here today. And I know we're starting a little early here, and I'm
    honored you could join us.
        Happy Cinco de Mayo. May God bless Mexico, and may God continue to
    bless the United States of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:31 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to entertainers Marco Antonio Solis,
    Jimena, and Emilio Estefan; Hector M. Flores, national president, League
    of United Latin American Citizens; Manuel Lujan, Jr., chairman, Hispanic
    Alliance for Progress; and President Vicente Fox of Mexico. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks.

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