[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 18 (Monday, May 6, 2002)]
[Pages 738-740]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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--

[[Page 739]]

[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 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

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Lincoln. Juarez said, ``Between individuals, 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.