[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 41 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[Pages 1320-1323]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Reception Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

October 10, 2007

    The President. Thank you all. Please be seated. Sientese. Gracias. 
Bienvenidos a la Casa Blanca, tambien el jardin de las rosas. It's a 
beautiful day. I'm glad you're here. Thanks for coming as we celebrate 
Hispanic Heritage Month. Every year at this time, we recognize the rich 
cultural traditions of the Hispanic American community and the great

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contributions of Hispanic Americans to our country and our character. 
That's why we're here.
    I appreciate so very much Ambassador Sue Schwab, who is the U.S. 
Trade Representative, for joining us. We're proud you're here, Madam 
Ambassador. I'm going to say something positive about trade, so I'm glad 
you came. I appreciate my friend, my dear friend former Attorney General 
of the United States Al Gonzales. I appreciate Anna Cabral, U.S. 
Treasurer, and Victor. Thank you all for coming. I'm proud that other 
members of my administration have joined us. Sarah, it's good to see 
you; thank you for being here.
    I thank my friend Emilio Estefan, who has provided the 
entertainment. I'm going to say something about the entertainment a 
little later, but Israel, we're glad you're here.
    I appreciate the members of the diplomatic corps. I appreciate the 
Ambassadors coming. We're proud you're here. Thanks for taking time.
    I have just met a remarkable woman that I want to introduce to you. 
Yamile Llanes Labrada and her daughter Shirlen Garcia have joined me in 
the Oval Office. Yamile is the wife of a political prisoner in Cuba, Dr. 
Jose Luis Garcia Paneque. The doctor was a plastic surgeon. He did 
nothing more than advocate for freedom, and he's now in prison. And not 
only is he in prison; he's ill. And so one of the messages I have for 
the Cuban leader is, free this man and free other political prisoners. 
He's not a threat to you. Let him be reunited with a woman who loves him 
dearly and his four children. So, Yamile, thanks for coming. We're proud 
you're here. Sure glad you're here. Y que Dios les bendiga a su familia 
y tambien su esposo.
    Citizens of Hispanic descent are the fastest growing population in 
America. Hispanic Americans strengthen our Nation with their commitments 
to familia y fe. Hispanic Americans enrich our country with their 
talents and creativity and hard work. Hispanic Americans are living the 
dream that has drawn millions to our shores--and we must ensure that the 
American Dream remains available for all. It's an important part of our 
past, and it's a central part of our future that people from all walks 
of life feel welcomed and given the opportunity to realize the blessings 
of America.
    Realizing the promise of this good country requires a good 
education. You know, I worked hard with Republicans and Democrats to 
pass what's called the No Child Left Behind Act. That's an important 
piece of legislation because it raises standards, and it holds schools 
to account. And the law is working. It's a good piece of legislation. 
It's working because I can report to you that last month, we saw the 
results from what's called the Nation's Report Card. The report card 
showed record performance in fourth and eighth grade math and fourth 
grade reading. And the report showed that Hispanic students scored 
alltime highs in a number of areas. And so we need to build on that 
progress. It's good that we've got a good report card; we want excellent 
report cards for every child.
    I met yesterday with civil rights leaders. See, I believe a good 
education is a civil right. And we talked about how we can work together 
to make sure the No Child Left Behind Act is not only reauthorized but 
is made stronger. The Congress needs to make sure we don't lower 
standards. Congress needs to make sure we raise standards and hold 
people to account, so that every child--every child can learn in the 
United States of America.
    Realizing the promise of America requires a growing economy. Last 
week, we got more good news on this front. The economy added 110,000 new 
jobs in September, giving us 49 straight months of job growth, and 
that's a new record. We are now enjoying the longest period of 
uninterrupted job creation in the history of the United States. The 
growing economy is the result of good policies, like low taxes, but it's 
also mainly the result of hard work of workers and entrepreneurs, 
including hundreds of thousands of Latino businessowners.
    And so to keep the economy growing, we've got to make sure we don't 
raise your taxes. And to keep the economy growing, we've got to open new 
markets for goods and services. One of the most important markets is in 
our own hemisphere. Many Hispanic-owned businesses in our country depend 
on

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trade with Latin America. Trade with the region strengthens ties of 
friendship and commerce. Free trade helps our neighbors prosper.
    And so to expand trade with Latin America, we negotiated--and 
Congress approved--a free trade agreement with five Central American 
countries as well as the Dominican Republic. And this agreement is 
working. It's helped American workers. It's new markets for products 
made here--right here in the United States. And it's helped our 
neighbors. We want everybody to do well in our neighborhood. We want 
prosperity to abound.
    And that's why we've negotiated new free trade agreements with Peru 
and Colombia and Panama. For the sake of businesses and sake of our 
workers and for the sake of prosperity in the neighborhood, the United 
States Congress needs to approve these three very important trade 
agreements.
    Realizing the promise of the country requires strong communities 
where people care for each other in times of need. Yamile found help in 
the United States from people who care about the condition of her 
husband. A total stranger that didn't know Yamile before she came to the 
United States said, how can I help you; what can I do? That happens all 
across our country when Hispanic Americans run soup kitchens and drug 
treatment clinics and hear the call--God's call--to love our neighbors 
as we'd like to be loved ourself.
    We see this spirit in Hispanic Americans who volunteer as Little 
League coaches or serve as Big Brothers and Big Sisters or give their 
time and energy to improve the lives of people that live across the 
street from them. By caring for others, Hispanic Americans make ours a 
better and more compassionate nation, and America appreciates the 
example they set.
    Finally, realizing the promise of America requires a secure country. 
We honor the many Hispanic Americans who wear the uniform here at home, 
the police and firefighters and emergency rescue personnel who risk 
their lives each day to protect our homeland and our communities. And we 
honor the 200,000 Hispanic Americans who serve in our Armed Forces, who 
are working to spread liberty so we can be secure here in America, who 
are doing the hard work today so our children and grandchildren can grow 
up in peace. I appreciate the fact that they have volunteered in a time 
of danger, and I'm proud to welcome members of the United States 
military with us today. Thank you all for coming.

    So during Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the diversity that 
makes our country stronger and the heritage and the spirit that Hispanic 
Americans bring to this great democracy. To help us celebrate the 
heritage and spirit, we have an incredible talent, Cachao. He was born 
in Havana only in 1918. That was before my time. During the late 1930s, 
he helped popularize the mambo, and over the past half century, he has 
won a lot of Grammy Awards--most recently in 2005, believe it or not. So 
if you do the math, you can figure out this man hasn't stopped working. 
[Laughter] He's still clicking, and he's still making good music. And so 
we're proud to welcome Israel Lopez, better known as Cachao, to here--to 
the White House. Thank you for coming.

[At this point, Israel Lopez performed.]

    The President. I know you'll join me in thanking Cachao for coming. 
Guess when the first he was here--1948 he played for President Harry 
Truman. Welcome back. We're sure glad you're here.
    Thank you all for coming. I want you to say hello to Yamile again 
una mas vez. We certainly pray for the speedy release of your husband, 
and we're glad you're here at the White House. No better place to come 
and recognize the great beauty of freedom. We want to thank you all for 
joining us as we celebrate the great diversity and freedom of the United 
States.

    Que Dios les bendiga.

Note: The President spoke at 3:11 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Victor G. Cabral, husband of U.S. 
Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral; Emilio Estefan, Jr., president, Estefan 
Enterprises, Inc.; and President Fidel Castro Ruz of Cuba.

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