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>> THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING.
EVERYBODY.
>> All: GOOD MORNING.
>> SECRETARY NAPOLITANO,
DIRECTOR MALLORCAS.
DISTINGUISHED FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.
WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY.
WHAT A PERFECT WAY TO CELEBRATE
AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY, THE WORLD'S
OLDEST DEMOCRACY, WITH SOME OF
OUR NEWEST CITIZENS.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU JUST
PERSONALLY, THIS IS ONE OF MY
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO.
IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY AND
INSPIRATION BECAUSE IT REMINDS
US THAT WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS
BOUND TOGETHER NOT SIMPLY BY
ETHNICITY OR BLOODLINES, BUT BY
FIDELITY TO A SET OF I.D.s.
AND AS MEMBERS OF OUR MILITARY,
YOU RAISED YOUR HAND AND TOOK AN
OATH OF SERVICE.
IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO SERVE
AS YOUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
TODAY, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, AND
HAVE TAKEN AN OATH OF
CITIZENSHIP.
AND I COULD NOT BE PROUDER TO BE
AMONG THE FIRST TO GREET YOU AS
MY FELLOW AMERICANS.
LOOKING BACK, IT WAS AN ACT OF
EXTRAORDINARY AUDACITY.
A FEW DOZEN DELEGATES IN THAT
HALL IN PHILADELPHIA, DARING TO
DEFY THE MIGHTIEST EMPIRE IN THE
WORLD DECLARING THAT THESE
UNITED COLONIES ARE AND OF RIGHT
OUGHT TO BE FREE AND INDEPENDENT
STATES.
236 YEARS LATER, WE MARVEL AT
AMERICA'S STORY.
FROM A STRING OF 13 COLONIES TO
50 STATES, FROM SEA TO SHINING
SEA.
FROM A FRAGILE EXPERIMENT IN
DEMOCRACY, TO A BEACON OF
FREEDOM THAT STILL LIGHTS THE
WORLD.
FROM A SOCIETY OF FARMERS AND
MERCHANTS, TO THE LARGEST, MOST
DYNAMIC ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.
FROM A RAGTAG ARMY OF MILITIAS
AND REGULARS, TO YOU, THE FINEST
MILITARY THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER
KNOWN.
FROM A POPULATION OF SOME 3
MILLION FREE AND SLAVE, TO MORE
THAN 300 MILLION AMERICANS OF
EVERY COLOR AND EVERY CREED.
WITH THIS CEREMONY TODAY, AND
CEREMONIES LIKE IT ACROSS OUR
COUNTRY, WE AFFIRM ANOTHER
TRUTH.
OUR AMERICAN JOURNEY, OUR
SUCCESS, WOULD SIMPLY NOT BE
POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE GENERATIONS
OF IMGRANTS WHO HAVE COME TO OUR
SHORES FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE
GLOBAL.
WE SAY IT SO OFTEN, WE SOMETIMES
FORGET WHAT IT MEANS.
WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS.
UNLESS YOU ARE ONE OF THE FIRST
AMERICANS, A NATIVE-AMERICAN, WE
ARE ALL DESCENDED FROM FOLKS WHO
CAME FROM SOME PLACE ELSE.
WHETHER THEY ARRIVED ON THE
MAYFLOWER OR A SLAVE SHIP,
WHETHER THEY CAME TO ELLIS
ISACROSS THE RIO GRANDE.
IMMIGRANTS HELPED LAY THE
RAILROADS AND BUILD OUR CITIES,
CALLOUSED HAND BY CALLOUSED
HAND.
IMMIGRANTS TOOK UP ARMS TO
PRESERVE OUR UNION.
TO DEFEAT FASCISM, AND TO WIN A
COLD WAR.
IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS
HELPS PIONEER NEW INDUSTRIES AND
FUEL OUR INFORMATION AGE FROM
GOOGLE TO THE iPHONE.
SO THE STORY OF IMMIGRANTS IN
AMERICA ISN'T A STORY OF THEM,
IT'S A STORY OF US.
IT'S WHO WE ARE.
AND NOW ALL OF YOU GET TO WRITE
THE NEXT CHAPTER.
EACH OF YOU HAVE TRAVELED YOUR
OWN PATH TO THIS MOMENT, FROM
CAMEROON IN THE PHILIPPINES,
RUSSIA AND PALAU AND PLACES IN
BETWEEN.
SOME OF YOU CAME HERE AS
CHILDREN, BROUGHT BY PARENTS WHO
DREAMED OF GIVING YOU THE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAD
NEVER HAD.
OTHERS OF YOU CAME AS ADULTS.
FINDING YOUR WAY THROUGH A NEW
COUNTRY, CULTURE AND A
NEW LONG.
LANGUAGE.
ALL OF YOU DID SOMETHING
PROFOUND.
UP CHOSE TO SERVE.
YOU PUT ON THE UNIFORM OF A
COUNTRY THAT WAS NOT FULLY YOUR
OWN IN A TIME OF WAR.
SOME OF YOU DEPLOYED IN HARM'S
WAY.
YOU DISPLAYED THE VALUES THAT WE
CELEBRATE EVERY FOURTH OF JULY.
DUTY.
RESPONSIBILITY.
PATRIOTISM.
WE SALUTE A HUSBAND AND FATHER
ORIGINALLY FROM MEXICO NOW A
UNITED STATES MARINE, JOINED
TODAY BY HIS WIFE SILVIA AND
DAUGHTER JULIET.
BECOMING A CITIZEN, HE SAYS, IS
ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION FOR MY FAMILY.
SO TODAY WE CONGRATULATE
FRANCISCO BARRISTEROS, WHERE IS
FRANCISCO?
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> WE SALUTE A YOUNG WOMAN FROM
EL SALVADOR WHO CAME HERE WHEN
SHE WAS JUST 6, GREW UP IN
AMERICA.
WHO SAID SHE ALWAYS HAD A DESIRE
TO SERVE AND WHO DREAMS OF
BECOMING AN ARMY MEDIC.
SO WE CONGRATULATE LOUISA
CHILDERS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WE SALUTE A YOUNG MAN FROM
NIGERIA WHO CAME HERE AS A
CHILD.
I LEFT NIGERIA, HE SAYS, WITH
THE DREAM THAT WE ALL HAVE, A
DESTINY IN LIFE, AND WE ARE ALL
BORN WITH THE RESOURCES TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.
WE ARE CONFIDENT HE WILL MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
WE CONGRATULATE ALIOTTOSON
AQUADORA.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> WE SALUTE A YOUNG MAN FROM
BOLIVIA WHO CAME TO AMERICA,
ENLISTED IN THE MILITARY AND
VOLUNTEERED TO HELP CARE FOR OUR
VETERANS.
HE'S BECOME A CITIZEN TO BE A
PART OF THE FREEDOM THAT
EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR.
WE CONGRATULATE JAVIER BELTRAN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> IT'S TAKEN THESE MEN AND
WOMEN, THESE AMERICANS, YEARS
EVEN DECADES TO REALIZE THEIR
DREAM.
AND THIS, TOO, REMINDS US OF A
LESSON OF THE FOURTH.
OUR FOUNDERS DECLARED THEIR
INDEPENDENCE, BUT THEY ONLY
DECLARED IT WITH THE
CONSTITUTION AND A BILL OF
RIGHTS.
NEARLY 90 YEARS, AND A GREAT
CIVIL WAR TO ABOLISH SLAVERY.
NEARLY 150 YEARS FOR WOMEN TO
WIN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
NEARLY 190 YEARS TO ENSHRINE
VOTING RIGHTS.
AND EVEN NOW, WE'RE STILL
PERFECTING OUR UNION.
STILL EXTENDING THE PROMISE OF
AMERICA.
THAT INCLUDES MAKING SURE THE
AMERICAN DREAM ENDURES FOR SAUL
THOSE, LIKE THESE MEN AND WOMEN,
WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK HARD,
PLAY BY THE RULES AND MEET THEIR
RESPONSIBILITIES.
FOR JUST AS WE REMAIN A NATION
OF LAWS, WE HAVE TO REMAIN A
NATION OF IMMIGRANTS.
THAT'S WHY, AS ANOTHER STEP
FORWARD, WE'RE LIFTING THE
SHADOW OF DEPORTATION FROM
SERVING -- FROM DESERVING YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO WERE BROUGHT TO THIS
COUNTRY AS CHILDREN.
THAT'S WHY WE STILL NEED A DREAM
ACT, TO KEEP TALENTED YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO
OUR SOCIETY AND SERVE OUR
COUNTRY.
IT'S WHY WE NEED -- WHY
AMERICA'S SUCCESS DEMANDS
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION
REFORM.
BECAUSE THE LESSON OF THESE 236
YEARS IS■■■■ CLEAR.
IMMIGRATION MAKES AMERICA
STRONGER.
IMMIGRATION MAKES US MORE
PROSPEROUS.
AND IMMIGRATION POSITIONS US TO
LEAD IN THE 21st CENTURY.
AND THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
ARE TESTAMENTS TO THAT.
NO ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD
WELCOMES SO MANY NEW ARRIVALS.
NO OTHER NATION CONSTANTLY
RENEWS ITSELF, REFRESHES ITSELF
WITH THE HOPES, THE DRIVE, THE
OPTIMISM, THE DYNAMISM OF EACH
OF THE NEW IMMIGRANTS.
YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT
AMERICA IS EXCEPTIONAL.
YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY,
EVEN AFTER TWO CENTURIES,
AMERICA IS ALWAYS YOUNG.
ALWAYS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.
ALWAYS CONFIDENT THAT OUR
GREATEST DAYS ARE STILL TO COME.
SO TO ALL OF YOU, I WANT TO WISH
YOU THE HAPPIEST FOURTH OF JULY.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
GOD BLESS OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN
UNIFORM AND YOUR FAMILIES.
AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> PRESIDENT OBAMA JUST
FINISHING REMARKS AT A
NATURALIZATION CEREMONY OF 25
SERVICEMEMBERS, KRISTEN WELKER
AT THE WHITE HOUSE WATCHING THIS
ALONG WITH US.
KRISTEN, HE'S DONE THIS IN YEARS
PAST.
IN FACT, HE'S SPEAKING --
>> AMERICA'S NEWEST CITIZENS
BORN INUATEMALA, HE ENLISTED
IN THE MARINE CORPS, I KNOW HE'S
ESPECIALLY PROUD BECAUSE IN A
FEW DAYS HIS FATHER WALTER WHO
IS ALSO ENLISTED WILL WELCOME A
NATURAL CITIZEN AS WELL.
WHERE'S WALTER.
THERE HE IS OVER THERE.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, WALTER.
PLEASE WELCOME LANCE CORPORAL
BYRON ACEVEDO TO LEAD US IN THE
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> I'M NERVOUS.
>>> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
TO THE FLAG
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND TO THE REPUBLIC
FOR WHICH IT STANDS
ONE NATION
UNDER GOD
INDIVISIBLE
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR
ALL.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.