To my fellow immigrants listening tonight, I want you to know how welcome you are in this party. We Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your dreams. We believe in you[r] future. And one thing I learned about America is that if you work hard and if you play by the rules, this country is truly open to you. You can achieve anything.
Everything I have -- my career, my success, my family -- I owe to America.
In this country, it doesnt make any difference where you were born. It doesnt make any difference who your parents were. It doesnt make any difference if youre like me and you couldnt even speak English until you were in your twenties.
America gave me opportunities and my immigrant dreams came true. I want other people to get the same chances I did, the same opportunities. And I believe they can. Thats why I believe in this country. Thats why I believe in this Party, and thats why I believe in this President.
Now, many of you out there tonight are "Republican" like me -- in your hearts and in your belief. Maybe youre from Guatemala. Maybe youre from the Philippines. Maybe youre from Europe or the Ivory Coast. Maybe you live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New Mexico. And maybe -- And maybe, just maybe, you dont agree with this Party on every single issue. I say to you tonight that I believe thats not only okay, but thats whats great about this country. Here -- Here we can respectfully disagree and still be patriotic, still be American, and still be good Republicans.
My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans, how do you know if you are a Republican? Well, I[ll] tell you how.
If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican.
If you believe -- If you believe that this country, not the United Nations, is best hope for democracy, then you are a Republican.
And ladies and gentlemen -- And ladies and gentlemen, if you believe that we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican!
Now theres another way you can tell youre [a] Republican. You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people, and faith in the U.S. economy. And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: "Dont be economic girlie men!"
The U.S. -- The U.S. economy remains the envy of the world. We have the highest economic growth of any of the worlds major industrialized nations. Dont you remember the pessimism of 20 years ago when the critics said that Japan and Germany are overtaking the U.S.? Ridiculous!
Now they say that India and China are overtaking us. Now dont you believe it. We may hit a few bumps -- but America always moves ahead. Thats what Americans do.
We move prosperity ahead -- We move prosperity ahead. We move freedom ahead. And we move people ahead. And under President Bush and Vice President Cheney, Americas economy is moving ahead in spite of the recession they inherited and in spite of the attack on our homeland.
Now -- Now the other Party says that we are two Americas. Dont you believe that either. I have visited our troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, Germany and all over the world. Ive visited our troops in California, where they train before they go overseas. I have visited our military hospitals. And I tell you this: that our men and women in uniform do not believe there are two Americas. They believe theres one America and they are fighting for it!
We are one America -- We are one America and President Bush is defending it with all his heart and soul.