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ELAINE CHAO DELIVERS REMARKS AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
ELAINE CHAO DELIVERS REMARKS AT THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
JULY 31, 2000
SPEAKERS: ELAINE CHAO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED WAY
[*]
CHAO: Good evening.
I have to say a special, special hello and give my love to my
home state delegation of Kentucky.
(APPLAUSE)
And President and Mrs. Bush, it's wonderful to see you here
tonight, and we love you both.
(APPLAUSE)
And I also want to say a special thank you to my parents, who are
in this audience tonight as well.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you J.C.
CHAO: You know, I am proud to be here tonight to share a history
of an immigrant family, my family's love for America. You know, many
years ago, my parents -- young and vested only with hopes and dreams
-- left a homeland torn by war and instability. I was a child when my
father went ahead to make a life for us in America. And it took three
long years before he could bring us to this country.
My mother, my sisters and I sailed for a month on a cargo ship to
New York harbor, past the Statue of Liberty, to join my father in this
great land where freedom and opportunity beckoned.
Now I don't have to tell you, our early years in America were
really tough. My father held three jobs to make ends meet, and my
mother worried over our meager budget. And we missed our friends and
family now a world away.
I entered the third grade not understanding a word of English.
And every day, I would copy whatever was on the blackboard into my
notebook. And every night, after a long day's work, my father
translated that day's lesson, struggling to make sense of my childish
scrawls as I would transpose the Ds and the Bs and the Ps and the Qs.
And that's how I learned English.
Well, you know, despite these hardships, our faith in America was
steadfast. Strengthened by faith in God and family, we knew in our
hearts that with hard work, perseverance and the help of newly found
neighbors and friends, we could indeed achieve the American dream.
Well, you know, the story of my family is not unique. It's a
story shared by millions of immigrants to America that continues to
unfold in communities across our great country every single day.
The immigrant story is one of hope and promise, of new arrivals
finding support from their communities, their churches, their
charities and among their neighbors. And that's what Governor Bush's
compassionate conservatism is all about -- strengthening the pillars
of civil society and empowering people and communities to care for one
another.
(APPLAUSE)
CHAO: Well, every day across America, immigrant families like
mine are drawn to this very special land of hope and opportunity, with
its long-standing promise to protect our rights to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.
(APPLAUSE)
I also want to say, in my travels as Peace Corps director to
remote reaches of the world, untouched by the Internet, television or
even electricity, I found universal recognition of the word "America."
In any language, it means freedom and opportunity.
(APPLAUSE)
For Governor George W. Bush knows the great contribution that
immigrants make to America, and he appreciates that America's richness
comes from its diverse heritage, individual initiative, the bonds of
family and community and God's grace.
But, you know, too often new immigrants are not welcomed with
open arms, but instead are confronted with long lines and a
bureaucracy that views them with indifference or, worse, suspicion.
Well, as president, George W. Bush will change the character of
the INS.
(APPLAUSE)
He will make America more welcoming to immigrants. He will
restructure the INS, splitting it into two agencies, one for service
and one for enforcement, expediting paperwork and protecting our
borders. Governor Bush believes that immigration is not a problem to
be solved. Instead, it's a sign of the continuing appeal of the
American dream.
(APPLAUSE)
As president, George W. Bush will lead this nation by drawing
upon its strength of freedom and opportunity for all and in so doing
inspire the world as we move into the 21st century.
Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
END
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