When it comes to ease of doing business, America is top 10 in the world. But when it comes to starting a business, we’re ranked 46th.
For a country that the most creative, productive, and innovative entrepreneurs call home, this shouldn’t b…
Tag: 2016 President
My Day One: Nuestra Familia (Our Family)
June marks Immigrant Heritage Month — and people across the country are sharing their American stories. Whether you’ve recently embarked on your first day as an American or want to share how your ancestors came to arrive here, we want to hear from you. Add your voice to the conversation today.
La Frontera
My story starts along the Rio Grande River — where I grew up in two cities, two countries, two cultures, and one community.
It was on the U.S./Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas across from Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico that I spent the first 18 years of my life.
The border or “La Frontera,” as we call it, will always be a special place. Whether it was crossing the border into Mexico to visit my tia (aunt) or attending a friend’s quinceañera, our connected border towns were one community.
The community’s uniqueness and kind-hearted people taught me to embrace my Mexican/American heritage. In this often-misunderstood corner of America, I learned the importance of embracing our nation’s greatness and diversity.
Rio Grande River view of Texas from Boquillas Del Carmen, Mexico, where my grandma on my mother’s side was born.
Invest In Your “Healthy Self” (and Post a #HealthySelfie While You’re At It)
Today, the Obama administration is launching the “Healthy Self” campaign to encourage healthy lifestyles and connect people to the coverage and care they need. But first let us tell you about Alicia. A wife and mother of two from Houston, A…
We Can’t Let Our Enemies Return to the Battlefield
Keep Guantanamo Bay open. Keep America safe. Click here to join me.
The post We Can’t Let Our Enemies Return to the Battlefield appeared first on Marco Rubio.
Co-sign Marco’s Letter To The Editor Of The New York Times
Co-sign Marco’s letter to the editor of the New York Times if you agree that all Americans deserve the opportunity to further their education, even if they don’t come from a wealthy family.
The post Co-sign Marco’s Letter To The Editor Of The New York Times appeared first on Marco Rubio.
My Day One: From the Streets of Lahore to the Heart of Texas
June marks Immigrant Heritage Month — and people across the country are sharing their American stories. Whether you’ve recently embarked on your first day as an American or want to share how your ancestors came to arrive here, we want to hear from you. Add your voice to the conversation today.
As a kid growing up in Texarkana, Texas, I often tried to pretend I was not an immigrant. I did not even know I was doing it really. Like many other kids, I just wanted to fit in and be a part of a girl scout troop, or a cheerleader, or sleep over at a friend’s house. All these pieces of American culture were foreign to my parents. Aside from differing practices and norms, my family didn’t necessarily talk about being immigrants. We were obviously Pakistani—that was one of the many things about us that stood out in our small town. But, that we were “immigrants” or how we came to be in the United States—those were things that went unspoken, even inside our home. I did not actually know the full story of how my family came to America until much later in life.
Growing up, my father used to sell toys on the street in his neighborhood in Lahore. He was the eldest of eight, struggling to make ends meet, and selling toys after school was one of the ways he helped out. He would go to school every morning, and afterwards, he would sell four or five toys on the side of the road—as many as he could carry in his arms. If he sold one, he came home with one rupee. Today that’s about a penny, but it was worth a little more back then. And my grandmother, so happy for the extra rupee and grateful for her son’s work, kissed that bill when he handed it to her.
The First Lady Celebrates the Class of 2015
Tonight the First Lady delivered her final commencement address of the season at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Preparatory High School (King College Prep) in Chicago, IL. In addition to this commencement, this spring Mrs. Obama celebrated the graduates at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL, and Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH as a way to shine a spotlight on students who have gone above and beyond to reach higher, and help others do the same.
Check out below for highlights of the First Lady’s 2015 commencements.
Tuskegee University – Tuskegee, Alabama
At Tuskegee University, Mrs. Obama spoke personally about her experience in college, on the campaign trail, and even as the first African-American First Lady. She noted, however, that she has been able to overcome challenging situations by staying true to herself; she encouraged the graduates to do the same.
“Graduates, that’s what I want for all of you. I want you all to stay true to the most real, most sincere, most authentic parts of yourselves.”
Oberlin College – Oberlin, Ohio
As the winners of the Reach Higher Near-Peer Mentoring Challenge, the First Lady commended the students in Oberlin’s Ninde Scholars program for their one-on-one work with to help local high school students apply to, and ultimately excel through, college.
She encouraged the graduates to utilize the talents, abilities, and skillsets they strengthened during their time at Oberlin to address the problems that are prevalent in our society.
“You see, in his speech to those Oberlin graduates 50 years ago, Dr. King urged them, as Julia said, not to sleep through the civil rights revolution that was raging across this country. And, graduates, climate change, economic inequality, human rights, criminal justice -– these are the revolutions of your time.
King College Prep – Chicago, Illinois
Speaking to the winners of the FAFSA Completion Challenge, the First Lady congratulated them on their creative submission, a King Prep-style “Scandal” episode that demonstrated their efforts to increase FAFSA completion among high school seniors. She acknowledged the great sacrifices and hard work that allowed the graduates to reach this day of achievement, reminding them how far they have come and how much further they will be able to go with the help of a college degree.
The First Lady reminded the graduates that they should persist through adversity and stand out as a shining examples to others of what is possible, regardless of their communities or the misconceptions of what those communities can produce.
“Because graduates, in the end, you all are the ones responsible for changing the narrative about our communities…. And with every word you speak…with every choice you make…and with the way you carry yourself each day…you can write a new story about our communities.”
At the G7: President Obama’s Trip to Germany
(l-r) European Council President Donald Tusk, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, US President Barack Obama, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wave while posing for a family picture at the Elmau Castle resort near Garmisch-Partenkirchen on June 7, 2015 during the G7 summit. Germany hosts a G7 summit at the Elmau Castle on June 7 and June 8, 2015.
(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
America’s LGBT Ambassadors: Global Trade Will Lift Up LGBT Lives
Eight of the nation’s most powerful LGBT leaders explain how proposed trade agreements will export our values of equality and tolerance. This letter was first posted on the Advocate.com. You can read the original post here.
As Ambassadors, we are on the front lines representing the United States. We know firsthand that U.S. interests are best served when we pursue policies that also advance our values.
That’s why trade policy is among our most promising tools.
Through the President’s trade agenda, we will not only support more American jobs, but we can also promote greater justice beyond our borders.
ISIS Must Be Defeated
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