Mike Honda: “I just want to thank my colleague, Congressman Cardenas, for bringing everyone together to support immigration reform…”

“I just want to thank my colleague, Congressman Cardenas, for bringing everyone together to support immigration reform and in recognition of Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, and Constitution Week. From Angel Island to Ellis Island, from our northern to southern borders, from the fertile earth of Steinbeck country, to innovation's epicenter of Silicon Valley, immigration issues and immigrants have touched every corner and facet of our Nation. As the Representative of California's 17th District, I have witnessed how this immigrant spirit is the entrepreneur's spirit. In fact, 40 percent of the largest U.S. companies have been founded by immigrants or their children. In Silicon Valley, between 1995 and 2005, more than half of all the major technology and engineering firms were founded by an immigrant. People come to our shores with different dreams, aspirations, and needs. We must support stronger provisions for those guest workers who toil the earth and harvest food for our dinner tables. We must support students who come to this country seeking top education and then allow them to kindle their entrepreneurial spark into our economy. We must support high-skilled immigrants, as well as their families, who will strengthen our talented workforce. We must never turn our backs on our married children and siblings just because they are above a certain age. ____________________”