Our theme for this year's festivities Dreams and Challenges of Asian Pacific Americans speaks to the many generations of Asian Pacific Americans who worked hard to overcome economic hardship racism and other barriers in their pursuit of the American dream.
We must stop talking about the American dream and start listening to the dreams of Americans.
Mitt Romney will stop the attacks on job creators encourage entrepreneurs to chase their dreams and bring good jobs and a better future to all Americans.
My experience as a school nurse taught me that we need to make a concerted effort all of us to increase physical fitness activity among our children and to encourage all Americans to adopt a healthier diet that includes fruits and vegetables but there is more.
Our society's strong emphasis on dieting and self-image can sometimes lead to eating disorders. We know that more than 5 million Americans suffer from eating disorders most of them young women.
The situation in the United States is becoming more dire for average ordinary Americans and the last thing we need to do is to spend money on death destruction and war.
When the courts decide that murderers rapists and others who maliciously break our social contract deserve health care that most working Americans can't afford they are condemning good people to death.
You know Americans are obsessed with life and death and rebirth that's the American Cycle. You know awakening tragic horrible death and then Phoenix rising from the ashes. That's the American story again and again.
We must remind Americans that the promise of opportunity remains unbroken - that every person in this great nation can succeed through hard work courage and personal responsibility.
The British were indeed very far superior to the Americans in every respect necessary to military operations except the revivified courage and resolution the result of sudden success after despair.
Americans are gathering the courage to just say no. We are saying no to addictive consumer lifestyles. We are saying no to wars and corporate takeover and the IMF loans that gobble up people and their resources.
For as long as this nation has known war we have embraced the heroes it has produced. Americans have rightfully noted the honor and nobility of courage under hostile fire and thanked those who perished in their defense.
The criteria for serving one's country should be competence courage and willingness to serve. When we deny people the chance to serve because of their sexual orientation we deprive them of their rights of citizenship and we deprive our armed forces the service of willing and capable Americans.
The quality that defines us as Americans is the courage to respond to being hit. The courage to root out and destroy the killers. And most importantly the courage to hold on to our values and protect our hard-won freedoms while doing it.
Washington's answer to a self-inflicted financial crisis reminded Americans why they so deeply distrust the political class. The 'fiscal cliff' process was secretive and sloppy and the nation's so-called leadership lacked the political courage to address our root problems: joblessness and debt.
And I think most people in this country want to see a president that's got the courage to say we're going to cut the tax burden and reduce the regulatory climate and we're going to get Americans working.
For too long our country's version of an energy policy has consisted of Americans waking up every day and wondering how much it will cost to drive to work how much it will cost to keep their business running how much it will cost to heat or cool their homes.