Financial literacy is an issue that should command our attention because many Americans are not adequately organizing finances for their education healthcare and retirement.

Everything that everyone is afraid of has already happened: The fragility of capitalism which we don't want to admit the loss of the empire of the United States and American exceptionalism. In fact American exceptionalism is that we are exceptionally backward in about fifteen different categories from education to infrastructure.

See that's why Barack's running: to end the war in Iraq responsibly - to build an economy that lifts every family to make sure health care is available for every American - and to make sure that every child in this nation has a world-class education all the way from preschool to college.

The American culture promotes personal responsibility the dignity of work the value of education the merit of service devotion to a purpose greater than self and at the foundation the pre-eminence of family.

You can choose a future where more Americans have the chance to gain the skills they need to compete no matter how old they are or how much money they have. Education was the gateway to opportunity for me. It was the gateway for Michelle. And now more than ever it is the gateway to a middle-class life.

In my childhood America was like a religion. Then real-life Americans abruptly entered my life - in jeeps - and upset all my dreams.

American dreams are strongest in the hearts of those who have seen America only in their dreams.

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 grew up founding our dreams on the infinite promise of American advertising. I still believe that one can learn to play the piano by mail and that mud will give you a perfect complexion.

I part of this great nation because my grandfather was born here in Cincinnati Ohio. He took a horse back in 1895 and ride it all the way down to Guanajuato looking for his American dream. No penny in his pocket only dreams in his head. And he was an immigrant coming from the States into Mexico. And he found his American dream in Mexico.