Citizenship Day gives us the opportunity to reflect upon our country and its dream. From our founding and at our very core. America has always been a nation of immigrants. documented and undocumented. who have made great contributions to our Nation. They built our transcontinental railroad that injected new life and industry into the American West. and their entrepreneurship and labor spurred the economy in our early American cities. By now. we should know that "immigrant" is not a dirty word. In 2006. the Boston Globe reported that immigrants started one in four venturebacked companies since 1990. and two in five in high technology. Foreignborn entrepreneurs have certainly made their mark in my district in Silicon Valley. helping to found companies including Intel. Ebay. Yahoo and Google. Their contributions are also felt in the small business sector. as immigrants are one of the fastestgrowing segments of small business owners in the U.S. Immigrant women are starting businesses at a rate 57 percent higher than nativeborn women. And immigrant men start businesses at a rate 71 percent higher than nativeborn men. Looking toward our future with our aging workforce and our Social Security crisis. we need their contributions now more than ever. And despite this tough economy and in this tough economy. their entrepreneurial spirit is helping to keep our American dream alive. After all. generation after generation of immigrants have taken oath to become American citizens with love of country and commitment to Americas promise. The faster we embrace each generation. the faster they become integrated as new Americans. and the stronger we are as a truly united country. That is why I introduced The Strengthening Communities through Education & Integration Act.
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