Welcome to the United States
SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE
 

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Millions of foreign visitors travel to America each year, and each visitor, whether a tourist, a business traveler, or an immigrant, adds to America’s cultural, educational, and economic life. I am delighted to welcome all our guests to the United States.

As Americans, we are eager for our international visitors to explore our culture, meet Americans, and see our country. We are equally eager to learn from our visitors about the richness and diversity of their cultures, history, languages, and ideas.

President Bush and I are convinced that developing ties based on respect, understanding, and grounding in the common values of different countries, backgrounds and faiths will help us all build a safer and better world. The key to success rests with making individual connections and building understanding.

We believe that travel and people-to-people exchanges can be utterly transformative. Participants in international exchange programs, Americans and foreigners alike, time and time again describe their lives as being forever changed by their experiences.

As a nation of immigrants, the United States has always welcomed visitors. We will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of all people within our borders, tourists and residents alike, and we will continue to cherish the richness and diversity our visitors bring to this great country.