obama speaks of slaves sharing american hope and opportunity, dreams and destiny.

harlem, mar.29.2011
"that whether your forebears landed at Ellis Island or they came here on a slave ship or they crossed the Rio Grande, or however they got here, they typically had a commitment to hard work and a commitment to community and a commitment to family and a willingness to dream big dreams, and a patriotism that was not rooted in ethnicity but was rooted in a creed and a set of ideals and a belief that in America anything was possible."

american latino heritage, oct.2011
"we are united by more than the color of our skin or the language that we speak. we are joined together by a shared creed, a shared set of values. we're connected by the future we want for ourselves and our children. and we determine our own destiny here. whether your ancestors came over on a slave ship, or crossed the rio grande, or were here long before the country was founded, we're in this together.