Obama honors Mexican-Americans in Cinco de Mayo statement

• Tweet

WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday honored Mexican-Americans and called for immigration reform in a statement on Cinco de Mayo.

Many Mexican Americans celebrated Cinco de Mayo Sunday, the anniversary of a fight for freedom at the Battle of Puebla, 151 years ago, the White House said.

"On Cinco de Mayo we celebrate the contributions and heritage of Mexican-Americans and we recognize the strong cultural, familial, and economic ties that bind the United States and Mexico," Obama said in a statement.

"This week, I was proud to visit Mexico to reaffirm our vision for the Americas as a region of shared opportunity and prosperity. I left even more convinced that we have historic opportunities to expand trade and make our economies even more competitive, so that we continue creating good jobs in both of our countries," Obama said.

"In Mexico, I also emphasized the need to pass common sense immigration reform that lives up to our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, including generations of Mexican-Americans who have enriched our country," Obama said. "Fixing our immigration system is one of my top legislative priorities and I am hopeful that we can make immigration reform a reality this year."