“Out of Many, One”

Carlos Mendez, a 2010 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School, recently received a powerful tribute from former President of the United States George W. Bush.

Former President Bush’s newest book, “Out of Many, One,” tells stories and includes original oil paintings of immigrants in the United States. Mendez, a DACA Dreamer, is one of those included.

The book, which features 43 profiles of America’s immigrants, hit shelves at the end of April. Those who have been featured in the book describe the feeling of having their stories published as an immense honor. Mendez said that he felt grateful to have been included alongside such inspiring people.

When asked by NPR about the portrait he painted of Mendez, President Bush said, “It’s a compelling tale in that his dad comes up here. They’re stone broke in Mexico. There are jobs in Dallas area that aren’t being filled. He fills it… and so he comes up here and starts sending money home like many people who are doing jobs that need to be done here in the state of Texas, for example. And the mother and son follow… Mom dies, Dad gets injured. They live in East Texas. But the kid’s a smart guy, and he gets some help along the way by caring citizens. He ends up going to a junior college in East Texas, and then Henry Cisneros [ former mayor of San Antonio] finds out about him and helps him get a green card. The [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] program saved him from being kicked out, and now he’s an engineer in San Antonio. He’s a contributing citizen.”

“Across the world, good men and women still dream of starting life anew in America – people who bring energy, and talent, and faith in the future. Often they bring a special love of freedom, because they have seen how life works without it. The great yearning of so many to live in our country presents a significant challenge. America’s elected representatives have a duty to regulate who comes in and when. In meeting this responsibility, it helps to remember that America’s immigrant history made us who we are. Amid all the complications of policy, may we never forget that immigration is a blessing and a strength,” said President Bush.

According to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the title of the book was inspired by the Great Seal of the United States, which says E PLURIBUS UNUM, or “out of many, one.” The center states that this is to remind us of America’s “exceptional ability to unite individuals from all backgrounds and cultures as one nation.”