Jose Aliaga, Clarkston-area resident and vice chairman of the Michigan Hispanic Republican Assembly, got the chance of a lifetime when he was invited to the White House to meet President George Bush and celebrate National Hispanic Month, Oct. 9.
‘The Executive Office of the President invited me on behalf of President Bush to the White House,? said Aliaga. ‘I got the invitation by e-mail and they told me I needed to confirm and secret service will take care of my background.?
Not wanting to go alone, he called the White House and asked if he could bring a friend, and they gave him permission. He invited his friend Tino Delsignora.
This was Aliaga’s second time to Washington DC. His first time was as a tourist, ‘nothing official.?
‘It was very exciting, very neat, but it was a privilege to be in the White House,? he said.
Ambassadors from every Hispanic country, as well as many Hispanic military soldiers, and famous Hispanic Hollywood stars and singers were also invited.
‘I got to meet a lot of very nice people,? said Aliaga. ‘I met Emilio Estefan. His wife Gloria was there, too.?
He said the introduction to the president was just like he had seen on TV.
‘One guy comes on stage and says ‘Ladies and Gentleman the President of the United States? and everyone applauds and the band played ‘Hail to the Chief,?? said Aliaga. ‘It’s like a movie.?
He said Bush made a lot of jokes during his speech.
‘It was a good time, he was making a lot of jokes. He said, ‘my advisors told me when I was writing my speech that my Spanish is better than my English and I think they are right,?? said Aliaga. ‘Everybody laughed.?
National Hispanic Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and was designated to recognize Americans of Hispanic descent who have made outstanding contributions to America.
‘Every year at this time, we recognize the great contributions Hispanic Americans make to our country. And we should,? said Bush in his speech. ‘From coast to coast, people of Hispanic descent enrich our culture and make our nation a better place. They serve in top positions throughout business and government. They bring their strong values of faith and family to our communities.?
Aliaga also received an official letter concerning Hispanic Heritage month, which was signed by President Bush.
‘To me, it was a very exciting experience to see the White House like you see on TV all the time,? Aliaga said. ‘It was like ‘wow? to see the president walking around. There is a lot of history there.?