19 May 2010

An Official Welcome

By Janice L. Jacobs

More important than the money generated by foreign visitors is the understanding fostered among people of different countries. Janice L. Jacobs is U.S. assistant secretary of state for consular affairs. This article appears in the May 2010 issue of eJournal USA, See You in the USA.

The renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow once said, “The really crucial link in the international communication chain is the last three feet, which is bridged by personal contact — one person talking to another.”

These last three feet — or about one meter — can be the distance between two business leaders talking about clients at an international conference, or the distance between two world leaders at the UN, or, quite often, the distance between students in a classroom.

We gain invaluable knowledge about each other when we sit side by side: an understanding of our languages, our culture, our food, and our ideas and perceptions of one another’s countries.

America is a nation of immigrants, and we have always welcomed visitors from all over the globe. We must dedicate ourselves to protecting what we have always known: that we are stronger as a nation when we draw strength from the very best who come to our shores.

Our universities enjoy pre-eminence among destination countries for international students and our scientific institutions and commercial enterprises flourish in a climate of open exchange across borders — we are determined to preserve these crucial benefits to the United States even as we work to strengthen security.

We are aware of the economic benefits to the United States generated by international visitors. In 2009, 54.9 million international visitors traveled to the United States where they spent $121.1 billion. But we also understand that more important than the money is the understanding fostered by visits. We know that the best advertisement for America is America. Welcome to our shores!

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)