Mexican Americans help shape U.S.: Obama

President Barack Obama said the character of the U.S. has been shaped by Mexican Americans who have influenced its culture, politics and business.

He says it's useful to highlight issues both countries are working on at a time of heated U.S. campaign trail rhetoric about Mexicans.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he'll build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration and send Mexico the bill. Trump also has called for deporting millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S.

Obama says such talk ignores the enormous contributions by Mexican Americans to the U.S.

He commented after a one-on-one meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on the margins of a summit of North America's leaders in Canada.

Obama says Peña Nieto accepted his invitation to Washington. No date was given.

After meeting President Obama, President Peña Nieto said that the population benefits from regional integration efforts, because jobs are generated, companies are created, trade grows and development opportunities increase for more people.

"Isolation is not the route, integration is. And I think the world is giving us several lessons about what happens when you opt for isolation," the Mexican President said.

The leaders of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico are also spelling out how their nations will work together to curb global warming.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Obama and Peña Nieto said in a joint statement that they'll strive to use renewable sources of energy to generate 50 percent of North America's electrical power by 2025.

That's a significant leap from last year's 37 percent.

They're pledging to accelerate cross-border transmission projects, strengthen energy efficiency standards, and emphasize more efficient products and cleaner vehicles in government purchases.

They say North America has the "capacity, resources and the moral imperative" to build on that agreement.

The three countries also demanded that all major steel-producing nations make a strong and immediate commitment to address the problem of excess capacity in the industry.

A joint statement called for an end to government subsidies and supports that artificially maintain capacity, but did not name any country. The United States has acted several times to counter what it says is dumping of some Chinese steel products.

(With information from Francisco Reséndiz and Reuters)