Russia. 17.190. or 11 per cent. Great Britain and possessions. 16.953. or 11 per cent. Now. let me say this about naturalization: It so happens that for 15 or 20 years when I was on the bench I had a great. deal to do with naturalization in Boston. My experience is that the people who come from an oppressed country. the people who have no particular affection for their fatherland. are the ones who are eager. reasoning from human nature. to become American citizens. The act of naturalization is where one renounces and adjures his allegiance to his own native country. It is the aliens who come from lands of liberty and liberal in�stitutions who are the least eager to give up their fatherland and join an adopted country. But it is a matter of demonstration that a comparison of the census certificates as between the old races here for 30 or 40 years and the new races does not show the average time that an immigrant of any one of those races was here before he applied for his final papers. and that is the only true test. Upon that test. from the papers themselves. it appears that the races from southern and eastern Europe are t little ahead of the races from northern and western Europe in their eagerness to become American citizens. I (lid not anticipate that on the subject of quota we would discuss the question of naturalization. There is another idea that strikes a good many with considerable forceand the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania has an amendment to that effectthat is. to hase the quota upon racial groups. The present quota. it may be said. Is not based upon racial groups. but is based upon the number of nationals residing in the United States at the time the act was passed. This is an immigration question. There Is a time when the descendent of the Immigrant becomes a native and when you can not distinguish to what race he belongs. Let me give Senators the figures. There are 95.000.000 white inhabitants In the United States. according to the census of 1920. There are a little less than 14.000.000 foreign born. Deduct those and we have 81.000.000. Then we come to the third classthe nativeborn children of foreign or mixed foreign parentage.
Identified stereotypes
People from oppressed countries are more eager to become American citizens, while those from lands of liberty are less eager.