Speech #690176137

Mr. -Presldent. I congratulate my col- of the immigrant steel employees. ."Why have you not become league on his strong presentation of the Wadsworth amend- an American citizen? Why havwyou not learned the English meat. I assume that with most Senators this is purely an language?" The answer was. "What time or Incentive would academic question. I assure them in New York it is a very you have to learn the English language and become an Ameripressing and daily problem. There is hardly a day in my can citizen if you toiled for 12 hours a day. 7 days a week. office in the city that I am not approached by some father who in an atmosphere where the temperature was 1250. Make has a wife and children in Europe and is anxious to bring laws that will indicate that America considers the immigrant those fireside relatives to the United States. from some other angle than profit making and gives us time I want to bring out this further point: When this law went and opportunity to learn the English language and we wilt into effect there were in the ports of Europe thousands of soon learn it and become naturalized." immigrants of this type who had paid their visa fees and who Frankly. have we not. unconsciously perhaps. made them the were on their way to the United States. In good faith they had slaves of our great industrial system? But even as unskilled left their homes there to join the husband and father here. inborers do they not acquire by their indomitable toil a basic I think every Senator must appreciate the efforts we are mark of good citizenship? We have much for which to blame making in the great centers of population to Americanize ourselves in our failure to solve the emigrant problem. We. those persons who have chosen to come to the United States not they. have often been the means of their substituting the to live. The amendment offered by my colleague is decidedly in material for the spiritual. The foreigner is not now so much the interests of America. because if those children are brought to blame for failure to become Americanized as are we in here when they are young and given the educational privileges America. because of the barriers we have erected and the of the United States. are taught our language and familiarity handicaps we have placed in the way of his opportunities to with and love of our institutions. we are going to have better learn the English language and to become a fullfledged AmeriAmericans than they would otherwise become. can citizen. Our attitude has been one of commercializing They are on the way to our shores. They will come here the immigrant rather than encouraging him and giving him ultimately. It is much better to bring them here in their youth opportunity to learn our language and customs. than to wait until they have grown up and then have to teach Mr. President. no further discussion is necessary.