Speech #720051697

May I proceed and further call the attention of the House to the fact that under the act of 1917. in the case of a person who seeks to come to this country for the purpose of doing work. some one must. in the first instance. petition the Department of Labor to waive the contractlabor provision of the immigration law? If this bill is enacted. that will be necessary in the case of an alien singer or an alien chorister. But the law of 1917 makes an exception for artists. professional actors. singers. and certain others whereby they do not have to apply to the Department of Labor for the waiving of contract labor. Therefore all they have to do is to say that they are an artist or an actor or a singer and immediately they come in. After they are in hereand they are brought here by these groups of opera companiestheir time is extended for months and years. and. as a result of these extensions to these foreign individuals. there are hundreds of American families who are in serious financial distress because American singers or American choristers are thrown out of work who are able to do even better work than these foreign singers. There was an open gap in the immigration law. where we have separated American families. but we are allowing singers and actors and musicians to come into this country by the hundreds. It is about time that this matter was called to the attention of the House. and I ask that I may have your support in bringing out this bill and thereby giving an opportunity to American families that have in their circle American citizens who are singers or who are choristers--who can compete with any foreigner in the line of singingenabling them to have their jobs back. At present they are starving. because there are 100 or 150 of these alien singers who are taking up their jobs. That is all this bill seeks to do. May I particularly call the attention of the gentleman from New York to the following observation: Section 2 of this bill seeks only to place a reasonable limitation as to which "alien singers" and as to which "alien choristers" may properly claim exemption from the contractlabor provisions of the immigration laws. Only such "alien singers" or " alien choristers" may claim to be "artists" or "singers" or "professional actors" as are able to establish that: First. their professional engagements in the United States are of such a character requiring superior talent. and. second. they are able to meet those requirements for superior talent because they are "singers" or "choristers" of distinguished merit and ability as such. This provision is a distinct benefit to outstanding personalities and will not deprive the United States of real artists or singers having genuine established ability.