Speech #800151332

Mr. Speaker. the House. in passing H. R. 5310 today. removed a serious discrimination affecting the immigration and naturalization of the people of Siam into the United States. This bill will authorize the admission into the United States of persons of races indigenous to Siam and will make them racially eligible for naturalization. It further provides for an annual quota of 100 persons. As pointed out in the report on this bill. prior to December 17. 1943. only persons of white or African black races. or persons racially Indigenous to the Western Hemisphere were racially eligible to naturalization. By act of Congress. effective December 17. 1943. persons of the Chinese race were made racially eligible for naturalization and. in addition. were permitted to enter the United States as immigrants under a quota of 105 per annum. Subsequently. by act of the Congress of July 2. 1946. persons of the East Indian and Filipino races were made racially eligible for naturalization and were given authority to enter the United States on an annual quota basis of 100 for their respective countries. The action of the House today merely extends to Siam the same immigration and naturalization rights heretofore accorded to the countries previously mentioned. In fact. Siam Is the only remaining sovereign state in the Far East whose people have not been accorded the right to immigrate to the United States and to be eligible for subsequent naturalization. Our Government has received a great deal of unfavorable publicity as a result of the continuance of these discriminations. A considerable amount of propaganda along these lines has been disseminated throughout the Orient. I am sure that the removal of this discriminatory feature of our immigration and naturalization law by the House of Representatives will go a long way toward improving our relations with the people of the Far East. It augurs well for continued friendship between Siam and the United States. I trust that the Senate will take prompt action so that this legislation can be enacted into law without delay.