Speech #810012953

In addition. the committee strongly feels that those who are permanent residents of the United States should be placed in a position to assume the responsibilities of citizenship while permitted to enjoy the opportunities andprivileges which living here bestow. Ample evidence has been presented that those persons resident in the United States covered by. this bill are most anxious -to assume the responsibilities of citizenship -while permitted to enjoy the opportunities of citizenship. and that only the provisions of our present nationality law prevent them from doing so. The committee is of the opinion that it is sound public policy that all aliens permanently resident in the United States should be urged to become naturalized citizens if able to meet the individual tests of citizenship. and that all barriers to naturalization. based on race. should be removed. Effect on immigration law The second part of this bill deals with Immigration. The committee is impressed with the careful manner with which this matter has been worked out. The maximum number of possible immigrants from the Far East who might enter the United States under this bill would be entirely in keeping with the principle embodied in the national origins provisions of the Immigration Act of 1924. which seeks to preserve the ethnic and racial composition of the United States. The committee believes that enactment of this bill will strongly benefit the foreign relations of the United States. Direct testimony of the Department of State in the 1948 hearings included the following statement: "For many years the maintenance of normal friendly relations between the United States and oriental countries has been impeded by racial discrimination present in our immigration and naturalization laws. * * *