Speech #830100558

It is lacking in coal. iron. copper. fuel oil. and cotton. all of which are important and necessary in modern living. It is confronted with the problem of overpopulation and unemployment with 45 percent of its working force in agriculture as compared with 15 percent in this country. Under the present law. we permit about 5.600 Italian immigrants a year. of which approximately onehalf only are able to enter due to restrictive clauses in the law. Just as long as Italy carries on her back a burden of her surplus manpower. her economic and military usefulness to herself and to us is seriously impaired. It has been said that the introduction of foreign born into this country would lower our American standard of living. but facts do not support this statement. The State of New York is said to have a foreignborn population of 21.2 percent. which has a per capita income of $863. compared with $315 in Georgia. where the foreign born number is but 4 percent. Massachusetts has a foreignborn population of 19.7 percent and has a per capita income of $766. compared with $201 in Mississippi. where there are but 3 percent immigrants. Rhode Island. with 19.3 percent foreign born. has a per capita income of $715. compared with Tennessee. whose income per person is only $317. with a 4percent foreignborn population. These comparisons do not apply solely to the industrial States of the Northeast but are just as applicable to other States. Michigan. for instance. has a 13percent foreignborn population with a per capita income of $509. These figures. to me. are indicative of the fact that the per capita income of the population of many States in America has increased in proportion to the number of foreign born residing there. Let us look at the contribution of Italian immigrants to our way of life and the creation of our high standard of living. Many men and women born of immigrant parents have certainly achieved a success in life comparable in many cases and surpassing in others to those of native born. The contribution of these people to our war effort and to our services make them stand out as people to be admired and respected rather than to be relegated to the classification of secondclass citizens. We have in the past contributed substantial sums of money to the wellbeing and improvement of many foreign nations and the purpose of this has been to raise the standard of living of those nations and to befriend the people thereof in a constant and vigilant attempt to hold back the threat of communism.