Speech #840120201

I never intended that the interim measures of 1953 would still be the interim measures of 1956. When I proposed those measures. I thoroughly expected that by 19563 years laterall the studies would have been made. all the administration spokesmen would have been heard from. and all the unfair provisions of the McCarran Immigration Act would have been rewritten. I never knew that an interim could last quite so long. The Presidents message does not contain a recommendation that would eliminate the national origins quota system. which fixes into our immigration law the discriminatory assumption that the people of some nations are less worthy of coming to our country than are the people of other nations. Instead. the President has taken over the proposal I made back in 1953namely. that unused quotas be pooled. so that they can be used in a succeeding year for the people of countries whose quotas are filled. As an interim measure. this proposal has merit. But it does not eliminate the national origins quota system. In fact. Mr. President. the proposals sent to the Congress by the President would add a new concept to our immigration policies. In utilizing the unused quotas which are pooled. the President proposes that this be done on a regional basis. and that quota numbers be pooled in each of the following areas: Europe. Africa. Asia. and the Pacific Ocean area. This. I suggest. adds to the national origins quota system a regional origins quota system. In making such a proposaleven as a temporary palliativethose in the executive branch who thought of this idea prove themselves to be peculiarly insensitive to what is fundamentally wrong with the national origins quota system. I shall not put it more strongly than that. They would preserve the worst characteristic of the quota system. in fact. they would bring it forth in new form. Mr. President. I do not think it is necessary for me to spell out why the national origins quota system is discriminatory. I have spoken and written on this subject at considerable length in the past. Now we have proposed a regional origins quota system for the utilization of unused quotas. As regards the quota system. I should like to call the attention of the Senate to only one point which is not always sufficiently emphasized. That is its consequences for us. in our relations with the peoples of other nations. If we wonder why many of the people of Asian nations. especially. have become suspicious of us and no longer regard us as their friends. we should not overlook the part our Immigration and Nationality Act has played in promoting this hostility. Canwe expect the people of India or the people of Burma or the people of any other Asian country to have friendly feelings toward us. when we have embodied in our immigration law a quota system under which we seem to consider them inferior in some way to the people of other nations? Nbt only is this inherent in the national origins quota system. but as if to emphasize this attitude. the AsianPacific triangle concept was added to the 1952 act. This makes a determination of an applicants admissibility for immigration to the United States on the basis of whether more. than half of his ancestry is traceable to Asia. This is racist doctrine of the most blatant sort. There is no room for it in the laws of our land. I say we cannot disregard the significance these discriminatory features of our immigration law have for our relations with other peoples. Mr. President. It is most regrettable that the proposals sent to Congress would add a regional origins quota system to what was already bad enough. The national origins quota system could be eliminated through adoption of the unified quota system contained in Senate bill 1206. introduced by the Senator from New York and other Senators. including myself. I am happy to be a cosponsor of this bill. It would truly rewrite the unfair provisions of the McCarran Act and get the bigotry out of it. I deeply regret that after 3 years. the President could not have come up with something better than interim measures. although many of them. as I have said. are excellent recommendations. worthy of our consideration and adoption. But I think that after a 3year wait. we could have rightfully expected from the administration something more than "interim measures." I presume that the interimin this instancelasts only through November. I respectfully suggest to the President that he instruct those in the executive branch responsible for the administration of this lawthe Secretary of State and the Attorney Generalto cooperate with the Congress and to appear. before the Subcommittee on Immigration. Then we can. proceed with the business of passing S. 1206. and so eliminate the national origins quota system which brings such shame upon this Nation throughout the world. Mr. President. I hope the interim immigration proposals I have reconmended will quickly be enacted. I certainly pledge my support to that end. I say most kindly. but with very positive force. that for 3 years. now. we have been waiting for a basic revision of the act. and that 3year period could have been used to good avail.