Speech #880009383

To be sure. these are walls of prejudice and legislated bigotry. but they are. nonetheless. hurdles to the free movement of peoples. The bill which I am introducing today is designed to lower one of those hurdles. It is a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide not only liberalized quotas but to allow for better use of the quota system itself. I take special pride in introducing this measure because immigration matters have long been of close concern to me. as a Foreign Service officer. and as a director and officer of the American Immigration and Citizenship Council and of the International Rescue Committee. The present laws regulating immigration Into the United States are viewed by the world as noxious barriers to free movement not so much because they impose numerical limitations but because the limitations imposed are based on unrealistic and unjust assumptions. The present formulas for distributing the national quotas are based all too clearly on the concept that northern and western Europeans make better Americans than do southern and eastern Europeans. This national origins quota system stands as a mockery of American Ideals and of the worlds onetime view of America as a haven for the oppressed and the weary of all lands. Experience has shown that the national origins system also Is unrealistic in operation. Since the enactment of the McCarranWalter Act of 1952. an average of 250.000 immigrants have entered this country annually. But the complete unworkability of the quotas established by the act is indicated by the fact that only twofifths of the total entered under quotas. Well over onehalf had to be admitted under exceptions to the quota or as nonquota immigrants. Mr. President. the bill I offer today would not lead to a radical liberalization of the system. But it would at least attempt to bring some honest balance into the distribution of quotas and this. I submit. will go far toward correcting the worlds adverse view of American immigration policy. My bill would permit the admission of 250.000 immigrants annually. The visas issued under the proposed bill would be broken down into four major categories: First. 120.000 to be allocated among the nations of the world according to the proportion which each countrys immigration holds to total immigration to the United States over the previous 15 years. second. 80.000 to be allocated among the nations on the basis of the proportion which each nations population holds to the world population. with no one country to receive more than 1.500 visas under this provision. third. 40.000 visas reserved for refugees from tyranny without reference to national origin. and fourth. 10.000 visas reserved for persons of skills critically needed by the United States. also without reference to national origins. Clearly this formula would introduce some new balance into a system which heretofore has relied on prejudice rather than arithmetic in apportioning the privilege of a U.S. visa. My bill would admittedly place particular emphasis on the value of uniting persons who already have immigrated to these shores with loved ones who may wish to join them here. Up to 100 percent of each countrys quota could be allocated for reuniting families. Moreover. husbands. wives. parents. brothers. and sisters of American citizens would be admitted without regard to quota. The justice and humanity of such provisions can hardly be contested. Because of this emphasis on following the natural trends of prior immigration and because of the new provision for visa issuance in proportion to population. my bill would result in some striking changes in present quota allotments. Italy. for example. with a population of over 49 million and a present quota of only 5.666. would be assigned a new quota of 15.648. Portugals quota would increase from 438 to 1.892. and Greeces quota would increase from 308 to 3.458. Portions of the national quotas which are not needed for reuniting families would be allocated to "pioneer" immigrants. who. without family ties or prior associations. would bring new blood and new vitality to our shores. The bill provides that such pioneer immigrants must be in excellent health and that they spend their first 2 years in areas where they are likely to have the greatest economic opportunity. Mr. President. it is my feeling that legislation such as this can help this country to take new initiatives in the cold war. Not only would it remove the regrettable blemish of the present quota system from our record. but it would enable us to take positive steps as well. The provision to admit 40.000 refugees. for example. would enable this country to fulfill its great obligation to the fugitives from communism who are risking their lives to live in the free world. I urge that Congress give its fullest consideration to the need for this legislation.