Speech #880071752

Mr. Speaker. the President of the United States has urgently called upon the Congress to implement long overdue and sorely needed changes in our immigration laws. Five years ago the then Senator Kennedy wrote a pamphlet entitled "A Nation of Immigrants." pointing out at that time that the postWorld War I immigration law was discriminatory because of its national origins quota system. whose only test was whether or not an immigrant was born in the right place. Now as President he has offered legislation. whose most important proposal is the gradual elimination of the "national origins" system for selecting immigrants. It seems almost inconceivable to me that our present annual quotas are based not upon the national origins of our population of 1950 or even 1960. which I might add. is an odious concept at any time for determining who should come to the United States. but upon the national origins of our population in 1920. Because of the composition of the population at that time. favor was given to immigrants from northern Europe while limiting immigration from southern and eastern Europe and from other parts of the world. Fortythree years later we are still following a system of immigration based on a 1920 census. Why this should be at a time in world history when it is so incumbent upon us to be an example to the world of a nation which is doing Its best to be fair. equitable. and nondiscriminatory. continues to elude me. And as far as I can see. it eludes many many thousands of other Americans too. not least among them our own esteemed President. who has clearly stated in his message to Congress: The use of a national origins system is without basis in either logic or reason. It neither satisfies a national need nor accomplishes an international purpose. In an age of interdependence among nations such a system is an anachronism. for it discriminates among applicants for admission in the United States on the basis of accident of birth.