Speech #880072473

Mr. Speaker. for many Roosevelt greeted a convention of the Daughyears. I have advocated a change In our ters of the American Revolution with the present. antiquated formula for immi- words. "Fellow immigrants." gration. based as it Is on inflexible "na- Any great social movement must leave its tional origin" quotas. mark. The great migration of peoples to the New World did just that. It made Among those who shared my belief America a nation different from all others. was a former colleague who left our The effects of immigrationto put it another midst to continue his distinguished waythe contributions of immigrantscan career In the other body. then to become be seen in every aspect of our national life. our beloved President. I am sure that We see it in religion. in politics. in busiwe all remember the brilliant treatise he ness. in the arts. In education. in athletics wrote on the subject of Immigration. and in entertainment. There is no part of America that has not been touched by our which was published as a pamphlet by immigrant background. the AntiDefamation League of Bnai Immigration to America can be pictured as Brith. and reprinted. in condensed form. ocean waves breaking on the shoreline. We in yesterdays New York Times magazine. can clearly see the crest of each successive I believe that we should all reread his wave. but if we look closer we can see that words at this particular time. when the the waves are not really separate but conlegislation that he. as our President. has tinuous. Even at the moment that one wave is reaching its crest. the next is gathering proposed and I. among others. have been force and building momentum. privileged to introduce. is now before The first wave began with the Virginia committee. settlers in 1607 and the Puritans and PilWe must never lose sight of the fact. grims in 1620. The first wave was predomas the President says: Inantly. but not solely. English in origin. That every American who ever lived. with The urge for greater economic opportunity the exception of one group (the Indians). mixed with the desire for religious freedom was either an immigrant himself. or a de- impelled these people to leave their homes. scendant of Immigrants. Of all the groups that have come to America. these English settlers had perhaps the most As the President put it in his recent difficult physical environment to master. but message. our investment in new citizens the easiest social adjustment to make. They has always been a valuable source of our mastered a rugged land and that was hard. strength.