Speech #880250487

Although there are many thousands of Filipinos and Japanese in California today. most have taken advantage of our educational opportunities and are presently professional or business people. There are comparatively few now employed in agriculture. During 1949 to 1951 agriculturists depending on supplemental workers agreed and worked with the U.S. Immigration Service and the U.S. Department of Labor to eliminate Mexican "wetbacks" from California. Agriculturists supported requests for larger appropriations to the Immigration Service to police the Mexican border and. in return. had the assurance of the Immigration Service. the Department of Labor. and the State Department. that supplemental agricultural workers would be available to agriculture. The highly regulated Mexican national program. Public Law 78. was accepted.