Speech #880253850

Mr. President. yesterday the Secretary of State the Honorable Dean Rusk. testified before a House subcommittee on the urgent need to reform and modernize the outmoded Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. The Secretarys appearance is an event of importance. It is the first time in several years that a Secretary of State has appeared before Congress to support long needed reform in Americas method of selecting Immigrants. The Secretarys statement is forthright and articulate. a lucid statement on the need for reform It puts on the line. especially. the adverse effect the national origins quota system. basic in our immigration law. has on the operation of our foreign policy. At one point the Secretary reminds us. that "what other peoples think about us plays an important role in the achievement of our foreign policies." He continues: We in the United States have learned to judge our fellow Americans on the basis of their ability. industry. intelligence. integrity. and all the other factors which truly determine a mans value to society. We do not reflect this judgment of our fellow citizens when we hold to immigration laws which classify men according to national and geographical origin. It is not difficult. therefore. to understand the reaction to this policy of a man from a geopraphical area or of a national origin. which is not favored by our present quota laws. Irrespective of whether the man desires to come to the United States or not. he gets the impression that our standards of judgment are not based on the merits of the individualas we proclaimbut rather on an assumption which can be interpreted as bias and prejudice. Inasmuch as our immigration laws are regarded as the basis of how we evaluate others around the world their effect on people abroad and consequently on our influence. can readily be seen. Later the Secretary states: What is needed. basically is to bring our immigration laws into line with the real character and disposition of the American people. who are at heart and in fact hospitable. kindly disposed and interested in all races and cultures. This is so because we know from actual experience that immigrants previously admitted. regardless of race and place of birth. have made their distinctive contribution to what is America today. Mr. President.