Speech #890010646

Mr. Speaker. today I have introduced a bill to revise the Nations immigration statutes. It is a measure which I hope finds speedy enactment because in my judgment it will go a long way toward restoring our traditional attitude on a fundamental issue. an attitude which prevailed among countless generations of Americans who labored long and hard to make this country great. That attitude didnt ask an immigrant from where he came or how he spelled his name. It was an attitudea way of lifeperhaps best summed up in these words with which we are all very familiar: "Ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country." And if it was found that an immigrant didand couldindeed want to do something for his adopted country. he and his family were given an opportunity to carve for themselves a safe and secure place in the American community. However. Mr. Speaker. 40 years ago this traditional American attitude was amended when discrimination was written into law. It became official policy to welcome immigrants who would help build the Nationbut only if they came from the "right" country or were of the "right" race or nationality. Amended. too. was the traditional American attitude that an immigrant should be allowed to bring his family with him. Written into law were provisions which would make it extremely difficult for families to remain together and contribute as a unit to the national welfare. The measure which I have Introduced would erase discrimination from our immigration law and write Into it a policy compatible with our historic traditions. First. the bill would eliminate the present national origin quota system. Under this blatantly discriminatory procedure the number of immigrants permitted to enter the United States each year from a given country is directly proportional to the number of people of similar national background who were living in the United States in 1920. This provision is not only arbitrary and discriminatory. It is also at odds with the overall intent of the WalterMcCarren Immigration Actto permit a specified number of immigrants to enter this country each year. Under existing conditions the maximum number allowed to enter do not. They do not simply because many nations of northern Europe receive greater quota allowances than they desire to use. The act makes no provision for alloting heavy quota surpluses to those "nonNordic" nations which have a much larger number of potential immigrants and a much smaller quota allowance. And because unused quota spaces cannot be reassigned a nation like Great Britain. with a quota of 65.000 persons annually. uses only about half its allowance. On the other hand. a country like Greece. with only 308 spaces a year. must go wanting.