Speech #890025451

Mr. President. on behalf of myself and the Senator from Hawaii . I submit. for appropriate reference. an amendment to S. 500. the bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. The amendment I submit today would restore to Bermuda and other adjacent islands nonquota status for purposes of immigration. From 1921 to 1934 adjacent islands were not included among those countries upon which we imposed quota restrictions. These islands were. in fact. treated similarly to the independent countries of the Western Hemisphere. In 1924 these adjacent islands. including Bermuda. the Bahamas. the Netherlands Antilles. Barbados. and Port au Spain were given subquota status under their home governments. Times and political climates have changed since 1924. Cuba enjoys a nonquota status now while these friendly islands must. insofar as immigration to the United States is concerned. continue to work with severe restrictions. Mr. President. I submit that this situation is unfair. serves no purpose of ours and should be remedied. I want to assure the Senate that this amendment will not cause large numbers of people to begin to immigrate into the United States. The total population of -all of the islands which would be included in this amendment barely exceeds 1 million people. This amendment merely seeks to offer to the people of these islands the same privileges enjoyed by the rest of their neighbors.