Speech #890086985

I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York for yielding at this point and rise in support of his amendment. I also wish to commend him for having offered this provision. the passage of which is very important insofar as many citizens of my congressional district in Brooklyn are concerned. In our efforts here this week to be of assistance to our Negro citizens in guaranteeing their right to vote. this House should also take the necessary steps to correct the disenfranchisement of many foreign language speaking citizens now brought about by the English literacy test. such as is required in the State of New York. This test prevents many constituents of the 14th Congressional District of New York. which I have the honor to represent. from voting. not because they are not informed on political issues and candidates. but simply because they were educated in schools and brought up in families where the language taught and spoken was other than English. As the result of this requirement thousands of American citizens of Puerto Rican origin in New York do not presently register to vote.