Speech #890091818

Of course. the numbers alone cannot fairly indicate the contributions that these persons have made to the Southwest and to the Nation. I am neither a sociologist. an historian. nor an economist. It would take a team of persons in these and other fields to compile the record of the achievements and of the significance of the Mexican immigrant and his offspring to the American experience. But anyone who has traveled or lived in the great Southwest can grasp some idea of the meaning and the importance of the waves of hardy. industrious immigrants who have come across the Mexican border. Undeniably. our culture and our economy would be immeasurably poorer had this immigration not occurred. It is time for this Government to recognize what those of us who live in the Southwest have known: that the Mexican immigrant has enriched our heritage and helped build our country. It would be a fine and worthwhile tribute for the U.S. Government to establish a monument to the Mexican immigrant. And it would be fitting and proper for such a monument to be located in San Antonio. Tex. With unanimous consent. I am Inserting into the RECORD three tables relating to Mexican immigration into the United States. Table 1 shows the Mexican immigration by decades beginning In 1820. and for the years since the last census in 1960. Table 2 shows the populations of persons with Spanish surnames in the five Southwestern States for 1950 and 1960. Table 3 shows the total population for each of the five Southwestern States. The tables follow: Mexican immigration by decades Year: 1820------------------------182130 -183140---------------------184150 ----------------185160 ----------------186170 ---------------------187180---------------------188190 ----------------------18911900-------------------190110---------------------191120 ----------------------192130 ----------------------193140---------------------194150 ----------------195160---------------------1961-------------------------1962 ------------------------1963 ------------------1964------------------------4.817 6.599 3.271 3.078 2. 191 5. 162 1.913 49.642 219.004 459.287 22.319 60. 589 299. 811 41.476 55.805 55.986 34.448 Total for 145 years of immigration. 1820 to 1964-- 1.326. 370 No record of immigration 188693. Spanish surname population in five Southwestern States Arizona ------------- 128. 580 194.356 California ----------- 758. 400 1.426.538 Colorado ------------ 118.715 157.173 New Mexico ---------- 248. 560 269. 122 Texas - 1.027.455 1.417.810 Totals -------- 2. 281.710 3.464.999 1960 Census population of the five Southwestern States Arizona --------------------1.302.161 California --------------------- 15. 717.204 Colorado ---------------------- 1.753.947 New Mexico -------------------- 951. 023 Texas ............ - 9.579.677 Total population --------- 29.304. 012