Speech #890119660

Chairman. how can we. as Americans. explain to another American that his mother or father must wait years before coming to the United States. when there are countries with large quotas that go unused? And how explain to this same American that the parents of his nextdoor neighbor can immediately join their son. solely by virtue of their place of birth? The provisions of H.R. 2580 which eliminate the national origins quota system express the true concepts of freedom and equality for which this country stands. This long overdue change recognizes the dignity of the individual and is predicated on the principle that one person Is no less desirable than any other person regardless of his race or place of birth. The arguments in favor of a closeddoor policy have been repeated over and over again since the days of John Adams. in spite of the fact that our periods of greatest expansion have invariably coincided with our periods of greatest immigration. But the record shows the role which immigrants have played in pushing our frontier westward and in building the industrial machine which is the greatest the world has ever seen. We know that immigration is good for the country in terms of national wealth. national culture. national productivity and national defense. Surely one of the greatest sources of the strength of America is to be found in the diversity of the groups making up our Nation. Each group has brought its traditions. its culture. its individual genius. and these in turn have become part of the American heritage.