Speech #890120754

Mr. Chairman. I must confess that I have had grave reservations toward any change in the immigration laws of this country. Chief among my reasons has been the fear that any change In the laws might add to the unemployment problem as well as the fact that our own growth in population has placed increasing demands upon education. housing. health facilities. and transportation. As this bill was initially introduced. I could not support it. but H.R. 2580 has been completely rewritten by the Subcommittee on Immigration. In its present form I think it is a good bill. I am hopeful that the amendment that will be presented by the gentleman from Minnesota to limit immigration from countries in the Western Hemisphere will be accepted by this body. Mr. Chairman. the major objective of this bill is to eliminate place of birth as a basis of the selection of immigrants into the United States and establishes in its place a preference based on close family relationship to citizens of the United States. H.R. 2580 nullified the socalled "national origins theory" which in fact has. not been in existence since 1952. Let me illustrate what I mean. Since 1952. 3 million aliens have legally entered this country. Sixty percent of them have been admitted outside the national origins quota system. During the 10year period. 195263. 119.000 immigrants have come to our shores from China. Japan. and the Philippines. yet the annual quota for Japan is 185. for China is 205 and for the Philippines is 205. The annual quota for Italy under existing law is 5.666 but during 195362. 213.434 Italians immigrated to the United States. Yugoslavia has a quota of 942. yet 37.000 came to our shores from that country during the same 10year period. Mr.