Chairman. for too long our Nations foreign policy has been muddled by those who worry incessantly about what others think of us. Such a course has apparently resulted in more enemies than friends for the United States. Now. the shapers of our foreign policy propose that we liberalize our immigration laws to gain worldwide approval. In January of this year President Johnson said our present procedures "imply that men and women from some countries are. just because of where they come from. more desirable citizens than others. Relationships with a number of countries. and hence the success of our foreign policy. is needlessly impeded by this proposition." So here we go on another tangent to improve international relations to the detriment of our own citizens. Why do I say that a liberalization of immigration policies will be detrimental to our own citizens? I say this because our Nation is now faced with poverty and unemployment. Overpopulation is also a potential problem considering that our current birth rate is more than twice our death rate. You can be sure that a greater Influx of immigrants from underdeveloped countries will not relieve the present situation. If any change in our present immigration policy is needed. it is in the direction of tighter controls. The supporters of this legislation argue that it will admit more immigrants on the basis of skills and talents needed in this country. However. I find it difficult to believe that underdeveloped countries will provide many immigrants with special skills. At the same time. this bill boosts the quotas for such countries in question. You must also consider that this new influx of immigrants from underdeveloped nations will compound our domestic problems. They will compete with the very class of American citizens our Federal Government is seeking to aid through its war on poverty. Unemployment among the Negro population of this country will not be eased regardless of the efforts of the administration to give them preferential treatment. The President either fails or refuses to understand that America is not hurting for population. jobseekers. or illiterates. The supporters of this legislation also refuse to accept the fact that human beings differ in their desire to maintain stable governments. their levels of ambition. and their degree of morality. All other advanced countries in the world recognize their right to regulate immigration to correspond with the desires and welfare of their own citizens. The United States alone seeks world approval. and I might add to no avail. Perhaps it would be more intelligent to follow the wishes of our own citizens as indicated in a Louis Harris survey published last May. The survey indicated that American citizens stand 2 to 1 against our immigration law. If this bill is passed. I think it will be proper to change the inscription on the Statue of Liberty to read as follows: Give me your jobless. your poor. your untrained masses yearning to draw Federal unemployment checks.
Identified stereotypes
Immigrants from underdeveloped countries are portrayed as lacking skills and contributing to poverty and unemployment.