Speech #890136518

We have been forced to forgo the talents of many professionals whose skills were needed to cure. to teach and to enhance the lives of Americans. The present law has caused thousands of instances of personal hardship. of which every Senator is aware. Several times Congress has tried to correct the twisted results of the national origins system through emergency legislation. Six times between 1948 and 1962 laws were passed for the admission of refugees. Four times between 1957 and 1962 we have made special provisions for relatives of American citizens or orphans. In addition. each year we are called upon to consider thousands of private bills to accommodate persons caught in the backwash of this origins system. These efforts at circumvention are further proof that the national origins system is in disrepute. We cannot continue to respect a law we constantly seek to circumvent. To continue with such a law brings discredit upon ourselves as legislators. The national origins system has even failed in the purpose for which it was intended: to keep the ethnic balance of our country forever as it was in 1920. In 1920. 79 percent of our white population was of northern and western European origin. During the first 30 years of the national origins system. only 39 percent of our total immigration came from such areas. Since 1952. some 3.5 million persons have been admitted to this country as immigrants. Twothirds of them came outside the national origins quota. Since 1952. we have authorized 2.1 million national origins quota numbers. Only onehalf of these numbers were used. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a statistical summary of immigrants admitted from June 30. 1953. through June 30. 1964.