Speech #890136523

This should continue. along with approximately 15.000 immediate relatives. Thus we will admit an estimated total of 355.000. This is but a 60.000 increase in total immigration over our average total for the last decade. We are talking about 60.000 people. in a population nearing 200 million. that is growing. without immigration. at a rate of 3 million per year. The percentage increase that immigration will represent is infinitesimally small. This legislation opens no "floodgate." Rather it admits about the same number of immigrants that current law would allow. but for the national origins restriction. Another fear is that immigrants from nations other than those in northern Europe will not assimilate into our society. The difficulty with this argument is that it comes 40 years too late. Hundreds of thousands of such immigrants have come here in recent years. and their adjustment has been notable. At my request. many voluntary agencies that assist new immigrants conducted lengthy surveys covering people who have arrived since the late 1940s. The results would be most gratifying to any American. I have only found five case of criminal complaints involving immigrants in our studies of many thousands. Unemployment rates among these people are much lower than the national average. business ownership between 10 percent and 15 percent higher. home ownership as high as 80 percent in one city and averaging about 30 percent elsewhere. Economic selfsufficiency after approximately 4 1/2 months from the date of arrival. By every standard of assimilation these immigrants have adjusted faster than any previous group. In whatever other definition we wish to give to assimilate. we would find our new residents doing well. Family stability is found to be excellent. cases of immigrants on public welfare are difficult to find. 85 to 95 percent of those eligible have become naturalized citizens. and so forth. The fact is. Mr. President. that the people who comprise the new immigrationthe type which this bill would give preference toare relatively well educated and well to do. They are familiar with American ways. They share our ideals.