Speech #890136568

Mr. President. much has been said and written in connection with proposed changes in the Immigration and Nationality Act to the effect that there is something intrinsically evil about the national origins quota system on which the McCarranWalter Immigration Act is based. Indeed. many have sought to picture the national origins quota system as a product of prejudice. bias. and racism. and. as such. an affront to many nations of the world constituting a detriment to the conduct of our foreign relations. Such allegations indicate a lack of understanding. to put It charitably. There is nothing in the national origins quota system which has any connotation of the idea of racial superiority or racial inferiority. This system is. indeed. inconsistent with any such concept. The national origins quotas are based on the ethnic proportions of the American population in 1920. and are so constituted with the express and acknowledged purpose of preventing Immigration from changing the national or ethnic composition of the American population. The wish to preserve ones identity and the identity of ones nation requires no justificationand no belief in racial or national superiorityany more than the wish to have ones own children. and to continue ones family through them. need be justified or rationalized by a belief that they are superior to the children of others. One identifies with ones family. because it is ones family. and not because they are better than other people. For no other reason. one identifies with ones national group more than with others. This is the sole basis of the preference which is inherent in the national quota system. There is no merit in the contention that the quota system is racist or morally wrong. Individuals. and groups. including nations. have an absolute and unchallenged right to have preferences for other Individuals or groups. and nothing could be more natural than a preference based on a sense of identity. No apology is necessary for an immigration law based on the national origins quota system. and I make none. Having so stated. I would add that I do not consider the existing law without defect. nor do I believe that the immigration formula in the proposal now before the Senate. if properly administered. will result in drastic or undesirable changes in the patterns of immigration into the United States. The preferences which would be established by this proposal are based. I believe. on sound reasoning and meritorious considerations. not entirely dissimilar in effect from those which underlie the national origins quotas of existing law. Blood relationships and family ties stem from the same sense of identity and preference. and it is most desirable that unification of families be a major consideration in our immigration formula. The bill before the Senate also wisely provides protection for American workers against job displacement by immigrants. I think the bill has been improved by the amendment added by the Senate Judiciary Committee which provides for a maximum limit on Western Hemisphere immigration. If passed. it would constitute a badly needed improvement in the existing law which has no numerical limitation on Western Hemisphere immigration. It is inescapable. however. Mr. President. that the major changes proposed are in the formula for immigration and mechanics of selection. There is a larger. and I believe. a far more significant consideration. which has been Ignored in considering what changes are needed in the Immigration and Nationality Act. Both the present law. based on a national origins quota system. and the proposed changes now before the Senate. are based on the assumption that the country Is underpopulated and could use substantial quantities of immigration to advantage. This assumption. formerly well founded. is no longer true or soundly based. From a superficial view. it would appear that the comparative population density of the United States might justify a continuation. although hardly an increase. such as is likely under the proposed bill. of the very substantial flow of immigration into the United States. A comparative approach based on overall population density is completely misleading. however. U.S. population distribution is unique. and destined to become more so.