Speech #890148527

Speaker. on Sunday. October 3. 1965. I had the privilege. along with other Members of Congress and interested citizens. of standing in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty as President Johnson signed into law the Immigration Act recently passed by Congress. As the only Member of Congress of Greek descent and as the first nativeborn American of Greek origin ever to serve in Congress. I naturally was very proud to be present for this historic occasion. It was just over half a century that my father emigrated from Greece to the United States in order to become an American citizen. In signing the Immigration Act of 1965 into law. President Johnson lifted a veil of hypocrisy from the face of that grand old lady that had rested there for 41 years. In those 4 decades we Americans have said "Give us your tired. your poor. your huddled masses." But what we have really meant was: "Give us your immigrants of Northern European ancestry." This is the year in which that hypocrisy at last was conquered. the year of triumph for the reform of the national origins system on which our immigration laws were based. The new immigration law creates a system of selecting immigrants based not on the accident of where they were bornor even where their ancestors were bornbut on the basis of reuniting relatives with families who live here. or on the basis of the special talents or skills which an immigrant can contribute to meet our special needs. None of these immigrants will be admitted if they threaten the jobs or livelihood of Americans. or if they are prospects for welfare roles. The skills which will qualify them for a preference are those proven to be in short supply. or of unusual benefit. The new law also provides for admitting up to 10.000 refugees a year from Communist or other forms of persecution and from natural disasters. thereby continuing the traditional humane American policy to these unfortunates. Strict safeguards under the new law will exclude criminals. addicts. subversives. and other undesirables. The act does not materially increase the total volume of immigration into this country over and above the volume which has been authorized under the preceding law. However. since the practical operation of the national origins system kept out about 50.000 qualifled immigrants a year within the total that was authorized. abolition of that system may result in an actual increase in immigration of up to 50.000 a year. Even that number is microscopic for a country of our size and wealth. where natural growth accounts for more than 60 times that number. The principal result of the act thus is not to generate increases. but to overcome injusticesand they have been great. For example. an American citizen with a mother in Greece has had to wait for 5 yearssometimes longerto obtain the visa permitting her to join him here. An American citizen who had a brother or a sister or married child in Italy likewise had a wait of many years to get a visa. In contrast to this cruel policy. the same American citizen could bring in a domestic servant from the United Kingdom or Ireland in from 4 to 6 weeks. If he chose one from Sweden.