President. under the upraised arm of the Statue of Liberty. President Johnson on Sunday. October 3. 1965. signed the Immigration Act and thereby reestablished the traditional American concept of justice in addition to serving our selfinterest. For four decades the standards of the national origins quota system have forced mothers to choose between their children and America. kept from this Nation the skills and talents we needed and set up the false criterion that men born in one place were somehow better than men born in another place. Under the new immigration law there has been created a system of selecting immigrants based not on the accident of where they were bornor even where their forebears were bornbut on the basis of reuniting families and on the basis of special talents and skills which the immigrant can contribute to our special needs. The new law does not permit the immigration of those who would threaten the jobs or livelihood of Americans nor of those who would be likely prospects for the relief rolls. And the skills which would give them a preference must be in short supply. or of unusual benefit to this Nation. The new law allows for the admission of up to 10.000 refugees a year from Communist or other forms of persecution and from natural disasters. continuing what has been the traditional humane policy of America to those afflicted. In addition. the new law continues the safeguards we have used for many years to bar criminals. addicts. subversives. and other undesirables. In its practical operation. the national origins quota system kept out of this country about 50.000 qualified immigrants a year who now would be permitted to enter the United States. That is. of course. an insignificant number for a country of our size and wealth. And it is virtually unnoticeable in comparison with our population growth of some 3 million each year.
Identified stereotypes
men born in one place were somehow better than men born in another place