Speech #890149442

Mr. Speaker. after more than 40 years of discrimination and hardships. there has finally been erased from the statute books of the United States the notoriousand to some people. the infamousnational origins quota system. During all of that time. admissibility to the United States was determined not merely on a basis of personal quality and acceptability of the prospective immigrant. but. more important. upon the basis of the particular country where he was born. Because of the quota system. which made visas available subject to a numerical limitation according to the national origin of our 1920 population. three countries had more than twothirds of the total number of visas. while all the other countries of the world. numbering more than 100. shared the balance. Naturally. this led to hardship for many of our own citizens and resident aliens who were deprived of the privilege of bringing to this country their loved ones. Similarly. prospective employers in this country were deprived of the opportunity of bringing here specially skilled and trained persons whose servIces were urgently needed. but who were unable to obtain an immigrant visa because the quota of their native country was oversubscribed. The national origins system produced ridiculous situations. For example. a person in the United States was able to bring to this country a domestic servant from Great Britain. but was unable to obtain the entry of his aged mother from Greece. because the Greek quota was oversubscribed while the British quota had ample visas available to all who sought them. Under the new law which was enacted October 3. the present quota system will be totally abolished effective July 1. 1968. Until that time. and thereafter. there will be a worldwide limitation of 170.000 upon immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere. Until then. countries will continue to be entitled to the number oi visas authorized under the existing quota system. But leftover visas. remaining unused because there is no demand in certain countries. are to be assigned to a pool to be distributed to immigrants from those countries whose quotas are oversubscribed. On July 1. 1968. the new system of distribution of immigrant visas to persons from Eastern Hemisphere countries will be completely effective. Immigrant visas will be assigned strictly on a system of preferences based upon relationship to U.S. citizens and lawfully resident aliens. and upon the particular skills and abilities of prospective immigrant to perform needed services and labor in the United States. Within each preference category. the rule will be firstcome. firstserved. No country may be assigned more than 20.000 visas in any single year. All references to race or national origin are removed from the law. With the effective date of this law. the United States again demonstrates to the world its firm conviction that there shall be no discrimination or prejudice in this country. that persons shall be judged upon the basis of their individual merit. and that liberty. equality. and freedom can be enduring realities in this country. For the first time in the history of the United States. there has been incorporated in the permanent immigration law a specific provision for assignment of a number of visas to refugees. on a preference basis. This again establishes our historic policy of granting refuge to those who have been forced to flee from their homelands because of persecution or natural calamity. The new Immigration law provides that commencing July 1. 1968. there shall be a ceiling of 120.000 annually on Western Hemisphere immigration. Of course. that number is exclusive of the immediate family members of U.S. citizensmeaning their spouses. parents. and children. who are not subject to the numerical limitation. As a precautionary measure. the law provides for a Commission to study the entire matter of immigration from the Western Hemisphere and to submit a report prior to the effective date of the ceiling so that Congress can take appropriate steps. if necessary. to revise the new system. It should be borne in mind that even with this new numerical limitation. the United States is giving more favorable treatment to its traditional friends in the Western Hemisphere than immigrants coming from elsewhere in the world. The Western Hemisphere is receiving a total of 120.000 numbers as compared with 170.000 to the rest of the world. The numerical limitation of 20.000 per country does not apply to countries of the Western Hemisphere. The new system of assignment of immigration visas to the Western Hemisphere nations is basically consistent with U.S. immigration policy in relation 1 to other foreign countries. and is designed to meet the needs and interests of the United States. Thus. the new immigration. law. by abolishing discrimination. preserving oui traditional friendship for the Westerr Hemisphere and our policy toward refugees. and continuing the many safeguards of present law against undesirable or excessive immigration. will strengthen our Nation. Mr. Speaker. I include President Johnsons remarks when he signed the immigration bill at this point: