Speech #890294405

Mr. Speaker. today. October 3. is the first anniversary of the historic 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act. Seldom is there an anniversary that could give me more pleasure in noting to my colleagues. and seldom is there a comprehensive piece of legislation that we can look back upon. after only 1 years existence in law. and say. "It is truly working in the way we desired. it is doing the job that we designed it to do." The President and the Congress may. without the slightest false boast. congratulate themselves upon the successful operation of this reform legislation. The jobwelldone accolade takes on even deeper significance when we add up the results in human terms. in what has happened to many previously divided families. to those in some countries who could never before expect to ever receive an immigration visa. and to those whose national origin had formerly precluded them from all hope of building a better life in America. The national origins quota system is being phased out. for through the availability of pool numbers the old ratio between oversubscribed and undersubscribed quota countries has been radically altered. For example. Great Britain enjoyed a quota of 65.361 while Portugal suffered from a quota of 438. Now. in 1966. we see 8.710 Portuguese immigrant Visas issued. Italy offers another striking example of giving hope to those once barred by the quota system. for in 1966 when the quota would allow in only 5.666 in actuality 24.967 were able to come to the United States. Greece and Spain and Poland. among others. attest to the effect the availability of pool numbers has had on the quota system. Mr. Speaker. I think. however. that the greatest impact already made by the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act has been its provisions for the reuniting of separated families. For Italy alone 14.800 more Italian relatives of U.S. citizens were permitted in than the national origins quota would have provided. We are- now finally responding to the basic human need of nurturing and strengthening family life. Mr. Speaker. only a few short days from now we. along with most Polish Americans. will be celebrating the glorious death of Gen. Casimir Pulaski. one of the true heroes of the American Revolution. Since that time. many Americans of Polish descent have added richly to our heritage. and I think it is appropriate to reflect. on this first anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act. that once again a potential Pulaski can find the barriers to opportunity in America. let down and overcome by our determination to maintain a strong. free. and open American society.