Speech #900023575

Mr. President. on the basis of these total figures. seven countries. which formerly had relatively small quotas. showed significant increases in 1966 admissions--quota and nonquotafrom 1965. as follows: Greece -------------------- 3.303 14.586 Italy -------------------- 12.520 38.427 Portugal ------------------ 2.277 15. 802 China --------------------4. 773 21.285 India ---------------------- 668 3.179 Philippines ----------------3. 208 9.981 When nonquota is added to quota for the AsiaPacific area. the figure is 38.373 for fiscal 1966. These large increases reflect only the very large backlogs which developed for intending immigrants from southern Europe and from Asia and the Pacificparticularly from Asia and the Pacificbecause under the old law. AsiaPacific quotas were infinitesimal compared to those of other areas. It is expected that next year. when these backlogs are cleared up. immigration from southern Europe and the AsiPacific area will level off. The AsiaPacific share of the total worldwide figure of the 129.797 quota immigrants who entered the country vas 19.9 percent. or about onefifth. Under the old law. quota immigration from the AsiaPacific Triangle was limited to 2.390. or about 1.53 percent of the total. I should note. that persons of Asian and Pacific descent make up a mere 62/100 percent of Americas total population. or about 1.100.000. persons. according to the 1960 census. Europe. of course. as in the past. continues to contribute the largest bulk of immigration to this country. The European total of 102.732 is 79 percent. or nearly fourfifths. of all immigration to the United States. Altogether. including nonquota. there were 120.584 immigrants from Europe. Immigration from northern Europeincluding such nations as Britain. Germany. Ireland. and the Scandinavian countriestotaled 45.099 out of 119.467. leaving 74.388 numbers to be allocated to the pool. Thus. northern Europes share of the worldwide total was 34.7 percent. more than a third. Southern European immigration totaled 42.25932.5 percent of the worldwide total. nearly onethird. These immigrants came from countries such as Italy. 20.000 quota. 4.967 nonquota. Greece. 6.583 quota. 2.336 nonquota. Portugal. 7.383 quota. 1.634 nonquota. and Yugoslavia.