Speech #900238487

Mr. Speaker. the bill that we have been asked to consider will redefine and stabilize the immigrant patterns of the United States. The Honorable WILLIAM F. RYANS bill. H.. 16593. amends the 1965 Immigration Act so as to allow for a new immigrant pattern to emerge while simultaneously stabilizing the old pattern. The 1965 Immigration Law. Public Law 89236. abolishes the country quota system upon which the previous immigration law was based. All those applying for visas to this country compete on a firstcome. firstserved basis as they qualify for the following seven categoies. The total number of immigrants admitted in 1 year cannot exceed 170.000. The categories are: First 20 percent of the total is reserved for unmarried song and daughters of U.S. citizens. two. 20 percent for spouses and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent resident aliens. three. 10 percent for members of. the professions and arts and sciences. four. 10 percent of the total is reserved for married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. five. 24 percent for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. six. 10 percent for skilled. and unskilled labor when a shortage exists in the United States. ani seven. 6percent for refugees. When a person applies for *a visa under the sixth category. he must himself.prove that he is skilled and that his skills are needed. All of the members of the immediate family of U.S. citizens. in other words. children. spouses. and parents. take precedence over the seven categories. It is clear that the intention of the 1965 Immigration Act was to .refocus qualifications for entrance into the United States from those of country to those of relative or work status. On the surface. the 1965 Immigration Act categories seem to perpetuate the old pattern while introducing new blood in the form of professionals. artists. scientist. and skilled and unskilled laborers. Unfortunately. this is not always the case. The 1965 Immigration Act does not cover those families who are now second. third. and. fourth generation Americans. in other words. the bulk of the former immigrant population now living in this country. It must be remembered that it was the fathers and grandfathers of these men and women who helped turn this Nation from an uncultivated frontier Into a cultured and civilized society. To illustrate my point. let us take the case of Irish Immigration for example. Irish immigration will certainly decline as a resultof the new law and for several reasons. First. the biggest period in Irish immigration came in the latter half of the 19th century and the earlier part of this century. There would be few unmarried sons and daughters of Irish immigrants left in Ireland who would be available to come to this country. The same would be true of other relatives listed in the seven categories. Second. the third category. for members of the professions and the arts and sciences does not affect Irish Immigration at all. During 1year periods under the old quota system. only 1 percent of those from Ireland qualified as members of the professions or arts and sciences. Third. those seeking visas from Ireland would not qualify as refugees and. fourth. the labor for which they would be qualified is not under great demand in the United States. The projected figures of the 10 countries who will have the most immigrants in 1969 as a result of the 1965 act are: Italy ------------------------20. 000 Greece -----------------------20. 000 Portugal ----------------------19. 600 China ------------------------19. 000 Philippines --------------------13. 000 India -------------------------6.000 Poland ------------------------5.000 Yugoslavia ---------------------5.000 Germany ---------------------- 3.000 Korea ------------------------2.900 All the other nations In the world. based upon these State Department figures will be able to send 56.500. These figures clearly demonstrate that a new sociological pattern will prevail in the next decades. and while it is beneficial to have a shift in the immigrant patterns. it is also detrimental to the nowestablished American society to abandon the old patterns altogether. Congressman RYANS bill. H.R. 16593. is a valuable compromise. His bill states that under the new law. no nation may lose more than 75 percent of the number of immigrants that were actually admitted into this country under the country quota system. The number of immigrants actually admitted is determined by the annual average of those who have been admitted over the past decade. And. so as to limit the total number of immigrants. no nation may send more than 10.000. In practice. this provision would affect only those nations which stand to be substantially hurt by the 1965 amendments. It would result at most in the entry of an additional 20.000 to 30.000 immigrants above the present statutory ceiling of 170.000. Yet. this would perpetuate the present sociological makeup of our Nation while allowing for increased Immigration from those nations whose citizens did not have the opportunity to obtain visas to this country under the old country quota system.