Speech #910019044

Eamon de Valera. one of the late President John F. Kennedys closest friends. would make his headquarters from 1918 to 1920. in New York City. The close ties between Ireland and America established in these early years led to largescale Irish immigration to the United States in the first part of the 20th century. These Irish immigrants played a significant role In building this country into the strongest and richest country in the history of the world. Immigration policies during the first half of the 20th century were arbitrary and unjust. favoring some nations at the expense of others. Finally. in 1965. the Congress passed an Immigration and Nationality Act which reformed Americas immigration policies by ending the arbitrary and unjust national origins quota system. It substituted a system of preferences giving priority to the reuniting of families and the admission of immigrants with needed skills. One incidental effect of the 1965 law. however. resulted in closing the doors to many sons of Ireland desiring to emigrate to the United States. The law aims at reuniting families that are divided. for example. but the traditional Irish emigrant is not a family man. he crossed the Atlantic alone and found a family here in America. Furthermore. the new job preference categories discriminate against the Irish because Irish immigrants have traditionally been young and without formal training. they came without a particular skill but they came willing to learn and willing to work. Now. under the new law. the jobs which they have traditionally held are no longer available. As a result of the new law. therefore. Irish immigration has been seriously curtailed. In 1964 more than 4.600 Irish immigrants came to the United States. In 1967. after the law was changed. that number had dropped to less than 1.800. Last year only a few hundred Irish were allowed to come to the United States.