Speech #920115545

I am informed. under its laws authorizes ballots and instructions to be printed in English or Spanish. And. a majority of the States have no literacy requirements at all for voting. Our citizens are deemed to have sufficieht knowledge to intelligently exercise their franchise without any literacy tests. or with a knowledge of Spanish or Hawaiian or as in the case of our Puerto Rican citizens in New York if they show they successfully completed the sixth. or whatever grade is required under State law. in an accredited school in any State or Territory. the District of Columbia. or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which the predominant classroom language was other than English. Surely. we can go one step further. We can and should permit potential citizens who are over the age where language comes easily to themI suggest that it is reasonable to determine that the age of 50 years is such an age in ones lifenot to be required to demonstrate an ability to read. write. and speak English in order to qualify for naturalization as a citizen of these United States. We should permit such a person over the age of 50 years to take the literacy test in his own language. The bill which I introduce would do just that. This bill would enable a person over the age of 50 years. literate in a foreign language. who meets all the other qualifications for naturalization. to take the literacy test in his own language. Further. it would permit such person over the age of 50 years. literate in a foreign language. to demonstrate. in his own language. his understanding of the fundamentals of the history and the principles and form of our Government needed to be a functioning citizen of the United States. Incidentally. the Court in Katzenbach against Morgan. at pages 656658. clearly pointed out that the question of whether or not Congress could have gone further in affording relief under section 4(e) to those educated in nonAmericanflag schools was not being determined in that case. Another new provision of section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act that this bill would introduce is one which would waive the literacy requirement for those persons over the age of 60 years. who have resided in the United States for 20 years. who are illiterate. but otherwise meet the qualifications for naturalization. These persons. over the age of 60 years. who have resided in the United States for 20 years. could also demonstrate their understanding of our form and principles of government in their own language. rather than in English. Under section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. when it became effective in 1952. persons who were then over the age of 50 years and had been living in the United States for 20 years were not required to demonstrate either literacy in English or a knowledge of our principles of government to be eligible for naturalization. Since that time. many good persons. legally admitted for permanent residence. find themselves in the same positionthey neither read nor write any language. It is. I submit. most reasonable to understand and acknowledge the great difficulty a person who has reached the age of 60 without ever having learned to read or write any language will have in trying to learn the intricacies of reading. writing. and speaking the English language with sufficient proficiency to meet a test of literacy in English as is now required by section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Therefore. to afford these worthy legally resident aliens. who would otherwise be eligible to become worthy citizens. an opportunity to become naturalizeddespite their lack of literacythis bill would waive all literacy requirements for such persons and permit them to demonstrate in their own language their understanding of the fundamentals of the history and principles and form of government of these United States. This bill is one of a series I propose to introduce. hopefully with the support and cosponsorship of my colleagues. to make the naturalization provisions of our laws more equitable and humane. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD at this point.