Speech #940051339

I have only committed this mistake of believing you. Now. in the wake of the Vietnamese tragedy. some Americans are turning their backs upon these unfortunate victims of war. We have seen Senators and Congressmen begging that refugees not be resettled in their districts. The New York Times quoted a woman in Florida as stating that. "As far as Im concerned. they can ship them all back." A radio poll taken in Niceville. Fla.. indicated that 80 percent of the people said that they did not want any refugees in their area. What has happened to our willingness to extend the freedom and opportunity which we showed to the Hungarian refugees who had fled from Communist oppression. or the hundreds of thousands of Cubans who came to our shores in search of freedom? Every American. as Franklin Roosevelt told the DAR in a memorable speech many years ago. is an "immigrant." Ours was the open door. Now. unfortunately. the descendants of the immigrants of other days are less than hospitable in offering to the Vietnamese what others at an earlier time offered to their own ancestors. Discussing the narrow prejudice and unwillingness to live up to our own highest ideals which is now all too evident across the country. the Wall Street Journal declared thatThis disgraceful outburst seems nothing more or less than a revival of the antiOriental hysteria that has disgraced the country (and particularly California) at intervals throughout the last century . . . A country that absorbs 400.000 immigrants a year surely has room for 55.000 more who have a claim on both our sympathy and our reputation. I wish to share with my colleagues the editorial which appeared in the Wall Street Journal of May 1. 1975 and insert it into the RECORD at this time.