Speech #940052795

As I said in Boston on Law Day last week. we in the United States cannot ignore what is happening now. We have evacuated those Vietnamese we could. before the ports and airfields were closed. Now we open a new chapter in our history as a nation of immigrants. and we should welcome those now arriving in our Nation and help them to make new lives. As the violence subsides in Indochina. we must cease doing violence to ourselves. and begin binding up the wounds at home. We can begin by coming to the immediate assistance of our newest immigrants. There were always those who opposed immigrationeven at the beginning of our Republic. Many more later sought to restrict the flow of immigrantshow many and whom we would accept. But for nearly a century following the Declaration of Independence. our national policy was to encourage a free flow of immigrantsand we have in recent years had the courage to resist those who would discriminate against immigrants from particular lands. Each year we open our doors to approximately 400.000 new immigrants. Millions more have entered the United States from the Western Hemisphere. And. as in the past when millions of Russians. Poles. and Jews sought protection and haven from persecution. the American people have remained exceptionally generous when war and oppression forced people to flee their homelandsseeking security. relief. and freedom. Since 1959. nearly 650.000 Cuban refugees have arrived on our shores. Thousands of Hungarians. Czechs. and Germansand othershave not only sought asylum in the United States. but have developed rich and creative lives. providing new meaning to our own lives as Americans. This constant flow of immigrants has come about with little if any hardship to the rest of our people. The Vietnamese who choose to stay can also become productive Americans. In the days ahead. as thousands of new refugees arrive to hastily built reception camps. we will soon understand the scope of their needs. Their requirements must be met with ample resources and a compassionate approach to their needs. Their successful and swift integration in our society will be measured by our dedication.