Speech #960086521

This amendment. presented for Senator HAYAKAWA. Senator LEVIN. and myself. seeks specific authority for $5 million ea:h under the Adult Education Act to assist in the education in connection with the settlement here of Indochinese refugees. of whom we are now proposing to take 14.000 a month. and other adult immigrants of the same kind. and also to deal with the problem of other immigrants. to wit. immigrants from the Soviet Union who are coming to this country and being admitted under our program in that connection. As we are all intensely aware. the matter of the Vietnamese "boat people" has attracted great public and media attention. To attempt to provide a modicum of assistance to these troubled people. who have been rejected by their government and set adrift into a sea of misfortune. we have begun to engage in an international. cooperative effort with our brethren nations. As part of this effort. President Carter has requested an increase. a doubling of the monthly admission of Indochina refugees to the United Statesfrom 7.000 to 14.000 per month. If this suggested rate were to continue over a 6month period. there would be more than 80.000 new Indochina refugees in the United Statesrefugees whose English language skills. employment opportunities and hence. ability to participate fully in the fruits in our democratic system are severely limited. No funds are currently available in H.R. 4389 to provide necessary and fundamental English language and basic skill straining for these new adult Americans. Without such assistance. which studies by Human Resoures Committee staff during the consideration of last years reauthorization of the Adult Education Act indicated cannot be adequately provided by the basic adult education program. these refugees could merely become wards of the State. unable to obtain employment and subject to unproductive and unfulfilling lives in their adopted land. Although we provided assistance in the 1979 supplemental appropriation for processing and facilitating the entrance of these new immigrants. no funds have been made available for aiding these new Americans in the transition to a new life in a new country. Our amendment. by providing specific assistance to Indochinese refugees and to other new immigrants. will begin to enable these people. to whom we have opened our hearts. and our doors. to manage and cope in their new country. They and other new immigrants. those who may be skilled but who require English language training with which to get along in this new land to obtain productive employmentservices not offered by school districts in the regular adult education programneed the specific help which only these particular authorities. section 317 and 318 of the Adult Education Act. can provide. I urge the adoption of the JavitsHayakawaLevin amendment. I might point out.