Speech #1020202409

I will not take him any deeper into that pit this evening. but we will discuss that at a future time. indeed. Again. that is something that is not maybe PC. but let me tell you it is very important if you want the systems to work with existing legislation that we have. So with what is coming legally and illegally. because of the lack of proper identifiers and total fraud within the system of what is presented. we will raise the total annual immigration to more than 1 million persons this year. With legal immigration at record rates. we have to pay. I think. clear attention to the integration and assimilation of these now Americans. Those are not nasty words. Assimilation and integration never have been flash words or charge words and. yet. they seem to be somewhat now. That is not my intent. We really do not ask very much of a new immigrant to this country. but one thing we do expect of them is that they accept our system of government and our common language and a common flag. I refer to this as our public culture. What they wish to do in their private culture is nobodys business. It is particularly important that we insist upon this acceptance of our public culture if we expect the majority of American people. the majority of American people. to continue to supportand I do not know that they will much longer supportcontinued largescale immigration to the United States. In my mind. the surest way to encourage xenophobia. fear of foreigners. which is all over the continents of the world nowpeople run in various countries as xenophobes. as foreign baiters. and they win tremendously increasing amounts of the ballot strength in each country. Very disturbing. But in my mind the surest way to encourage xenophobia and ethnic prejudice is to encourage the growth of enclaves in the United States where English is not the common language. which is the language of commerce. the language of Government. and the language of jobs. The language of employment is English. The late Theodore White. the great author and the man I got to know somewhat. wrote to me during the consideration of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. saying that he consideredthis Is Teddy White- he considered bilingualism and biculturalism to be the greatest threats that our country faced. That is Theodore White. "The Making of a President." a chronicler of our times. Similarly. the deeply loved and respected author.