The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1949-07-23
AReport from Wano COMPLETE HEARINGS ON NDDS EN LEGISLATION

said. They are appealing to yor
sense of justice, to that great tradi-
ton of fairness which has charac-
terized the growth of this country.
to correct an injustice in our immi-
grafton and naturalization laws
IT can think of no more signifi-
cant move than the passage of this
bill to prove to the people of Japan
and the Far East that the democracy
we have been teaching them applies
10 all peoples of the world, and par
ticularly to those already within our
borders, regardless of race, color or
national origin he added.
Two Chinese Americans, in an
unusual display Of solidarity of
feeling among those Of Oriental
ancestry in this nation, also spoke
in behalf of the Judd bill.
The two were Y G. Hong, small.
articulate lawyer from San Francis
co, representing the six Compan-
les, and Edward Hong, New York
City.
1.-The Japanese justly deserve the
privilege of citizenship Hong told
the Subcommittee.
He spoke in support Of the broad
aspects of the bill, but critically OF
the controversial Section 8" which
would deny Chinese their present
status of bringing in wives to this
country quota-free.
This he termed undesirable and
unreasonable = discriminatory ag-
ainst women and children.
Any additional burden on the
small Chinese quota Is inconsistent
with the equal rights and privileges
this bill seeks to give all Asiatics,"
said Edward Hong, major in the
Signal Corps during the last war.
Edward Hong raised the unique
point that as long as one group
of Asiatics is denied the right of
immigration or naturalization, at
reflects against and, in effect, null
lilies the privileges granted the
Chinese" because the public Is
little aware of the involved COM
plexities of immigration and nat
uralization,
Both of the Hongs appealed to
the subcommittee to take in1mes
! date action on the Judd bill, but
with an amendment to, or elimina=
ton of, section g..
Another objection to Section 8"
was raised, when the afternoons
session Of the subcommittee began
by Candida r. Palting Filipino
attorney.
From that point of the testimony
on. a group of witnesses presenting
the Caribbean areas point of view
on the Judd bill, came before the
subcoL mittee.
Without exception, these witnesses
lauded the principle aims" of the
bill urged prompt and immediate
action to liberalize immigration and
naturalization for all Asiatics, but
charged repeatedly that another
controversial section of the measure
was discriminatory against European
colonies in the West Indies.
They referred to the so-called
Colonial provision. At present,
colonies of European powers may
send immigrants to the United
States as part of their mother
country's quota. The questioned
section of the bill would restrict
colonies to maximum of 100 each,
though this quota would be part
of the mother country quota.
Augustine A. Austin. of the United
Caribbean American Council. as
serted the provision "injects an
undemocratic element in an other
wise laudable piece of legislation"
He said that such provision in
effect gives the sanction of the AM
erican government to colonial sub
jugation of people by European
powers, and added that one of
the few avenues of escape from the
poverty of these colonies was by
immigration into the United States.
He estimated the colonial provi-
sion would reduce by so percent or
more the annual immigration from
the West Indies 10 the United States.
roughly 1000 quota immigrants a
year in 1947 and 1913
Rep. Adam c.. Powell, 3D., N. V,
told the subcommittee he was whole
heartedly in back of the Judd bill.
1t is a long delayed gift to our
friends of the Far East.
But, as with other West Indian
witnesses, he asserted it was rank
discrimination to insert the colonial
clause to limit immigration of a
people who have proved them
selves exceptional citizens in this
country
what have these people done