NBC News
By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
October 5, 2015
To
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA) signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the foot of the Statue
of Liberty in 1965, the
White House hosted a special naturalization ceremony Monday to welcome
14 new Americans originally from 14 different countries including
Vietnam, China, Pakistan, Philippines, Venezuela, Chile, Burkina Faso,
and Ethiopia. These individuals' professions include
teacher, cardiologist, broker, hair stylist, taxi driver, printer, and
more.
"The
Republicans and Democrats who came together to pass the INA were driven
by a desire to expand opportunity for all, and to live up to our
heritage as a nation of immigrants,"
President Barack Obama said in a statement over the weekend. "They
understood that immigration contributes to our economic growth by
allowing hard-working, entrepreneurial individuals from around the world
to pursue the American dream."
(On
Monday, October 5, 2015, the White House hosted a special naturalization ceremony that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the
1965 Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA). Barry Bahler / DHS photo office)
The
1965 Immigration and Nationality Act ended a quota system which gave
unfair preference to immigrants from European countries, and replaced it
with a system emphasizing
family reunification and skilled workers. It also prohibited
discrimination based on country of origin.
Since
then, according to Pew Research Center, the nation's foreign-born
population has grown from 9.6 million in 1965 to 45 million this year,
with about half coming from
Latin America and a quarter from Asia.
In
addition to celebrating how generations of immigrants "have shaped this
country and helped make America great," President Obama pledged. "We
recommit ourselves to fighting
for commonsense, comprehensive immigration reform legislation that
meets the needs of the 21st century, grows the economy for everybody,
and lives up to our highest ideals."
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
No comments:
Post a Comment