WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31. 1930

House or REPRESENTATIVES,
ComMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION,
Washington, D. C.
The committee met in the committee room, No. 483, House Office
Building, at 10.30 o’clock a. m.. Hon. Albert Johnson (chairman)
presiding.
The Crairman. The committee will be in order. The clerk will
sake note of the members as they arrive.
The committee will proceed with hearings on the bills under consideration.

Let us first hear Mr. Garza.

STATEMENT OF BEN GARZA, PRESIDENT GENERAL OF THE
LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, CORPUS
CHRISTI. TEX.

Mr. Garza. My name is Ben Garza, from Corpus Christi, Tex.
[ am president general of the League of United Latin American
Citizens, which was organized February 17, 1929. Its constitution,
containing its aims and purposes, has already been placed upon the
record. I merely wish to address the committee with respect to that
testimony placed in the record to the effect that only a small number
 of Mexican citizens residing in the United States take out naturalization
 papers. This is true, but through my experience in connection
 with the league, I have found that a great percentage of the
Mexican citizens, especially those who have resided in this country
for many years, are under the impression that after they reside in
this country for a certain number of vears they automatically become
American citizens. .
The Cuarrman. They are under that impression?
Mr. Garza. Yes, sir.
The Cuamrman. Do they vote?
Mr. Garza. I could not answer that question, Mr. Chairman.
The Cuairman. Do some of them vote?
Mr. Garza. I could not answer that either.
The Caairman. You have not read the hearings of this committee
that show some Mexicans vote without being citizens of the United
States?
Mr. Garza. 1 have not. :
The Crairman. Do you know any who vote where youdive under
the impression that they are citizens when they are not citizens?
Mr. Garza. I do not. I have not been in that particular line of
politics