Inter-american Congress Rejects Racial Superiority; Defines the Word “race”

The full text of the resolution barring racial discrimination in post-war immigration which was adopted by the Inter-American Demographic Congress here, at which 19 American governments were represented, was made public today. It emphasizes that the American governments “absolutely reject any discriminatory policy or action of a racial character and, therefore, the word ‘race’ would henceforth not be used in any other sense except to indicate common heredity implying physical characteristics, psychological, cultural, religious and linguistic qualities.”

“Any tendency aiming to encourage sentiments of racial superiority will be considered anti-scientific and against the high social principles of justice up-held by all American nations,” the resolution continues. It calls for the suppression in legislation concerning immigration of the word “undesirable” in reference to any nationality, and urges the American governments to facilitate the assimilation of the immigrants by giving native education to the children of the foreign born and by developing educational activities which would eliminate discrimination against races.