Moynihan Calls Ethnic Groups Continuing Element in Politics

Daniel P. Moynihan, professor of Education, last night told an audience at Temple Mishkan Tefila in Newton that ethnicity continues to be a factor in presidential campaigns.

The speech was the opening event in a "Festival on the American Presidency" which is a joint effort of the Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson libraries.

Despite liberal expectations that diverse ethnic groups would eventually become homogeneous, the U.S. government now requires institutions to report "how many Aleuts and Malays they have on their staff," Moynihan said.

Moynihan said that ethnicity is still a tradition in the United States, adding that it is "the dirty little secret of democratic politicians just as sex was the dirty little secret of the Victorians."

Moynihan discussed the evolution of the Democratic party, saying that although it started as a party which represented ethnic homogeneity, by the 1960's it was clear that it no longer represented diverse groups.

Greatest Success

He said the party's greatest success came during Roosevelt's administration, when it formed a coalition between ethnic groups based primarily on similar social class. However, antagonisms began to develop within the party as class and ethnic group interests began to diverge, Moynihan said.

Moynihan said that Kennedy's election in 1960 was the result of "an over wheiming feeling among Catholics, particularly Irish Catholics, that it was their last chance to get a Catholic president elected."

The 1960 election was the last time that that particular ethnic group could gather to much power, he said, adding once Kennedy was elected it was important that he not appear to be based toward Catholics.

Israel J. kazis, the temple's rabbi, told the audience that the festival was "designed to present a sorely-needed balance to the current view of the presidency."

The exhibit includes photographs, films and documents relating to the various presidents, and will be open until Thursday.