Answer: 1. Roosevelts statement on immigrants was considered vastly progressive for the time, as people had been discriminating against people based on birthplace for years. That wasn't the kind of change in people you would expect to see overnight, but he pushed for it anyway.
2. I feel like this statement is very much valid, if not underperforming. It doesn't matter where you come from, or what your country of origin was like, all that matters is you're here not and how you act now. Not hiring somebody because of where they are from will only windup as a huge loss for your business,