That certainly sped it along, but I think it was actually LBJ’s Great Society initiative that lit the fuse.
The Great Society helped convert a significant segment of the population into a permanent underclass, but it did not directly affect previous policies of merit-based, sponsored, primarily Euro-centric immigration.
But, you’re right, the Great Society was a disaster—reparations in all but name, and very destructive.
Add in Ted K’s legislation, and the mid-60’s gave us a major double whammy.
I discuss this topic often, and I do not blame LBJ for doing exactly what he did. The real blame for this fiasco needs to be put at the feet of Liberal North Eastern Rockefeller Republicans who pushed the 24th amendment which granted non taxpayers the right to vote.
The Republicans were trying to gain 10 million new voters to keep their party in power, and LBJ outsmarted them.
The primary problem is that a nation would allow non taxpayers to vote in the first place, not that someone would take advantage of the law. Of course someone is going to take advantage of such a law. LBJ just snatched their potential voters away from them using bribery, and there would have been no reason to do it if Republicans hadn't made bribery a viable option by enfranchising non taxpayers.
Taxpayers cannot be so easily bribed because *THEY* have to pay for it.