Immigration from non-European countries increased dramatically. The act removed de facto discrimination against Southern and Eastern Europeans, Asians, and other non-Northwestern European ethnic groups from American immigration policy. The highest number of immigrants (4.3 million) to the U.S. came from Mexico, in addition to some 1.4 million from the Philippines. Korea, the Dominican Republic, India, Cuba and Vietnam were also leading sources of immigrants, each sending between 700,000 and 800,000 over this period.
Maybe the old man is talking about reincarnation and when he returns it’ll be a different time therefore requiring change. Change in science, writing, and overall human advancement.