Some 300 mostly Chinese Americans marched in Houston this weekend against a bill that would prohibit the purchase of land in Texas by Chinese, Russian, North Korean and Iranian citizens or businesses.
The Strait Times reports the marchers chanted “stop Chinese hate” and “Texas is our home” as they made their way through Houston’s Chinatown.
Some protestors wore Chinese dragon costumes while others banged drums. Professor Steven Pei, co-organizer of APA Justice, distributed 1000 whistles with the words “We belong.”
“This type of legislation-this growing anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment-is a direct attack on our community and on our city, quite frankly,” Representative Gene Wu said to KPRC.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Houston marched with Wu and described the legislation as troublesome.
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“And then how do you enforce it? Do you assume? Or put the burden on every Asian American to demonstrate that they do not have any affiliation with one of those countries,” he said.
Nikki Hafizi, a member of the US-Iranian community in Houston, also joined the protest.
“They do this to remind us that we shouldn’t have the same rights everyone else does,” Ms Hafizi said.
“I’m a dual citizen so if I can ever afford a home I guess this would apply to me,” she said, noting that she remains an Iranian citizen even after obtaining a US passport and citizenship.
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How does someone prove a negative like not having an association to another country? And even if you could, how does having any association prove that you are a risk to the USA through owning property? Wasn’t that the rationale to justify forcing Japanese into internment camps and denying Chinese and Asian immigration? For the longest time, Asians were only allowed to live in Chinatowns, Koreatowns, Japantowns, etc. How long did it take for the USA to finally repeal the Alien Land laws that prevented Asians from owning property?
Even now in 2023, people are still trying to pass overarching laws that negatively impact and restrict groups of mainly Asians in where to live or own property. Are there any laws that prevent suspected terrorists, convicted murderers, or known drug dealers from owning that property?