Texas state representative Tony Tinderholt introduced a bill that proposes a ban on admitting students who are a citizen of China or North Korea into Texas colleges and universities.
House Bill 4736 notes that admissions are also prohibited for undocumented students and citizens from Iran and Russia.
San Antonio Express News reported that the bill “has little chance of advancing this session.”
The legislation mirrors similar proposals by Texas Republican legislators, such as Senate Bill 147 which previously sought to restrict land ownership by citizens from the same four countries.
SB 147 now allows dual citizens and legal permanent residents to purchase property, but Asian American groups are still concerned that the bill will legalize anti-Asian discrimination.
“I’m Chinese, but I don’t represent the Chinese government,” Houston Democrat Gene Wu said. “This is an open invite to intentional discrimination — if someone comes to an open house that looks Asian, people are just going to say ‘Why risk it? No Asians.’”
Last year, Texas house candidate Shelley Luther echoed similar sentiments in prohibiting Chinese students from enrolling in Texas universities. Luther proposed that “CCP (Chinese Communist Party) members should not have access to our schools.”
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Please take advantage of a $30,000 matching grant challenge. An anonymous donor has offered to match dollar for dollar every tax-deductible donation made to Asian American Media Inc from November 1, 2023 until the end of the year. The money will be used to fund the addition of a new reporter and to produce content for limited English-speaking Asian immigrants. We are supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
International student enrollment in the United States has declined drastically, while Chinese Universities rose. The U.S. needs to stop thinking that it is the “mecca” of Higher Education. This is only going to hurt than help the United States.
Met a reformed white supremacist who said his hate was based on what he learned from other supremacists. He never met a Muslim, Black, Asian, or LGBTQ+ person. When he finally had real conversations with them in college, he realized how wrong he was. Met someone from Turkey who believed she knew all about Americans from watching The Jerry Springer show. But she didn’t have any American friends to show her anything different.
Preventing opportunities to interact and learn the positives about each other only continues prejudices and fuels hate. If a politician can’t see that, then they shouldn’t be in office.