Reaction from Asian immigrants to the Senate’s passage of immigration reform is surprisingly mixed, reports the Mercury News.
More than 100 people were on hand at the Asian Cultural Center in Oakland to hear about what’s next and to express their own feelings about the bill.
“I’m looking forward to the day when everyone can come out of the shadows,” said Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan at the trilingual event that was translated into Mandarin and Cantonese.
About 20 percent of the estimated half million undocumented immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area are Asian.
“I feel really conflicted,” said Emmanuel Valenciano, 24, of Daly City. “It shows us a pathway to citizenship, but it’s filled with border enforcement that really militarizes the border.”
Supporters of the bill predict it will clear the backlog of people trying to get green cards.
Others expressed concerns about the restrictions on adult married children and siblings.
