Dozens of people rallied in the rain this weekend to protest Florida’s law that bans Chinese from owning property in the state.
The North American Economic Herald Media Group sent a statement to AsAmNews reporting that elected officials from as far as California and within the state joined dozens of local demonstrators to rally against SB 264.
“The people’s voices have to be heard that they’re upset about it,” said Rep Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (D-CA) to CBS Miami. That’s what we want people to know about all the way from here to the capital of Florida so that Ron DeSantis knows what harm he’s doing to the people.”
The governor of Florida and Republican candidate for President, Desantis, signed the bill into law and has been an outspoken supporter of it. He says the bill is important to the security of the state.
Opponents argue its presumes that any Chinese citizen living in Florida has ties to the Chinese Communists Party and equate it to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act which was overturned 80 years ago this past weekend.
President Joe Biden this weekend released a statement commemorating the end of the racist 1882 law.
The Chinese Exclusion Act “weaponized our immigration system to discriminate against an entire ethnic group and was followed by further discrimination against many in Europe and all of Asia,” Biden said. “We recognize that despite the progress we have made, hate never goes away. It only hides. Today, there are those who still demonize immigrants and fan the flames of intolerance. It’s wrong.”
The Florida law is currently being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union in court.
Several other states have either passed similar laws or are considering it.
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