Our Civil Rights Are Under Attack
Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, a growing number of state and federal lawmakers are using “national security concerns” as an excuse to discriminate against Chinese immigrants, who in most cases, pose zero threat to our national security.
Perhaps the most common example of this is the anti-Asian land ownership ban: a racist and anti-immigrant piece of legislation that threatens to keep Chinese and other Asian immigrants from buying homes and business properties.
In 2023 alone, more than 80 land ownership bans targeting Chinese immigrants were introduced in 33 states. In two states — Georgia and Florida — this legislation was signed into law, dealing devastating consequences on both Asian immigrants and Americans.
What is it that makes land ownership bans so dangerous?
- Land bans fuel anti-Asian discrimination: Because the burden of proving immigration status often rests on the individual, all Asian home buyers — including U.S. citizens — could face racial profiling and unfair scrutiny from realtors and lenders.
- Land bans are bad for business: In states like Florida, where selling land to Chinese immigrants is considered a crime under the anti-Asian land law, realtors and lenders could be tempted to turn down Asian clients under the threat of heavy fines and jail time.
- Land bans are unconstitutional: The constitution holds that everyone in the United States — from citizens to immigrants — has the right to equal protection under the law. This legislation poses an existential threat to the civil rights and shared values on which this country was founded.
