Asian Americans Join Thousands to Rally for Immigration Reform

By Jennie L. Ilustre

Photos by Jennie L. Ilustre, unless otherwise indicated.

Reform Bill Filed in the US Congress

Washington, D.C.–A coalition of Asian Americans across the country–community, labor, immigrant rights and faith-based supporters–joined thousands of Hispanic American advocacy leaders and families in a rally on April 10, urging the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

They stressed that some 11 million undocumented–those who entered the country illegally, or have overstayed their visas–should be given a path to citizenship. Of this total figure, 1.3 million are Asians as of 2012, according to the wikipedia. Asians are the second largest minority group with undocumented aliens, behind the Hispanics.

The rally began at 3 p.m. at the West Lawn of the US Capitol. It was organized by the Alliance for Citizenship and other advocacy groups across the nation.
“America’s strength is its diversity–people are welcome to come here from all over the world,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). “Their experiences and cultures contribute to our national identity, something that is constantly changing and uniquely American.”
She added: “That’s why we need a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring citizens. Families are a bedrock American value, and as we move forward with immigration reform, keeping families together must remain a top priority.”

Asian American lawmakers and advocates agree that the time is right for the passage of a comprehensive reform bill. “The broken system needs to be fixed–this is the year it would get done,” said Jon Melegrito, communications director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA).

‘The time is now’
Santiago Busa, Jr., a former diplomat, echoed the general consensus that a reform bill would become a law this year. “Obama got the Asian American vote last November, and seven out of ten Hispanic American voters were crucial in handing him a second term,” he said on the eve of the rally. “Many Republican leaders got the message. They are being realistic about wooing the crucial Hispanic vote.”
As rallyists chanted, “The time is now!” Teng Vang, one of the leaders of the Hmong Nationalities Organization of North Carolina, nodded in agreement. He said: “We left by bus at midnight and arrived here at six in the morning, with no sleep, really. But that is nothing, because we are fighting for a good cause. One reason we are here, we are in favor of reuniting families.”

Among the usual advocacy groups present were: the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), New York-based Asian American Legal Defense Fund (AALDEF), the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization (AAPCHO), the Hmong Nationalities Organization of North Carolina, the National Korean American Service and Education Forum (NAKASEC), the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), and NaFFAA.

At the rally, scenting victory in a fiesta-like atmosphere, fired-up Hispanic American families waved huge American flags and even bigger banners and posters, chanting in unison with the speakers, “The time is now!” and “Si, se puede!” (Yes, it’s possible!)
Hispanic and Hispanic American families also came, with fathers symbolically hoisting their small children on their shoulders to see the speakers onstage, and mothers, even grandparents, pushing them forward in strollers. “This rally is for her bright future,” said the grandfather of Camilla, 3.
“I’m here for my children,” said Belgica, originally from Ecuador, holding son Sean, 8, by the hand. “I left my two daughters, 9 and 3 1/2, at home with relatives.” She was part of two busloads of members of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) who came from Waltham, Massachusetts.

Bipartisan Proposal
On April 16, a bipartisan group of US senators, called the Gang of 8, presented a comprehensive reform proposal–addressing both legal and illegal immigration–to President Barack Obama. The following day, Sen. Charles Schummer (D, NY) filed the comprehensive reform bill in the US Senate.

The bill is not expected to have a smooth sailing–given the opposition in the US House of Representatives, and now, the heightened focus on national security following the April 15 terror attacks at the Boston Marathon.
US Sen. John McCain (R, AZ), one of the senators who crafted the proposal and the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, was at the meeting on April 16. The Washington Post quoted him as saying the proposal was just a beginning, but he expressed confidence the bill would become a law “because all the major players involved in this issue are now on board.”
McCain championed a comprehensive reform legislation with US Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA) that failed in the 1980s. A similar push by President George W. Bush in his second term also fell short.

At the meeting, President Obama said the reform proposal would further enhance border security, as well as make employers accountable, so as not to knowingly hire the undocumented, according to the Post report. He also noted the proposal would modernize the system, reuniting families and attracting the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers who will contribute to the nation’s economic progress.
Obama has made immigration reform a top priority in his second term. He said during last November’s campaign failing on this was one of his biggest disappointments during his first term.

Under the reform proposal, only the undocumented who came to the US before December 31, 2011 would qualify for a path to citizenship. Highlights of the reform proposal, according to Politico newspaper, which got an advance copy of the summary, include:
1) The undocumented must pay $2,000 in fines, pass a criminal background check, pay back taxes, learn English, and have continued employment and wait ten years to qualify for a green card (permanent residency status), and three years after that to apply for citizenship;
2) Minors brought to the U.S. illegally at a young age, and also agriculture workers, could apply for green cards after five years, then have expedited citizenship;
3) Employers must implement an electronic-verification system to check employees’ status;
4) H-1B visas would be raised from 65,000 to 110,000, and this could be increased to 180,000 depending on the demand for high-skilled jobs;
5) A new “W-visa” program will be established to attract low-skilled workers, and
6) Billions would be spent for tightened security at the U.S.-Mexico border.
A series of hearings and amendment presentations will precede a US Senate floor vote on the comprehensive reform bill, expected to take place before the end of May. No one knows what final form the bill will take, as it faces a stiff opposition from many lawmakers in the lower chamber, among other things.

Voter Power
Next year, the country will hold midterm elections for national senators and congressmen. A presidential election will take place in 2016. Many Republicans are against granting citizenship to those who break the nation’s law, calling it amnesty. They strongly favor securing the country’s porous borders as the top priority.
But after losing the minority vote last November, some Republican leaders are now open to change. Sen. Marco Rubio (R, FL), generally considered a strong presidential candidate in 2016 with his Hispanic roots, made the rounds of Sunday political talk shows on April 14, expressing support for comprehensive immigration reform.

Asian Americans and particularly, Hispanic Americans, showed their voting power in last year’s November presidential elections. Advocates stress immigration reform is an issue that will draw these voters from both the Republican and Democratic parties in 2014 and 2016, one way or another.
A recent Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) survey showed immigration reform is a non-partisan issue, but it is a snapshot of the Asian American voters in November last year. Whether it will have become an irreversible national trend by next year or by 2016 is an unknown. Observers, however, stress the immigration reform movement has reached its turning point.
“Most Hispanic Americans or Asian Americans have relatives or friends who are undocumented, so to them, it’s personal,” remarked former diplomat Busa, pointing to a growing consensus even among Republican leaders that last November’s election reflected a transformational point.

“Immigration reform for Asian Americans is truly a non-partisan issue,” said Glenn D. Magpantay, Director of the Democracy Program of AALDEF, one of the advocacy groups at the rally.
He cited New York-based AALDEF’s nonpartisan multilingual exit poll of 9,096 Asian American voters in the November 2012 elections. The results indicated that “the majority of Asian Americans (65%) showed strong support for comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for undocumented people.”
The survey, the largest of its kind nationwide, indicated support for immigration reform cuts across party lines, “with 73% of Asian American Democrats, 53% of Asian American Republicans…showing support for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.”

Support for comprehensive immigration reform was also high in key swing states, such as Nevada (87%), Pennsylvania (69%), Virginia (67%), and Georgia (56%). AALDEF released its detailed findings on support for immigration reform on April 8.

 

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