WASHINGTON — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) and filem lucah zul ariffinCAPAC Executive Member Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) on Dec. 14 introduced resolutions in both chambers of Congress commemorating the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
The Magnuson Act, which passed on Dec. 17, 1943, repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. In June 2012, Chu introduced H.Res. 683, a resolution formally apologizing for the Chinese exclusion laws. The resolution passed the House of Representatives unanimously on June 18, 2012. The Senate version of the resolution, S.Res. 201, passed the Senate unanimously on Oct. 7, 2011.
“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, I am honored to introduce this resolution to ensure our community’s resilient history is remembered,” Chu said. “The Chinese Exclusion Act is among the most discriminatory laws ever passed by Congress and remains the only law to name an ethnic group for exclusion from immigration. My own grandfather, who came to the U.S. in 1904, was subjected to the law and could not gain citizenship or vote for over 30 years.
“The repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943 was a critical first step towards equality for Chinese American civil and immigration rights in our legal code. Since then, the Chinese American community has continued to make important contributions to this country, starting small businesses, spearheading U.S. scientific innovation, strengthening the diversity of our society, and so much more.
“But while we celebrate this milestone, we know that anti-China sentiment, rhetoric, and policy-making are all on the rise. That has required our communities to fight back against new alien land laws seeking to limit the property ownership rights and to protect our communities from anti-Asian hate and racial profiling. So as we commemorate this notable anniversary and introduce today’s resolution, I urge us all to work together to ensure we never let history repeat itself.”
“As we mark the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting any and all types of discrimination,” Hirono said. “I am proud to lead this resolution with CAPAC commemorating the day our country ended the injustice of the Chinese Exclusion Act and acknowledging the valuable contributions of Chinese Americans and immigrants. “Diversity makes this country stronger and as we work to empower AANHPI communities, we must continue fighting hate in all its forms.”