Asian Americans Step Up Presence on Immigrant Rights Issues

A greater Asian American presence in immigrant rights actions is becoming evident. During recent May Day events, for example, in San Francisco, Chinese Progressive Association and other Asian groups joined with other marchers in protesting Arizona’s recent passage of SB1070. They united against the scapegoating of and attacks on vulnerable immigrants, expressing the sentiment that "We are ALL Arizona." In Boston, CPA, API Movement, and Malden High School Students marched through three cities demanding immigrant rights. On Olympic Boulevard and Broadway, Asian Americans groups, especially Pilipinos such as Bayan US, joined in a huge Los Angeles March. Similarly in Portland, OR, Chicago and New York, a number of Asian Americans visibly participated in May Day immigrant rights marches. 

Other Asian American groups are joining in more sustained actions against the new Arizona anti-immigrant legislation. Civil rights groups are joining legal challenges to the law. Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angles, the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco and Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) in Washington D.C. groups announced this week joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), National Day Labor Organizing Network and the American Civil Liberties Union in such a challenge. There has been universal condemnation of the law from Asian American groups like the Japanese American Citizens League, Organization of Chinese Americans and the Asian Pacific American Caucus in Congress.

Other groups are joining the movement to economically protest Arizona's actions. The AAJC announced it was joining allied organizations like National Council of La Raza, Service Employees International Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union in an economic boycott of Arizona. Recently, Chinese Progressive Association Boston and the Stand Out for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (of which API Movement is a member) joined the successful call that the Boston City Council resolve to end business relations with Arizona.

Asian American groups have become more visible as they acknowledge the centrality of immigrant rights issues to Asian Americans. We posted a previous article about how the second largest undocumented ethnic group in Arizona was Chinese. We have also pointed out that Asian Americans as a racial group have the largest concentration of immigrants. Urgency has increased as immigration reform has move to the forefront recently. Hopefully, Asian American activism will continue to increase.