March 15, 2024
NATIONWIDE – Cynthia Choi, co-founder of the Stop AAPI Hate coalition, issued the following statement in response to Georgia’s SB 420 and SB 132, two bills advancing in the House of Representatives that would ban foreign nationals from China, among other countries, who are not legal U.S. residents from owning land in parts of the state unless they have spent at least 10-12 months of the previous year living in Georgia. The bill is the latest in a number of bills sweeping the country aiming to limit the ability of people from China to buy U.S. land, despite the fact that a mere 0.03% of land is owned by Chinese interests.
“The recent advancement of both SB 420 and SB 132 is deeply concerning for the Asian American community. If passed as written, these bills would limit when and where Chinese immigrants looking to support their families can buy a home or a place of business, and would establish excessively harsh penalties for those who violate the legislation, such as mandatory dispossession of one’s property, monetary penalties, or even a felony conviction and prison time. This anti-immigrant legislation would enshrine national origin-based discrimination in Georgia and send the message to immigrants across the country that they are not welcome to put down roots and are the subject of suspicion, chilling the pursuit of their dreams.
We are increasingly alarmed as dozens of states have jumped on the racist and anti-immigrant bandwagon — trying to restrict everyday Asian families from establishing roots in America. This type of discriminatory legislation also fuels racism against the broader Asian American community, not just Chinese immigrants. No one should be blamed for the actions of governments, and any broad-based attempts to restrict the rights of an ethnic group or nationality should raise a red flag to citizens, to political leaders and to all who care about equality, civil rights and our constitutional right to due process in the U.S.
Georgia lawmakers must not be duped by anti-immigrant fearmongering. As we approach the anniversary of the spa shootings in Atlanta that devastated Asian American communities and shone a spotlight on anti-Asian racism, we unequivocally call on the Georgia House of Representatives to vote against this xenophobic and discriminatory legislation.”
