new immigration bill threatens asian families

Here's an article in the San Francisco Chronicle on immigration changes being proposed in Congress, and what they mean for Asian families in the United States (it's not good): Asians frustrated, angry over immigration plan. Here's another one from the New York Times, about the bill's impact on New York City: Overhaul of Immigration Law Could Reshape New York

If you recall, I first wrote about this back in April: stop the new asian exclusion act. Basically, the latest immigration bill includes provisions to remove certain family-based immigration categories completely, taking away the right of legal immigrants to sponsor their relatives to join them. The thing is, this will dramatically affect Asian communities, since the majority of people who apply for visas under family sponsorship are families from Asian countries. According to the Office of Immigration Statistics, the Asian American community is the second largest group of immigrants who enter the United States through family sponsorship or by being immediate relatives of American citizens. As it stands now, there's a sever backlog of family-based visas, espcially for families from China, India, Mexico and the Philippines—some waiting over 20 years to reunite with their family members. This immigration bill being considered by the Senate will continue to keep families apart.

If you feel strongly about this, there are some steps you can take to get involved. Learn about campaigns from the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian American Justice Center, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Asian Law Caucus. Stop this immigration proposal from moving forward!