People should be very concerned about the impact this might have on Chinese-Americans and all other Asian-American,

Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. and Beth Kwiatek, May 2, 2023

Tension between the United States and China is growing. People should be very concerned about the impact this might have on Chinese-Americans and all other Asian-Americans; those whose origins from the Far East nations of Japan, Korea and Indonesia, from Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent.

Florida, under the leadership of Governor Ron De Santis, has become the citadel of White Supremacy, xenophobia, anti-Blackness and racial hatred in the United States.

A central component of this hatred is a form of American jingoism based on “White Replacement Theory”. This racist conspiracy falsely asserts that there is an active, ongoing and covert effort by non-Whites to replace the White majority. And, if the political power of minorities is not suppressed and the influx of immigrants is not stopped, White culture (i.e their privileged place) in the United States will cease to exist.

As of April 6, 2023, at least thirty-seven states have taken official actions to ban the use of Chinese-owned social media apps on government devices. In some states, such as Florida, Tennessee, and Ohio, these bans have extended to public universities. In addition, several states are considering bills that would prohibit the Chinese people from owning or holding land or properties.

Thus, it is not surprising that Florida Senate Bill SB 264 restricts the ability of “foreign principles” to acquire agricultural and real property in the United States. This Bill and others like it claim to target ONLY the Chinese government. However, such bills create a cultural climate of anger against all-things-Asian, thus making life dangerous for Asian-Americans.

Over the last few years, hate crimes against the Asian-American community have been increasing. In 2022 the Pew Research Center found that one-third of Asian-Americans had changed their daily routine due to concerns of verbal threats and physical attacks. Florida Senate Bill SB 264 will contribute to this atmosphere of hate.

Therefore, we call on everyone to seriously consider the unintended and dangerous consequences of this bill and work to oppose its enactment into law.

For information on this bill please go to: The Florida Senate