s****3
发帖数: 4 | 1 Speech on Protest against ABC’s Kids Table Show Proposing “Killing All
Chinese to Solve the Country’s Debt Problem”
My Friends:
One-hundred and fifty years ago, our ancestors, together with millions of
immigrants from all over the world came to America for freedom, wealth and
the pursuit of happiness. Together, they all contributed enormously to
American progress. They built a trans-continental railroad, much of which is
still in service to this day. Today, one-hundred and fifty years later, we
are here to continue a history, a history that Chinese Americans have been
writing for over 150 years on this land, the history of Chinese Americans
fighting against discrimination.
One-hundred and fifty years ago, for the first and only time in the history
of this great country, a federal law was passed targeting one ethnic group
– the Chinese. That is the “Chinese Exclusion Act”, which was signed into
law in 1882. The law prohibited Chinese people already in this country from
becoming U.S citizens by legally declaring them permanent aliens. This
brazenly discriminatory act caused hundreds of thousands of Chinese to lose
the freedom to reunite with their loved ones. Although this act was
officially abolished in the 1960s, it wasn't until June 18 of last year that
a formal apology was expressed by the US congress. But even today, there
still exists a part of the US immigration code with a section entitled "
Exclusion of Chinese." It is the only section of the US Immigration law that
is completely focused on a specific ethnic group.
One hundred years after the Chinese Exclusion Act became law, in 1982, a
young man from Michigan named Vincent Chin, fell victim to this evil legacy
of discrimination. Vincent Chin was an orphan. He was adopted by a Chinese
American family. His adoptive father proudly served our country, in World
War II. Vincent went to school here like any other American child. He was
proud of his great country and its history starting with the Founding
Fathers. So, he grew up. He fell in love. And he planned on a happy wedding
and a happier future with his soon-to-be beloved wife.
But 1982 was a tough economic year in this country. People working in auto-
industry in Michigan lost their jobs because of the competition from
Japanese imports. In particular, a man and his son, both white, had lost
their jobs that year and very loudly blamed the Japanese for that loss. This
father and son singled out Vincent Chin, because to these white men he
looked Japanese. They yelled at him: “Because of you little mother fuckers
that we're out of work!” Then, one beat Vincent to death with a baseball
bat while the other held him down. They mercilessly, brutally killed Vincent
Chin in cold blood. Vincent Chin was murdered because he looked Japanese to
these two white men. Vincent’s last words were, “It’s not fair.”
There was a trial. But the jury let them off with barely a slap on the wrist
. They were only given three years’ probation, fined $3,000 and ordered to
pay $780 in court costs. They served no jail time.
Why is killing a Chinese person like killing a bug? Are our lives any less
precious than the lives of others?
The American people are great people. The American People believe in justice
and fairness. Americans honor and protect cultural diversity and human
rights, even animal rights. But why, when it comes to Chinese Americans,
does this sense of justice and fair play not apply with equal force?
I have been puzzling over these questions. The answer, I have found, is that
media outlets like ABC have been poisoning American minds by telling us
that the Chinese are the source of all the problems in this country.
Discrimination against Chinese descendants is not a thing of the past. It is
alive and well today, everyday. A sort of cultural Jim Crow has loomed over
the Chinese American community like a poisonous cloud. We have been the
scapegoats again and again whenever the economy is in decline. Jimmy Kimmel
’s orchestration of those children saying the killing of all Chinese would
solve the debt problem is just one more example of the perpetuation of
prejudice and hatred against the Chinese. To him, to ABC, asking the
question of “Should we allow the Chinese to live” is not a big deal. It is
just a joke, meant to entertain.
Why should we bury our heads in the sand and pretend that discrimination
does not exist? Are we afraid we would be seen as trouble makers if we speak
out our true feelings? Are we afraid that just because we have Chinese
blood, it is our original sin? Why should we feel anything negative about
being referred to as “Chinese?” We have 5,000 years of rich history behind
us. We should stand on the proud shoulders of our ancestors, with our heads
held high, if only because of that, but more importantly, because enough is
enough. The laws of this great land protect EVERYONE from being
discriminated against based on race and national origin. And we are part of
that EVERYONE.
To make this country TRULY the land of the Free, let us say, here and now,
loud and clear: “Chinese Americans are Americans!” "Let Us Teach our
Children to Love, not to Hate" | u*****l
发帖数: 444 | | c***a
发帖数: 297 | 3 这位是专门从san antonio赶来的。
【在 s****3 的大作中提到】
: Speech on Protest against ABC’s Kids Table Show Proposing “Killing All
: Chinese to Solve the Country’s Debt Problem”
: My Friends:
: One-hundred and fifty years ago, our ancestors, together with millions of
: immigrants from all over the world came to America for freedom, wealth and
: the pursuit of happiness. Together, they all contributed enormously to
: American progress. They built a trans-continental railroad, much of which is
: still in service to this day. Today, one-hundred and fifty years later, we
: are here to continue a history, a history that Chinese Americans have been
: writing for over 150 years on this land, the history of Chinese Americans
|
|
