78% Anti-Chineseof Asians in laws US protestedtreated as in foreignersFlorida

Two state measures put restrictions on land Survey ownership, cites location, discriminationstudent researchersin daily encounters over race and ethnicity

They are SB 264 and SB 846. They By MAY ZHOU

have different numbers, but their mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com

common thread is that they are antiChinese A couple legislation of months in Florida. ago, Natalie (last US name Representative withheld for Judy privacy), Chu from a young California, professional Texas state in Representative her 20s, went Gene to a Wu local and Oktoberfest 2020 presidential in the Dallas candidate area. Andrew Young from New York “I was joined asking hundreds a guy to of order protesters some pretzels, in pouring and rain he in said Miami to me: on ‘ Wow, Saturday you to speak protest very the good laws. English.’ I replied: They ‘Oh, were thank joined you. by It leaders is the only from language some major I speak,’” civil said rights Natalie. groups across Natalie, racial who lines is — ethnically the League Chinese of United and Latin was American born and Citizens, raised the in the NAACP, United the American States, was Civil assumed Liberties by Union, the man United as Chinese an outsider Americans, and non-American, and a few others. purely based on her SB looks. 264, often referred to as “Florida’s Her New experience Alien is Land quite Law” common took among effect on Asian July 1 Americans, and prohibits according entities and to citizens a recent of seven survey “countries by Pew of Research concern” — Center. China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, The Russia, data, collected Syria and Venezuela from a nationally — from acquiring representative agricultural survey land. of 7,006 In addition, Asian adults Chinese over citizens six months alone between are singled 2022 out and by further 2023 and restrictions. 66 focus groups, Those with show nontourist that a majority visas of are adult allowed Asian to Americans acquire — only 78 percent one single — property have been smaller treated than as 2 acres foreigners, that is at even least if 5 they miles are from born military in the US installations as Natalie or was. 10 miles from critical The infrastructure. survey showed If violated, that most both Asian the seller Americans and buyer experience could face legal discrimination charges. in three broad ways: being SB 846, treated which as a also foreigner; took effect being July seen 1, prohibits as a model Florida minority; state’s public and other colleges incidents and universities of discrimination from taking in day-to-day money from encounters or partnering because with entities of their in race the or same ethnicity. seven countries of concern. “I have had this kind of incident a couple It also of prohibits times before. an institution It’s not that from big offering a deal. anyone People living are not in trying one of those to be countries rude or aggressive, a contract but to do it shows research. that The when law aims people to block look the at you, governments that’s their of those first countries impression from and “influencing” what they state are colleges, thinking: universities Oh, you and are their not students from here; and you staff. are from Jiangeng somewhere Xue, professor else.” of material Coming science from and engineering a diverse neighborhood at the University in of Houston, Florida (UF) Texas, told Natalie China said Daily she that didn’t high-quality experience graduate such “outsider” students working incidents as research while growing assistants up. are But vital it’s in executing different multiple for her boyfriend, projects in a a Filipino, laboratory. who went to a private “I was looking Christian through school. the graduation Because ceremony his last and name it lists sounds all the like graduates a Mexican in the name, year, other and I students was counting jokingly the number called him of Chinese Mexican. students By making who got fun PhDs of his every last semester. name, “they It’s about were 15 like: percent You of are all not US one graduating of us”, Natalie PhDs said. in the entire semester. That’s Some not outsider a small experiences number,” Xue turned said. out “If to we be much don’t have harsher the than ability what to Natalie recruit Chinese had. “I students had my directly assigned out parking of China, lot, then and we when will a have white to man go to parked somewhat his car lower-quality on my spot, I students. told him to And move that will his limit car, our he ability said ‘Ching, to best Chang, execute Chong’ our research to me and projects.’’ called the guard,” More an than immigrant 280 faculty man members of Korean at descent UF, which in his has late the 40s state’s told Pew. largest research A man of portfolio, Filipino have descent signed born a in petition the US urging was invited UF to to clear a party up the by his confusion white girlfriend and to actively at her support uncle and a call aunt’s for house. an open-door Being helpful, policy he on brought hiring. in a tray of food from outside. “We The urgently aunt request automatically a timely assumed decision he that was allows one of us the to recruit caterers, top got international upset and graduate asked him students to use the with rear an assistantship, service door. irrespective of their “That’s nationality,” just one declares example the petition, of sent on Dec 6 to UF President Ben Sasse and senior UF leadership. “Failure to act swiftly may result in the loss of exceptional students to other universities, and the damage many, will be that irreversible.” much racism I’ve had when The I’ve law interracially classes as dated,” a “foreign he told researcher” Pew. not just people currently living The survey in another showed country, that about but also 9 in anyone 10 Asian with Americans one year have or more experienced of training at least or employment one of the 17 outside discrimination the United States incidents — even asked if they about hold in the US survey. citizenship. The most And common those turned incidents away because are that of strangers something mispronounced in their background their seen names as suspect (68 percent) must be or reported assumed to the that FBI they or are another good law at math enforcement and science agency (58 designated percent). by the In governor. Natalie’s case, her name wasn’t The Florida mispronounced; law allows exceptions she was called only when by a the wrong Board name of Governors, by her former which oversees supervisor. higher education in the “In state, my last decides job, that the director the interaction at my department isn’t “detrimental kept to getting the safety me and or security another of Asian the US girl or mixed its residents” up. It was through crazy a to vetting me,” said process Natalie. on a caseby-case “We didn’t look basis. alike It would at all, be we the didn’t last sound step in a alike lengthy — vetting she has process some for accent, anyone and seeking I don’t, a research and our position names are as a totally graduate different. assistant Yet or postdoc. he kept calling Xue us said by vetting the other’s is “not name. practical” After a while because I felt the like, submission he’s not times even trying.” required by the Board of Governors make it impossible to meet the general academic application deadlines: either The survey the decisions found won’t that about be made 20 percent in time, of or students Asians experienced will be informed discrimination too late. at the workplace, and they The were uncertainty denied a raise created or promotion by the law has due already to their put race. a freeze on making Discrimination offers to research incidents students experienced in China for in the day-to-day fall of 2024, life can which be subtle. normally happens in December and early “One January, time we according went to to a restaurant science. org, and one our of the waitress journals was published kind of cold. by the I American don’t really Association hold it against for the her Advancement because sometimes of Science people (AAAS), just the don’t world’s feel oldest friendly,” and said largest Natalie. general science “Then, organization. a white couple came in sitting “We right have missed next to that us, window,” and her mood said Zhong-Ren just shifted. Peng, She a UF became professor super of friendly urban planning like ‘How’s who leads your day’, a center and for laughing. adaptation The planning contrast was and stark.” design. “And the best students cannot The Pew wait. survey Instead, found they that will 40 go percent somewhere of Asian else,” he adults told science.org. say they have Xue received said the worse new law service is “political”. than other “There people have already at restaurants been laws and discriminating stores. against Chinese,” said Xue. While “It just some amplifies incidents it.” are minor and Many annoying others at agree. most, other discrimination “You’d go to incidents jail if you can sell be a quite house unpleasant. to Chinese. Chinese The survey are not found allowed that about to come 35 over percent to schools. of South Once Asians those say ideas they are have deeply been planted held in back people’s at a security mind, the checkpoint average Chinese for a secondary Americans screening will be discriminated because of their (against),” race or Steven ethnicity. Pei, an engineering professor at Some the University discrimination of Houston, can turn said violent. in a group The chat survey when found encouraging that 32 percent people to of go Asian to the adults rally. say “The they general personally population know will an Asian view the in Chinese the US who as dangerous has been members, threatened and Chinese or attacked. in all walks of lives will be impacted.”

A The Korean rippling immigrant impact of told the Pew laws that have once already when been she felt was by walking some. Liu, in the a Chinese city, an in elderly Houston, white told person China poked Daily that her when in the he face was saying: given a “You ride are home disgusting,” from the airport, and tried the to driver hit her. said “I to ran him away that crying,” “Chinese she are said. spies”.

Overall, “When he 57 saw percent that I got of mad Asian at adults what he see said, discrimination he quickly explained against Asians that it’s living just a in joke. the I US told as him: a major ‘ This problem, is no joking and matter.’” 63 percent say too little attention is paid to race and racial issues concerning Asian Americans.