AAPI
Sixty years ago, civil rights leaders gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. During this march, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech to 250,000 people, striving to end racism. Today, Chinese Americans in the United States gather at the Lincoln Memorial to raise their voices, demanding equality and progress, and sharing their dreams and pursuits with the world.
This is a monumental step forward in the pursuit of democracy and equality. 150 years ago, discriminatory laws in California targeted Chinese Americans, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act on May 6, 1882, which banned Chinese immigration to the U.S. It wasn't repealed until December 17, 1943. On October 6, 2011, the U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 201, acknowledging the Chinese Exclusion Act as incompatible with the Declaration of Independence's principles of equality and recognizing past wrongs against Chinese Americans.
However, Chinese Americans still live in the shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act today. New laws emerge that adversely affect them, and Chinese faces have become targets of violence. They are attacked and killed on the streets, bullied, and marginalized at schools and workplaces, and they lose court cases due to their ethnicity.
We are not the Chinese Americans of 100 years ago. We are here to defend the U.S. Constitution, cashing the promissory note issued by the founding fathers that all men are created equal, guaranteeing the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, we aim to end prejudice against Chinese Americans in education, professional careers, and the legal system.
I am an immigration lawyer from Los Angeles, dedicated to helping fellow immigrants fulfill their dreams, ensuring they and their future generations are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. No more Chinese Exclusion Act or similar discriminatory acts in the future. Equal justice, no more racial prejudice. Let justice reign from the mountains to the oceans, from the East Coast to the West Coast. Together, let's strive to transform this world. Thank you for listening.
- Keywords: March on Washington, Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese Americans, Civil Rights, Equality
- Description: Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Chinese Americans gather at the Lincoln Memorial to express their pursuit of equality and democracy and share a hopeful vision for the future.