Guest writer Joshu Joh-Jung in D.C.
Social revolutions can take awhile, but the rise of young activists is heartening. Right now, white evangelical Christians are facing a generational crisis because those under 30 are comfortable with civil unions or same-sex marriage by a significant majority, unlike their elders. The younger bunch are interested in addressing issues like climate change, poverty, and war.
Among many Christians who are not Anglo, another issue looms large: immigration. Nearly three fourths of Asians in the U.S. are immigrants. Joshua Joh-Jung is the son of immigrants. He attends Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL. I ran into his mother a couple of weeks ago—she’s a professor of theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a friend of mine—and she was amazed at how involved he had gotten in immigration issues, to the point of going to a march on Washington March 22.
Here is Josh’s “take” both on the march and on immigration issues. The noise around porous borders and fences, especially here in California and in the Southwest tend to frame immigration in terms of undocumented Hispanics because of the proximity to Mexico. Josh offers another take on it as a native born American of immigrant Korean parents.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that Arizona’s House passed one of the most extreme anti-immigration Bills that a generation has seen. Arizona is attempting to do what totally red-state Oklahoma failed to do. Strict anti-immigration laws are signs of what some Americans are feeling about immigrants and undocumented folks.
As a second-generation Asian American born in this country who speaks native English, I still get asked, “where are you from?” Stereotyped as a perpetual foreigner, I have always been interested in immigration and how immigrants have shaped this country. Anti-immigrant bills cropping up across the country are a sign that our federal government must act on immigration reform before more states pass bills that put this country to shame and that poison life for the immigrants who will stay and raise their children as Americans.
Read more at the jump…
I was drawn into the struggle of undocumented people while my family lived in Tulsa,OK. It was just another day at school. Same classes, same teachers, same students, same stuff, at least until I got to Chinese class. Marianna was missing. At first I thought, “she must be sick,” that is, until lunch. I overheard all the Mexicans at the table next to me talk in their machine-gun Spanish about the missing student. I could only pick up her name, deportation, Mexico…la migra. That was more than enough information. Immigration had caught her; she was now being sent back.
Many Americans believe that deportation only happens to Mexicans. Not so. Undocumented people come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, from close and far away places. Among the undocumented, Asians are one of the fastest growing populations.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a city in the heart of America with a population of half a million residents that is increasing. I lived in East Tulsa, a place known for it’s large immigrant population, mostly from Mexico and Southeast Asia. A majority of my close friends and most of my acquaintances in East Tulsa are undocumented. They keep coming to Oklahoma, even though the state has some of the harshest anti-immigration laws in the country. They come for the same reason most immigrants have always come to North America: to have a better life.
After my sophomore year of high school, my family moved to Chicago, Illinois, which is heaven for immigrants, compared to Oklahoma. Chicago, a sanctuary city, has laws that support immigrants and offer paths toward citizenship. While I was reluctant to move away from my friends, I was glad to leave behind the rabid conservative, racist and xenophobic politics of Oklahoma. Still, it was hard to go on with my new life as if nothing significant was occurring to my friends in Oklahoma because I worried about my friends. I looked for ways to take action hoping whatever I did might help my friends down in Oklahoma.
I discovered an organization called F.Y.S.H. (Fighting Youth Shouting out for Humanity) that advocates Comprehensive Immigration Reform, especially the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would provide my friends the opportunity to attend college with the aid of the government and to become citizens. I joined the cause. This spring, F.Y.S.H. was invited to attend the demonstration for Immigration Reform in Washington D.C. on March 21st. I jumped at the opportunity as soon as I heard it.
The march in Washington D.C. was huge, and it bustled with chants for immigration reform. Lots of “Si se puede! Si se Puede!” I beat my buk, a Korean drum, with intense enthusiasm, banging it harder and harder. But then I heard someone from the crowd yell “Orale! Chinitos!” I yelled back, “Nosotros somos Koreanos.” But I knew they didn’t care. As much as I hate to say it, I confess that for the rest of the day, I played my drum with less enthusiasm. I felt as if everyone thought that Immigration was only a Latino/a issue and not also one for Asian American Pacific Islanders. When I heard chinito, I felt hurt and ignored. I was reminded that our voices were still misunderstood, that we were seen as only their supporters and not people at the forefront just like them.
When we arrived at the National Mall, I was stunned; as far as the eye could see, people filled every possible space. They left almost no room to walk through. We were lucky to find a place to rest, take off our drums, and listen to the speakers. Everywhere I looked there were people of all races: Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and White. There were public speakers from all kinds of organizations and races speaking on why they support immigration reform; many told their own personal stories. Finally a video from President Obama appeared on the screens and a loud roar of applause engulfed the area. He told the people that we had his support and that immigration reform would soon come. Everyone at the demonstration was beyond happy that the president supported them, and this quickly changed my mood. The experience I gained at the march was unfathomable. It was more than exhilarating, it was also moving for me to see so many people come together demanding a solution.
However, the Immigration March on Washington largely ignored undocumented Asians in America. The assumption seemed to be that the only undocumented people were Latinos and only Latinos. While they may dominate in absolute numbers, there are more undocumented Asians compared to the overall Asian American population than there are undocumented Latinos in the Latino/a American community. And Asian Americans are now among the fastest growing minority populations in the U.S. Currently an estimated 1.5 million Asian Americans are undocumented. Within the Korean-American community 1 out of every 5 are undocumented.
Recently the Oklahoma state legislature defeated House Bill 3384, which would have required middle and secondary students to confirm their status at the time of enrollment. I was thrilled because now my friends wouldn’t have to fear being reported to the INS and could continue their education. While this defeat is good news for my friends and other undocumented people, the logic behind the defeat of the bill was based not on waning anti-immigrant sentiments but rather on the lack of funds to implement it.
Oklahoma may be an extreme case, but anti-immigrant sentiments exist across the United States. Asian Americans, whether or not the rest of the public notices us, must continue to fight anti-immigration laws and seek reform. This work is not only relevant to the Latino/a community but also to all ethnic communities who are trying to make a better life in the U.S. and have and continue to contribute as productive citizens-Americans.
Arizona may be more of an anomaly than a trend. Though the reasons are not clear, anti-immigration bills are failing in other states. These failures make me feel that the U.S. may eventually turn away from its narrow, anti-immigration views. People commonly say that United States is based on undocumented people coming to this land—that is what the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor stands for. Those here a little longer conveniently forget this history and falsely claim that some of us are “real Americans” while others are “not real Americans.”
The movement for immigration reform must build coalitions across different racial and ethnic communities so that our movement can fight anti-immigration bigotry and undermine the xenophobia that targets those easiest to racialize by look or language. The U.S. has always had to come to terms with who enters the country, regardless of where we come from. This open, hybrid nature is a source of continuing new talent, creativity, and strength that people elsewhere admire and that draws people with courage and imagination to our shores. Let’s find a way to welcome and help them so we can grow strong together. If Oklahomans can work together to defeat their House Bill 3384, surely Arizonans and others elsewhere can also defeat anti-immigration bills. Along with many folks who attended the Immigration Reform Rally in D.C., I demand that the federal government take action on immigration reform immediately!
well articulated and informative! loved the inclusion of the incident while marching and the effect it had on you. there is so much that i could comment about that experience, but suffice it to say, although you beat your drum less enthusiastically, you kept beating it and found a way to keep moving forward and to continue to be engaged. this article being proof of that.
also, i had no idea that 1 in 5 koreans are undocumented–wow!! immigration is our issue, too!
thank you