ISSUES

Chinese Americans have benefited from progressive immigration policies in significant and transformative ways.  Whether by fleeing political or religious persecution, pursuing an education overseas that turns into a new career, or joining family members who first made the journey to the States, Chinese Americans in a variety of circumstances have come to America because of an immigration system that made these journeys possible.  Chinese Americans can contribute to the strength and diversity of America because of immigration, and we must protect the current system from any harmful changes.

China is the top birthplace of U.S. immigrants from Asia and Asian Americans are the fastest growing major ethnic or racial group in the U.S. People born in China who come to the U.S. typically stay as residents by receiving legal permanent residence status.  Over 60% of Chinese Americans are first-generation immigrants.

The Trump administration has made a high-priority of drastically cutting legal immigration in half, including a proposal to gut family-based immigration. More than 50% of Chinese immigrants arrive via family-based sponsorship. Nearly 15% come as refugees, another visa category that the Trump administration severely reduced for ill-intentioned reasons.

It is a little known fact that today, one out of seven Asian immigrants is undocumented, with immigrants from China comprising the second-largest Asian undocumented group. Many of these immigrants have lived in the U.S. for many years, and contribute to society and the  economy through their hard work and aspirations for a better life.

We support immigration policies that preserve family-based preferences, create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and expand refugee acceptance and resettlement programs. As the first ethnic group to face exclusion by law from immigrating to the U.S., we also condemn any immigration policy that discriminates on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion.