Opinion | Proposed Texas ban on Chinese home ownership grounded in nothing but hate
- Chinese-Americans in Texas are protesting over a proposed bill that would prevent them from owning property in the state on grounds of ‘national security’
- The law has nothing to do with security and everything to do with anti-Asian racism, which is deeply embedded in US history
Senate Bill 147, introduced by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, prohibits both entities and citizens of four countries – China, North Korea, Iran and Russia – from owning real estate in Texas. The most controversial part of the bill is that it does not provide any exception for foreign citizens who live in Texas with a valid visa or green card, which denotes permanent resident status.
On January 25, Kolkhorst announced that, despite the protests, she would still push through this bill because she wanted to “do something to protect Texans and our national security”. She did promise, however, to amend the bill, making an exception for green card holders. She did not provide a timeline for the amendment or elaborate on any substantive national security concern.
Kolkhorst’s promise does not matter, because the amendment would not change the racist nature of this bill, which reflects the racial bias and nationalism deeply embedded in US history.
Banning immigrants, especially Asians, from land ownership is nothing new in America. California enacted the Alien Land Law in 1913, restricting land ownership to “aliens eligible to citizenship”, which was an intentional effort to preclude Asians from owning properties.
The Alien Land Law responded to the anti-Asian sentiment in the 1800s and 1900s, rooted in white supremacy and orientalism. Asians were perceived as perpetually foreign, unable to assimilate culturally to white society, and an economic threat to white labourers. Eventually, 15 states, including Texas, adopted similar laws that banned Asian immigrants from owning real properties.