Chinese-Americans in Texas protest ‘hateful’ state senate bills
- Two proposed Senate bills in Texas would, in part, ban people and businesses with ties to China from buying property
- The bills have elicited outrage from Chinese-Americans in North Texas, who have large enclaves in multiple cities
Hundreds of people from North Texas gathered in downtown Dallas on Sunday to voice their opposition toward two Texas senate bills that they say are unjustly targeting Chinese-Americans.
Texas Senate bills 147 and 552, both of which have been authored by Republican lawmakers, aim to add regulations that would ban people with ties to four countries (China, Iran, North Korea and Russia) from purchasing real estate or property in the state.
The latter relates to the purchase of agricultural land by companies with ties to the four countries.
Multiple organisations with ties to the Chinese-American community have planned rallies in major Texas cities to protest the proposed legislation after Governor Greg Abbott expressed his support for Senate Bill 147 on Twitter.
Democrats in the state held a news conference last week to denounce Senate Bill 147, and described it as racist and unconstitutional.
The Senate bills have elicited outrage from Chinese-Americans in North Texas, who have large enclaves in multiple cities, including Plano, Richardson, Irving and Allen.