参议院第23号联合提案

提案人，参议员夏乐柏（Bob Huff）

2014年4月10日

翻译： Henry Song

立法委员会提要

由夏乐柏（Huff）议员提交的参院联合天第23号法案

                                                      加州华裔

此提案旨在认可加州华人的历史，承认华裔及华人移民对加州所做出的贡献，对过去针对生活于加州的华人造成迫害的歧视性法律及宪法条款道歉，并恳请国会通过决议向华裔社团就排华法案道歉。

法案正文

加州淘金热嘲引发了世界史上屈指可数的群体迁徙，并激发全球的梦想将加州视为财富与机遇之地；如此波及全球范围的迁徙使加州成为世界上鲜可匹敌的多元化之州， 并由此为加州20世纪的经济，学术及文化发展奠定了基础；

加州的淘金热为横贯美洲大陆铁路西段的修筑于资金和人力方面铺平了道路。横贯美洲大陆铁路被视为19世纪美国于科技领域最伟大的成就， 是阿布拉.林肯的一个梦想， 也是美国于国际视野中地位得以增强的最重要的因素。铁路链接了美国东西两岸，成为商贸旅游至关重要的纽带，并进一步改变了加州的人口与经济结构；

横贯美洲铁路中太平洋一段雇佣了在美华人，以及之后成千上万的中国移民。当白人工人得到食品与住房的供给时，在美华人以及华人移民却被支付比同工的白人更低的薪酬，夜宿帐篷之中。华人劳工在极端恶劣的工作环境下，铺设了数千英里的路轨。仅1868年5月10日一天，华人劳工在不到12小时内便铺设了10英里的路轨，使铁路的最后路段得以竣工。没有华人在横贯美洲大陆铁路修建过程中巨大的辛劳与贡献， 我们国家以及加州的发展和进步无疑会被延搁多年；

横贯美洲大陆铁路竣工之后， 加州华人转入其他领域就业，对加州的进步与发展做出了可观的贡献。加州的华人为沿海的捕鱼业制造船只，开发了鲍鱼和捕虾行业。在河滩与中谷地带，加州的华人帮助整治沼泽，修建灌溉系统，并为加州的农产业收割各种蔬果；

立法机构针对在美华人以及华人移民制定了歧视性法律，以阻止更多来自中国的移民，并试图极力限制已经在美华人劳工的成功机会；

毋庸一一例举，这些法律剥夺了加州华人拥有土地和房产，投票，以及与白人通婚的权利，堵塞了华人子女进入公立学校就学的正当途径，剥夺了华人移民拥有枪支的权利，并在华人妇女被允许移居加州的过程中强行采取特殊要求而造成对华裔妇女的不公平待遇，授权将华人移民排斥于城镇之外，剥夺华人劳工于公共领域的就业机会，并通过州政府机构，禁止向加州华人发放各类许可，剥夺华人在加州水域捕鱼的权利，并对雇佣华人劳工的华人企业和个人不合理地征税；

基于经由“People vs Hall“（1854年）4 Cal. 399 诉讼案确立的一项州法，当加州华人卷入与白人的诉讼时，他们被剥夺了在任何法律行动与程序之中以证人身份作证的权利。这一判决的结果，置加州华人于法律保护之外，致使众多加州华人极端无助地暴露于暴力与虐待的危险境遇。

针对华人文化传统而制定的地方法规，使加州华人进一步遭到歧视。在旧金山，法规强迫华人剪掉传统的辫子，禁止以华人传统的方式运送蔬菜水果，对华人经营的洗衣店不公平地增收税款，对华人将亡人遗物送回中国以求妥当安葬的风俗进行打击， 迫使华人只能居住在对普通人而言既不卫生又不安全的特定区域。所有这些法律的制定，目的都是为了羞辱华裔与华人移民；  

加州多年游说国会严格禁止来自中国的移民， 并于1882年成功地说服国会通过了排华法案，也是从未有过的第一个完全基于种族与国别对某一移民团体排斥的联邦法案。这一排华法案的恶例，导致了之后的带有种族色彩的对外及国家政策中更大范围的排外法案，助长了种族歧视的环境，并迅速导致了1880年代的克罗法案(Crow laws) 和进一步的种族隔离立法，于20世纪大多数时间内将我们国家撕裂；

自相矛盾的是，排华法案通过的同一年，为自由女神雕像的海外筹资完成。自由女神雕像是自由与民主的符号，在被建成并赠予合众国的同时，华裔与华人移民被剥夺了自由与民主。对所有居住和希望居住在美国的人们而言，自由女神雕像是我们国家希望与正义的伟大象征。当雕像正在修建之时，立法人员对华人移民的歧视和游说国会同流合污的行为正与这些理念背道而驰。

1892年，本应过期的排华法案被国会以盖瑞法案(Geary Act)的形式延期了十年，并于1902年成为永久法案。这一法案直到1943年当中国与美国结成二次世界大战同盟时才遭到废除，华人得以重新移居美国。而不久之后，加州女神岛不再成为关押华人移民的中心；

于1879年通过的前加州宪法第十九条款，不公平地针对居住于加州的华人施以歧视，长达73年之久，直到1952年才被废除；

尽管遭受了数十年系统，全面，持续的歧视，加州的华人忍辱负重，依然对本州的发展与成功做出了巨大贡献；

今天，身为华裔的加州人在政治，商业和学界都发挥着带头的作用。华裔对加利福尼亚州的贡献巨大而不可替代。他们在将加州的大学体系，科技产业，商业与农业塑造成全球之强的过程中起到了核心作用。

鉴于上文所述， 加利福尼亚州参议院与众议院联合同决议如下：多元化是本州最大的优势之一，它促成了加州居于国际水平的经济，农业，科技，学术与政治繁荣。本州依靠所有背景的移民建成基础设施， 将他们融入我们的社会， 不仅帮助他们致富，也帮助了加州的繁荣；

进一步决议：尽管这个国家建立于人人生而平等这一原则，尽管我们推崇刻于自由女神雕像座基之上的“把你们疲倦，贫穷，渴望自由呼吸的人们交给我”这一伟大的美国基本信念---这一雕像对所有居住和所有想要居住于美国的人们而言是希望的象征， 我们承认本州及其政府并没有始终信守这一承诺。我们州的历史并非尽善尽美，曾因拒绝包容而促成不公正的歧视性法案，这些法案更多的时候断绝了少数族群实现人人生而平等这一美国承诺的途径。

决议：立法机构对过去制定给居住于加州的华人造成迫害的歧视性法案与宪法条款向华人抱歉，这些法案与宪法条款迫使他们生活于被无端迫害的恐怖之中，不公平地阻碍他们安居乐业。立法机构再次确认其保护全民权利的不懈责任，赞扬所有移民对本州与本国做出的贡献，

并进一步决议：立法机构请求国会为其曾制定排华法案正式通过向华裔团体道歉法案；

决议：州参议会书记将本决议副本递送美国总统，联邦众议院发言人，美国国会参众两院每一位加州议员，并及提案者本人以作分发之用。

下面为英文原文

Senate Joint Resolution No. 23

Introduced by Senator Huff

April 10, 2014

Relative to Chinese Americans in California.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SJR 23, as introduced, Huff.​

​Chinese Americans in California.

This measure would acknowledge the history of the Chinese in California, would recognize the contributions made to the State of California by Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants, would apologize for past discriminatory laws and constitutional provisions which resulted in the persecution of Chinese people living in California, and would request Congress to adopt resolutions of apology to the Chinese American community for enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Laws.

Bill Text

WHEREAS, The California gold rush triggered one of the largest mass migrations in world history and captured global imagination as the destination for wealth and opportunity. That global migration made California one of the world’s most diverse states which would serve as the foundation for its economic, academic, and cultural growth in the 20th century; and

WHEREAS, The California gold rush paved the way in funding and manpower for the creation and building of the western leg of the transcontinental railroad. The transcontinental railroad was considered the greatest American technological feat of the 19th century, was a dream of Abraham Lincoln’s, and was what many considered the most important aspect in strengthening the position of the United States in the international spotlight. The track served as a vital link for trade, commerce, and travel by joining east and west, further transforming the population and economy of California; and

WHEREAS, The Central Pacific portion of the transcontinental railroad recruited the Chinese in America and later tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants as a source of labor. Chinese in America and Chinese immigrants were paid less than their white counterparts and slept in tents while white laborers were provided both food and shelter. The Chinese laborers worked under grueling and treacherous conditions in order to lay thousands of miles of track. On May 10, 1868, alone, Chinese workers laid 10 miles of track in less than 12 hours in order to complete the last leg of the railroad. Without the tremendous efforts and contributions of the Chinese in building the transcontinental railroad, the development and progress of our nation and California would have been delayed by years; and

WHEREAS, Once the transcontinental railroad was complete, Chinese in California transitioned to other types of employment, making considerable contributions to the progress and growth of our state. Chinese in California built ships for fishing along our coast and developed the abalone and shrimp industries. In the Delta and the central valley, the Chinese in California helped to recover the tule swamps, to build irrigation systems, and to harvest various fruits and vegetables for California’s agriculture industry; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature enacted discriminatory laws targeting Chinese in America and Chinese immigrants in order to discourage further immigration from China and sought to severely limit the success of the Chinese laborers already here; and

WHEREAS, Among other things, these laws denied the Chinese in California the right to own land or property, the right to vote, and the right to marry a white person, denied children of Chinese descent access to public schools, denied Chinese immigrants the right to bear arms, unfairly targeted women of Chinese descent by imposing special requirements in order for them to be allowed to immigrate into the state, authorized the removal of Chinese immigrants to outside town and city limits, denied Chinese laborers employment in public works projects and through state agencies, prohibited the issuance of licenses to Chinese in California, denied Chinese in California the right to fish in California’s waters, and unduly taxed Chinese businesses and individuals who employed Chinese laborers; and

WHEREAS, Chinese in California were denied the right to testify as a witness in any action or proceeding in which a white person was a party, pursuant to a state law which was upheld in People v. Hall (1854) 4 Cal. 399. As a result of the decision to place Chinese in California outside of the protection of the law, many Chinese in California were left extremely vulnerable to violence and abuse; and

WHEREAS, Chinese in California faced further discrimination under local ordinances which targeted traditional Chinese culture and customs. Laws were enacted forcing Chinese men in San Francisco to cut off their traditional queues, banning the Chinese traditional style of transporting fruits and vegetables, unjustly raising taxes on Chinese-owned laundromats, targeting the Chinese custom of disinterring the remains of their deceased to send back to China for proper burial, and forcing the Chinese in San Francisco to live within an area that was considered unsanitary and unsafe to ordinary individuals. These laws were enacted in order to impose shame and humiliation on Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants; and

WHEREAS, California lobbied Congress for years to strictly prohibit immigration from China, and in 1882, was successful in convincing Congress to enact the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first federal law ever passed excluding a group of immigrants solely on the basis of race or nationality. The Chinese Exclusion Act set the precedent for racist foreign and national policy that led to broader exclusion laws and fostered an environment of racism that quickly led to the Jim Crow laws of the 1880s and further segregation legislation that would tear our nation apart through most of the 20th century; and

WHEREAS, Paradoxically, the very same year that the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, financing abroad was completed for the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a sign of freedom and democracy and was built and presented to the United States at the same time that Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants were being denied freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty is our nation’s great symbol of hope and justice for all who live, and all who wish to live, in the United States of America. While the Statue of Liberty was being built, legislators were contradicting those very ideals by discriminating against Chinese immigrants and lobbying Congress to do the same; and

WHEREAS, The Chinese Exclusion Act, which originally expired in 1892, was extended by Congress for 10 years in the form of the Geary Act and made permanent in 1902. It remained in effect until it was repealed in 1943 as a result of the alliance forged between China and the United States during World War II. The Chinese were once again allowed to immigrate to the United States, and shortly thereafter California’s Angel Island ceased to be used as a detainment center for Chinese immigrants; and

WHEREAS, Former Article XIX of the California Constitution, which was adopted in 1879 and unfairly targeted and discriminated against Chinese living in California, remained in effect for 73 years until it was repealed in 1952; and

WHEREAS, Despite decades of systematic, pervasive, and sustained discrimination, Chinese living in California persevered and went on to make significant contributions to the growth and success of our state; and

WHEREAS, Today, Californians of Chinese descent occupy leading roles in politics, business, and academia. The contributions of Chinese Americans to the State of California are vast and irreplaceable. They have played a central role in turning California’s university system, technology industry, businesses, and agriculture into a world power; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That diversity is one of our state’s greatest strengths, enabling California to thrive economically, agriculturally, technologically, academically, and politically at an international level. Our great state has relied on immigrants of all backgrounds to build our infrastructure, and integrating them into our society not only helps them prosper, but helps California prosper as well; and be it further

Resolved, That while this nation was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and while we pay tribute to the great American creed “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” which stands at the base of America’s Statue of Liberty, a symbol of hope for all who live, and all who wish to live, in the United States of America, we recognize that the practices of our state and its government have not always honored that promise. Ours is a state with an imperfect history where intolerance spurred the enactment of unjust discriminatory laws that have too often denied minority groups access to the promise of America, that all men are created equal. Today that struggle continues, and learning from our past will help enable us to travel further down the path toward building a more perfect Union; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature apologizes to the Chinese people for the enactment of past discriminatory laws and constitutional provisions which resulted in the persecution of Chinese living in California, which forced them to live in fear of unjust prosecutions on baseless charges, and which unfairly prevented them from earning a living. The Legislature reaffirms its commitment to preserving the rights of all people and celebrating the contributions that all immigrants have made to this state and nation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature requests Congress to adopt resolutions of apology to the Chinese American community for the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Laws; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.