联邦国会华裔众议员赵美心13日透露,《排华法案》道歉案在国会取得重大突破,该提案有望最早下周在国会众议院表决通过。对于姗姗来迟的道歉案,华人无不欣喜,但一些政治观察人士提醒说,国会道歉并非良心发现,而是看重了华人身上潜在的“价值”,华人要懂得居安思危。
赵美心(Judy Chu)6月13日对外表示,众议院司法委员会主席史密斯(Lamar Smith)与她一同达成了一个两党联合协议,决定让众议院尽快对这个法案进行投票表决并得到通过,法案最早下周将在众议院表决通过。《排华法案》(Chinese Exclusion Act)是一部1882年5月6日美国国会通过的对华人歧视法案,也是美国历史上首部且唯一排除一个民族享有平等、自由的联邦法律。在此后之后,美国又出台了一系列排华法律。1943年为了加强与中国的“二战联盟”,《排华法案》才被废除,但美国始终未就此法案对华人道歉。
在众多华人社团支持下,作为首位华裔国会议员的赵美心一直在寻求国会向华人道歉。2011年5月26日她和两位国会众议员宣布,已向第112届国会递交众议院第282号议案,要求众议院就美国历史上通过的歧视华人法律,包括《排华法案》表示歉意。同天,来自加州和麻州的国会参议员范因斯坦(Dianne Feinstein)、布朗(Scott Brown)也联名向参议院提交了内容相同的第201号议案。2011年10月6日,国会参议院以全票通过法案,为历史上的排华法案表达歉意。如果6月18日众议院通过《排华法案》道歉案,那就意味着美国国会正式向华人道歉。
虽然美国国会向华“低头”姗姗来迟,但依旧使华人感到兴奋,甚至还对国会心怀感激。国会是否当真是良心发现才通过道歉案?观察家并不这样看。他们普遍认为,国会愿意通过《排华法案》道歉案并非心血来潮,这背后有其深刻的原因。从世界大格局看,同意向华人道歉案过与中国崛起密不可分。当下的中国是联合国五个常任理事国之一,且2010年中国经济已超过日本,荣登世界第二。而同样身为大国的美国要处理世界事务,绝对离不开中国。因此,国会对当年的《排华法案》道歉是历史的必然。
但观察家强调,让国会道歉的真正原因,在于在美华人经济条件的改善、文化素质的提升,以及政治地位的提高。放眼美国,华人移民早已不再是“猪仔”,他们的受教育程度也越来越高。在美国,他们已从“劳力阶层”逐步转变为“知识阶层”,从低等行业上升到实业与金融业,从不敢“发声”到参政议政、争取政治权益。在全美,华人已突破400万,是亚裔移民中的最大族群。有调查报告显示,到2020年,华裔将成为全美第三大少数族裔。华裔的隐形潜力绝对不容小觑。
2012年美国大选已经开锣,国会议员换届也随之登场。经济富裕和票源喜人的华人群体,自然被政客们所青睐,争得华人的支持无疑将为自己增加政治筹码。而通过对《排华法案》道歉案,则是拉拢华人的最好手段。
面对国会的道歉,华人不要盲目乐观,而是应该居安思危。有华人学者提醒说,实用主义是美国政客们惯用的伎俩,他们今天笼络华人是有所求,华人绝对不能因此而认为美国会始终对华人以礼相待。华人要做的是继续创造优越的经济条件,保持较高的文化修养,同时还要更加积极参政。让华人在美国的各个领域都能有用武之地,且成为中流砥柱。对于如今的国会道歉案,华人只能将其看作是个开端,后续要做的是“百尺竿头更进一步”。彻底让美国政府和国会对华人另眼相看,才是最终目标。
Chinese House of Representatives of the Federal Congress Zhao Maxim said on the 13th, the "Chinese Exclusion Act" to apologize case a major breakthrough in Congress, the proposal is expected as early as next week to vote in the House of Representatives. For the case of belated apology, the Chinese are all pleased, but some political observers have warned that congressional apology is not conscience, but the value of the Chinese people are the potential "value", the Chinese want to know how to be vigilant in peace.
Zhao Maxim (Judy Chu), announced that on June 13 the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Smith (Lamar Smith) with her reached a bipartisan agreement, decided to let the House vote on this bill as soon as possible and get through the bill early next week will vote in the House of Representatives. The Chinese Exclusion Act (Chinese Exclusion Act) is a May 6, 1882 the United States Congress passed the Act, discrimination against Chinese and American history's first and only exclude a nation enjoy equality, freedom of federal law. Thereafter, after the United States has issued a series of anti-Chinese laws. 1943 in order to strengthen the World War II alliance with China, "Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed, but the United States is not always this connection, bill of Chinese and apologize.
Zhao Maxim as the first ethnic Chinese members of Congress have been seeking the support of many Chinese associations, Congress apologized to Chinese immigrants. May 26, 2011, she and two House of Representatives announced that it has the 112 th Congress to submit to the House of Representatives No. 282 of a motion asking the House of Representatives the history of the United States by discriminating against the Chinese law, including the "Chinese Exclusion Act" to apologize. The same day, from California and Massachusetts Senator Dianne Feinstein (Dianne Feinstein), Brown (Scott Brown) jointly submitted to the Senate No. 201 of the same motion. October 6, 2011, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to apologize for the history of the Chinese Exclusion Act. If the June 18 House of Representatives passed the Chinese Exclusion Act "to apologize case, it means that the U.S. Congress formally apologized to Chinese immigrants.
Although the U.S. Congress to China "bow" long overdue, but still the Chinese are excited about, even to Congress grateful. Congress really conscience only by an apology case? Observers do not think so. They generally believe that the Congress willing to apologize to the Chinese Exclusion Act case is not a whim, behind this there is a profound reason. From the pattern of the world, agreed to apologize to the Chinese case inextricably linked with the rise of China. China today is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations, in 2010 China's economy has surpassed Japan topped the second in the world. The same as a big country, the United States to deal with world affairs, absolutely can not do without China. Therefore, Congress apologized for the "Chinese Exclusion Act is a historical necessity.
But observers stressed that the real reason for Congress to apologize is a US-Chinese economic conditions improve, enhance the quality of cultural, and political improvement of the status. Looking at the United States, Chinese immigrants is no longer the "exploitation", and their level of education is also getting higher and higher. In the U.S., from the "labor class" gradually transformed into the "knowledge class" to the Industry and the financial sector rose from the low industry, never dared to "voice" to participate in politics to fight for political rights. In the U.S., the Chinese have exceeded 4 million, the largest populations of Asian immigrants. Survey, to 2020, Chinese will become the third largest ethnic minority. Chinese stealth potential absolutely can not be underestimated.
The 2012 U.S. presidential election has been staged, members of Congress general also will debut. Economic prosperity and the Chinese community votes gratifying, natural politicians favored to win the support of the Chinese will no doubt increase the political chips. While the by apologize case the Chinese Exclusion Act, it is the best means to win over the Chinese.
The face of congressional apology, the Chinese do not blindly optimistic, but should be vigilant in peace time. Chinese scholars warned that pragmatism is the usual trick of U.S. politicians, and their win over the Chinese have desires, Chinese is absolutely no reason for thinking that the U.S. has always been the Chinese politeness. The Chinese need to do is continue to create favorable economic conditions, to maintain the high culture, but also more active in politics. Chinese in various areas of the United States can have its uses, and has become the mainstay. Congress to apologize for today's case, the Chinese can only be seen as the beginning, and follow-up to do is to "go further". Completely so that the U.S. government and Congress on the Chinese to look at is the ultimate goal.