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IMMIGRATION
Viewpoint
Immigration Steps
Punish Economy
Cincinnati Business Courier
September 7, 2007 by Charleston Wang

After months of lobbying by the Bush
administration and weeks after the failure of
Congress to pass comprehensive
immigration reform, the Department of
Homeland Security unveiled plans to crack
down on employers. "Until Congress
chooses to act, we are going to be taking
some energetic steps on our own,"
Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff said, adding: "This is not an effort to
punish Congress."

Is the idea now to punish illegal aliens by
punishing American companies that hire
workers with "no-match" Social Security
numbers with criminal charges and hefty
fines - and also punishing the American
economy along the way? In my opinion, this
approach shows a disconnect with the
realities of the labor marketplace. ......

To read the entire Letter by
Charleston Wang published in the
website of CINCINNATI BUSINESS
COURIER go to:
http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/20
07/09/10/editorial3.html?page=2

On 07/26/2007, a federal judge declared
unconstitutional the entire ordinance passed
during July 2006 by the City of Hazleton,
Pennsylvania. U.S. District Court Judge
James M. Munley, in a well analyzed 206 page
opinion, ruled that "Federal law prohibits
Hazleton from enforcing any of its provisions of
its ordinances." Hazleton had sought to
impose fines on businesses that hire and
penalize landlords who rent to undocumented
immigrants. The Court found that the city
exceeded its police powers, violated the
Supremacy Clause of the U. S. Constitution
(upon which federal preemption is based),
violated the 14th Amendment (both Due
Process & Equal Protection Clauses) and
violated the freedom to contract of illegal
aliens, who are held to be "persons" under our
federal civil rights statutes and more
important, under our U. S. Constitution. The
City intends to appeal. To read the decision,
click here.

This federal court ruling casts doubt on the
enforceability of numerous, but similar local
legislation promulgated by towns and cities in
the rush to control the estimated 12 million
undocumented immigrants within the United
State, including that of Sycamore Township in
Hamilton County, Ohio. Trustees there on
6/21/2007 voted to fine any contractor on a
township project $5,000 or 10% of the total
value of the project, whichever is higher, if that
contractor is caught using illegal immigrants.

Not to be deterred or discouraged are Ohio
Representative Courtney Combs and Senator
Gary Cates, who at the urging of Sheriff
Richard Jones of Butler County, Ohio are
proposing to jointly introduce into the Ohio
Legislature, yet another round of bills directed
at undocumented immigrants. They propose
to:
o Require public employers to use a "status
verification system" when hiring new
employees.
o Require jails and prisons to make a
reasonable effort to determine inmate
citizenship.
o Prohibit employers from laying off citizen
employees in favor of aliens.
o Require public agencies to verify that people
who apply for certain public benefits are U.S.
citizens or "qualified aliens."
o Regulate non-resident tuition and fees at
state colleges and universities.
o Establish a fraudulent-documents
identification unit within the Ohio Department
of Public Safety to catch fake IDs.

To read draft of the Ohio immigration statute
as proposed by Mr. Combs, click here.

On 09/29/2006, the U, S. Senate by a vote of 80-19
gave congressional approval for a 700 mile fence
along the U.S.-Mexico border. This bill was signed
into law by President Bush on 10/04/2006.

On 09/21/2006, the U S House of Representatives
approved 3 bills aimed at controlling the border. A
bill to criminalize the building of border tunnels
passed unanimously. A bill giving authority to state
and local governments to enforce federal immigration
laws passed by 277-140. A proposal to allow U.S.
agents to detain dangerous illegal immigrants beyond
6 months if they cannot otherwise be deported and
speed up deportation of criminal immigrants,
especially illegal immigrants who are gang members
passed 328-95. Earlier in the week, the House also
passed a bill to require voters beginning in 2010 to
present at the federal election polls photo
identification that also proves citizenship. Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist wants a quick approval on
the House bill but there is no agreement in the U S
Senate which has indicated preference for
comprehensive immigration reform.

OTHER NEWS
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his 2004 Nissan Titan and about $300,000 in cash which were seized during the
immigration raid. Jiang will be arraigned in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Ohio. The immigration charges allege that Jiang had helped
illegal immigrants enter the United States, transported them to and from his
restaurant and had been providing them a place to live in a house owned by Jiang.
Jiang was arrested from his home during an immigration raid on 06/05/2006. If
convicted, Jiang is facing up to 30 years in prison and he will be facing deportation
charges after serving his sentence.

On 03/11/2006, Sister Alice Gerdeman of the
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center spoke in
support of the McCain- Kennedy immigration reform
bill (also known as Secure America & Orderly
Immigration Act) at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral,
Cincinnati. The keynote speaker was Leo
Anchondo, National Manager of the Justice for
Immigrants Campaign. The complex issue of
immigration reform and the plethora of opposing bills
promise to take up much energy of Congress.

04/21/2006: Feds Raid Workplaces for
Undocumented Immigrants. On Wednesday, federal
Immigration Agents of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security conducted coordinated
operations at 40 plants run by IFCO Systems North
America across the nation, including one in
Evendale, Ohio. Detained were a handful of
company executives and a greater number of
undocumented workers. Secretary Michael Chertoff
announced that this is the kick-off of a comprehensive
federal effort to enforce the immigration law and that
large-scale hiring of illegal immigrants is often a form
of organized crime and laws used against the mob
can be applied against employers.

Colorado Restricts Benefits to Undocumented
Immigrants. On 07/11/2006, the state of Colorado
passed a bill that would bar adult undocumented
immigrants in that state from receiving most
non-emergency state benefits such as health care
including Medicaid and Medicare, unemployment
insurance, energy assistance programs and aging and
adult services. All persons, estimated to number
about 1 million, applying for or renewing state and
federal public assistance must prove legal residency.
An estimated 50,000 persons can be denied benefits
under this bill which passed the Colorado Senate by
a vote of 22-13 and the state House 48-15, both of
which have a majority of Democrats. The bill also
requires employers to verify the status of employees
and an employer can be penalized for "reckless
disregard." Republican Governor Bill Owens is
expected to sign the bill into state law, one that is
touted as the toughest in the Nation. The
constitutionality of this non-federal law under
federalism is yet to be determined.

U. S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEPORTATION:
On 06/22/2006, the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the
deportation of a truck driver who had lived in the U. S.
for the last 20+ years. In the case of
Fernandez-Vargas v. Gonzales, 04-1376, the Court by
a vote of 8-1 held that he was subject to the stricter
provisions of the 1996 amendments to the
Immigration and Nationality Act (Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 aka
IIRIRA) which bars a person who had been deported
from getting any immigration benefits upon reentry.
Mr. Fernandez- Vargas had been previously deported
several times since the 1970's and after his
deportation in 1982, he again returned to the U.S.,
became a father, started a trucking business, and in
2001, married his longtime girlfriend who was a U.S.
Citizen. None of these facts persuaded the Court to
grant relief from removal to Mexico. Instead, the
Court held that the reinstatement statute could be
retroactively applied to a pre-1996 deportation order
of the Immigration Court. Justice Stevens filed the
lone dissent, citing "harsh consequences ... to
thousands of individuals."

04/17/2006 UPDATE: Today, Georgia Governor
Sunny Perdue signed into law at the state level a bill
which requires verification of adults seeking
state-administered benefits for legal immigration
status, penalizes employers who knowingly hire
undocumented immigrants, requires that companies
with state contracts check the immigration status of
employees, and directs state police to check the
immigration status of people under arrest. The
constitutional viability of this new state law in the
face of federal primacy in immigration matters is yet
to be tested.

VACATION GRIDLOCK. As of 04/07, the U. S. Senate
was deadlocked over amendments to the draft issued
by the Judiciary Committee. The politicians took off
for Spring recess without reaching agreement on
immigration reform which is more comprehensive
than the proposal passed by the U.S. House of
Representatives in December 2005, and provides for
guest workers and a pathway for illegal immigrations
to gain legal status over a period of time by paying a
monetary penalty, showing a record of payment of
taxes, demonstrating the ability to speak English, and
a crime-free record. The House version seeks to
drastically tighten immigration enforcement, impose
heavier penalties on employers, construct a high-tech
fence along the southern border, and increase the
use of criminal sanctions. The dilemma of
immigration reform has not only deeply fractured the
Senate and revealed a massive rift between the two
houses of Congress. When the Congress reconvenes,
it is not apparent that federal immigration reform can
be achieved this mid-term election year.

U. S. CONGRESS HINTS AT A LACK OF INTEREST IN
GRANTING PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP THIS YEAR.
On 06/20/2006, GOP legislators, after attending a
strategy session with House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert,
declared that the legislative priority this election year
is to enact laws that secure the border. Pointing to
polls taken recently, and to the recent campaign
experience of Rep. Brian Bilbray who won a special
election this month in the San Diego area, GOP
members of Congress suggested giving a low priority to
legislation that provide for a pathway to citizenship for
undocumented immigrations already in the United
States.   Speaker Hastert said that while planning to
open hearings in August, he would not set a firm
time-line for the completion of immigration hearings
in the House. Community hearings directly involving
the public are in the plans and may begin as early as
July.   Hastert and other Republican leadership
avoided answering questions pertaining to the
time-frame for the compromise with the Senate
version which favors comprehensive immigration
reform, again suggesting that the possibility of
compromise will be remote, especially on the
question of "amnesty." Members of the House who
run for office every two years tend to be more sensitive
to public opinion which they believe to be prevailing
in the short-term while Senators, who hold six year
terms, are able to take a longer term view on public
policy. The President has signaled preference for
comprehensive immigration reform along the lines of
the Senate proposal. The divisiveness of immigration
reform will heat up politically at the grass-roots even
as the nation enters the first days of summer and
politicians will be scrambling before their various
constituencies for electoral advantage on this
question .

On 04/23/2006, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), who
chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced
that he is ready to re-open the debate on immigration
reform soon after Congress returns on Monday from
spring recess. This sentiment is echoed by Senator
Bill Frist (R-TN), the Majority Leader of the Senate,
who went further to say that he expects Senate
passage of immigration reform by Memorial Day. Not
to be left behind, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) said
passage can happen in Senate if "the administration
will weigh in and the president will take a leadership
role on this," and he further called for a bi-partisan,
comprehensive bill. If and when a bill is passed by
the Senate, it must then be compromised with HR
4437, the Sesenbrenner Bill, a strict enforcement
oriented version passed in the House of
Representatives since December 2005. The two
versions are very far apart in approach.

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID HOME IN FAIRFIELD, OHIO.
On 06/05/2006, agents of the U. S. Immigration &
Customs Enforcement with the assistance of City of
Fairfield Police raided a home and detained 10
persons on federal immigration charges. Detained
were the owner and employees of Bee's Buffet located
on Nilles Road in Fairfield.

On 5/19/2006, the U. S. Senate by a vote of 62-36
approved a comprehensive immigration bill that
balances border security with America's need for
immigration labor. Both Senators Voinovich and
DeWine from Ohio voted in favor of passage. The
Senate version will go to the House of Representatives
for final compromise. The House version is concerned
only with border security and if a compromise is made,
then the bill can go to the President for signature into
national law. Mr. Bush has signaled preference for
comprehensive immigration reform. The Senate
provides for the following: Addition of 1,000 new
Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011,
short-term deployment of National Guard to the
southern border, the construction of 370 miles of
triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers
and new surveillance equipment, new guest worker
program of 200,000 individuals a year and 1.5 million
temporary agricultural workers who eventually may
self-petition for permanent residency. Persons who have
been unlawfully present for five years or more would be
permitted to remain, continue working and eventually
apply for citizenship, but must pay at least $3,250 in
fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English.
Those with between two and five years must exit to a
point of entry before re-entering and are subject to the
same fines, fees and requirements. Those in the
country illegally for less than two years must leave with
no guarantee of reentry.

Key issues are how to
secure America's
borders, and what to
do with an estimated
11 - 12 million
undocumented aliens -
whether to grant them
amnesty, guest worker
status, or deport them
as felons?

Do YOU have a
comment on
these ISSUES?
To chip in and
be heard, click
here.

On 04/24/2006, President Bush, speaking before a
business gathering in Orange County, California,
suggested that he preferred the more comprehensive
Senate plan than the enforcement oriented HR 4437
passed by the House of Representatives in December,
2006. Unfortunately, the draft proposed by the
Senate Judiciary Committee has not been approved
by the full Senate due to partisan wrangling. Senate
leaders have called upon the President to assist in
making immigration reform a reality this year, but a
second-term president with record low approval
figures may have much difficulty in jawboning the
severely divided legislature to compromise during this
mid-term election year. On the same day, the federal
crackdown continued with the arrest in Florida of 183
alien fugitives (under deportation orders) and other
immigration law violators.

On 5/19/2006, as part of immigration reform, the United
States Senate approved two complementary proposals
in support of the use of the English language in the
United States. First, by a vote of 63-34, the Senate
declared English as the national language because it
will promote national unity. Next, in deference to
critics, the Senate also approved by a vote of 58-39, an
alternate proposal to make English the nation's
"common and unifying language." Both versions will
go to the House of Representatives, along with the rest
of immigration reform, for final compromise before an
English language bill is presented to the President for
signature into law. Mr. Bush signaled that he would
accept either one of the two proposals.

BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF ARRESTS, THEN
RELEASES SUSPECTED UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANTS. On 5/18/2006, Sheriff Deputies were
summoned to a Wayne Township construction site on
report of an argument. They found a group of workers on
the site and upon the authority of the Butler County
Sheriff, 18 of the men were taken into custody on
suspicion of being undocumented aliens. On the same
day, the 18 were released without being charged. On
5/19, Sheriff Rick Jones explained that he had released
the men because he lacked the authority to enforce
immigration law. U S Immigration Enforcement's
resident Agent-in-Charge Richard Wilkens confirmed that
the arrests had been made without the knowledge of the
federal authorities and that the Sheriff generally may
make an arrest only if he was charging those arrested of
breaking Ohio law. This unusual episode has the
unfortunate effect of reinforcing the public impression
that America's border is broken.

On 04/25/2006, President Bush held a plenary session
with leading Senators from both parties to discuss
completion of immigration reform in the U. S. Senate.
The Senate and the House of Representatives must
then agree on a final bill for the signature of the
President.

On 04/25/2006, the United States Supreme Court
heard oral arguments in the case of Mohawk
Industries v. Williams, 05-465. This case involved a
civil lawsuit brought by some Georgia workers and the
Bush Administration against a company which
manufactures floor coverings under federal
anti-racketeering statutes (RICO). The company was
accused of using recruiters to hire undocumented
workers and thus driving down the wage for legal
employees. During oral argument, despite a 1996
amendment which included immigration law
violations under RICO, a number of Justices
expressed skepticism that a statute which was
intended to fight organized crime could be applied
against a corporation engaged in commercial
activity, and whether such recruiting rose to an
"illegal enterprise" under RICO. A written decision
will be issued later this term by the highest Court in
the land.

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On 5/15/2006, President George W. Bush gave a
prime-time television address to set forth his vision for
immigration reform. In a concession to conservatives,
he agreed that the southern border was broken, and
promised to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops
to help secure the border against unauthorized crossings
into the United States. The President gave his support
for a guest worker program. Mr. Bush also outlined his
prerequisites for the gradual naturalization of
undocumented immigrants. These are (1) payment of a
fine for breaking the law, (2) a record of paying taxes, (3)
absence of a criminal record, and (4) the ability to speak
English. This is the first instance of this President
addressing domestic policy from the Oval Office via
prime-time television.

On 04/27/2006, federal agents of U S Immigration &
Customs Enforcement, in conjunction with the Butler
County Sheriff arrested 10 persons in Hamilton,
Middletown, Fairfield, and West Chester Township.
These persons were detained pursuant to federal and
local warrants and being held in a federal facility in
Cincinnati. They are being processed by the federal
government for deportation from the United States. All
but one were picked up at residences and one was
arrested at the workplace. To date, no employer has
been charged. According to Sheriff Richard K Jones
of Butler County, often outspoken about federal
inaction, further enforcement sweeps are to be
expected.

On 05/09/2006, the U. S. Department of Home Security
- Immigration & Customs Enforcement, after an two year
investigation, conducted an arrest sweep. Targeted
was Fischer Homes located in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
In addition to a search and arrests at the corporate
office, construction sites in Hebron, Union, and
Florence, raids were made at residences. 4 supervisors
and 76 workers were detained. Fischer Homes has
denied any immigration violations and the case against
those detained will proceed in Federal District Court for
Eastern Kentucky which is located in Covington,
Kentucky. Commentng on the raid, the federal
government issued a "no tolerance" statement against
future employers who hire or "harbor" undocumented
workers.

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EATING IN AMERICA WITHOUT CHOPSTICKS

But ever since my childhood days in multicultural Malaysia, I acquired the habit of using a fork
at meals. Once at table, a dinner guest, a friend of my wife who is also from Taiwan, saw me
commence to eat without chopsticks and asked me, in a sharp, disapproving tone in Chinese,
this question: “Why are you [a Chinese] not using chopsticks?” The first time this happened
to me, it was in my home where I was the host, and the outspoken objector, my invited
guest. I was frankly taken completely by surprise and my jaw dropped and I had a hard time
keeping the food from falling out. There was an awkward silence for what seemed like
infinity. I looked at him and saw that he had been properly provided with chopsticks. He
glared back at me. It was I, the host and master of the house (together with my wife) who
was affronting him, a dinner guest! A range of emotions passed through my brain. Finally, I
decided to keep my decorum and out of sheer courtesy for my guest, for he was not only a
friend of my wife, but also her former tutor, I quietly asked my wife to bring me a pair of
chopsticks. A broad smile beamed from my guest and dinner was finished before things got
too cold.

I have had this same protest directed at me at other Chinese social events. Over the years, as I
grew older and more set in my ways, I simply smile at my detractor, silently dismiss the
comment as a lack of dining etiquette and continue eating Chinese food with a fork, as I
preferred. These days, when I felt sufficiently feisty, I even rebuke that person for not
speaking in English, as the chopsticks demand is inevitably made in Chinese .

I feel the same way about the failure to use English in public, and especially in political
discourse. This is why I feel that it is a poor idea to publicly sing the “Star-Spangled Banner,”
especially in the context of political protest, in any other language than the original composed
English by Francis Scott Key in 1814. And so it is for "Nuestro Himno."

An Opinion by Charleston C. K. Wang, Publisher.

The photograph above shows one of the two now
infamous "ILLEGAL ALIENS HERE" signs posted by
Sheriff Richard K. Jones in front of the Butler County
Jail in the City of Hamilton, Ohio.

IMMIGRATION REFORM 2008

Key issues are how to secure
America's borders, and what to
do with an estimated 11 - 12
million undocumented aliens -
whether to grant them amnesty,
guest worker status, or deport
them as felons?

Do YOU have a comment
on these ISSUES? To
chip in and be heard, click
here.

OPINION

The New Colossus
Emma Lazarus (1883)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome;
her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she
With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I love eating Chinese food and especially that cooked by
my dear mother. To this day, I adhere to the belief that
Chinese Cuisine is the best in the world. After we were
married in Cincinnati, my wife and I would invite our old
friends to our home for dinner. My wife, who was born in
Taiwan, also cooks Chinese and loves to serve Chinese
food to dinner guests.

Those who would give up
Essential Liberty to
purchase a little Temporary
Safety, deserve neither
Liberty nor Safety -
Benjamin Franklin (1759).

Abraham was an Immigrant: A Theological Reflection

Abraham is widely accepted as a patriarch of the three
great monotheistic faiths of the World. Abraham was an
immigrant. His father, Terah was from the land of Ur of
the Chaldeans (somewhere in present day Iraq) and while
the tribe was resting at Haran, Terah died. Abraham, then
known as Abram, heard God tell him to get out of his country and from his father's
house to a land that God will reveal. Abram, whose obedience is renowned,
complied. .... For rest of reflection click here .

Click Here to read Op-Ed in
Cincinnati Enquirer 7/20/06

On 09/07/2006, Jing Fei Jiang, 37, the owner of
Bee's Buffet on Nilles Road in Fairfield, Ohio was
indicted by a federal grand jury with 12 counts of
criminal violations of federal immigration law and
making a false statement on a loan application.
The federal government is also seeking forfeiture of
his assets which includes two parcels of real estate,

To read the antil-alien House Bill 654
introduced by Representative Bill Seitz of
Cincinnati in the previous term of Ohio
General Assembly which failed to pass
cl ick here.

TO SEE THE
CALENDER OF
COMING
EVENTS, CLICK
HERE

IMMIGRATION NEWS

WANG NEWS SERVICE
An Independent Source of News & Views

Photos above and below: During mid-day 6/19/2007, a children's rally occurred in front of
Cincinnati City Hall to demonstrate that immigration reform is a local issue with impact on children
and their families in the Greater Cincinnati area. The rally emphasized that family unity is an
integral part to any immigration reform, whether it takes the form of allowing a means for parents
of children to become legal, or for those that are already legal and perhaps even U.S. citizens to
still be able to petition for their close relatives, such as adult children and parents, to rejoin the
family living here, or for American citizens who have open their hearts and have included in their
families, children adopted from other countries. Family has been and hopefully still is one of our
most important American values.

The children then entered City Hall and were treated to a reception by the Inter-Ethnic Council of
Greater Cincinnati. Jeanne Marie Brightfire Stophlet, Education Director of IECGC gifted the
children with animal pins and told them stories on the importance of each animal to its
community. The adults accompanying the children were gifted with Native American shawls. After
refreshing themselves with candy and water, the children went upstairs and sat in for a while in a
city council session and then walked down the hall to see the offices of the members of council as
their introduction to American government at the local level.

Natalie Fair-Albright is interviewed
about the children's rally

WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE,
WITH CHARITY FOR ALL ...
With fewer than six weeks before his untimely death,
President Abraham Lincolnsaid these words:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God
gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up
the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting
peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Now nearly a century and a half later, these enduring words carry the same
wisdom for us. While not facing the aftermath of four years of bloody civil war,
we, nonetheless, are a people in need of healing among ourselves and with all
nations. Four years after invading Iraq and expenditure of lives and treasure, we
are faced with a stalemate and quite possibly withdrawal in the midst of sectarian
civil war in that country.   At home the Senate just voted, once again, to set aside
much needed comprehensive immigration reform because some see an invasion
of illegal aliens who do not deserve amnesty.

President Bush who prematurely declared “Mission Accomplished” vis-à-vis Iraq,
and “See you are the signing,” respecting legislation on immigration reform is
burdened with record low approval ratings   The Congress too has similar or even
lower ratings by the people who elected them. The American people, facing the
humiliation of the lack of progress in the war in Iraq and the looming specter of an
ignominious retreat is understandably divided, frustrated, and angry.   In my
opinion, it is this division, coupled with the inability of the President to rally the
national will, that are the reasons for the failure to complete long overdue reform
of our federal immigration law.

I fear worse.   Given the inability of America to succeed in Iraq, our national
psyche will pressure some of us to turn our frustration inward against those who
are politically most vulnerable amongst ourselves, the undocumented immigrant.
If we cannot impose our will in Iraq, we can surely get our way against those who
break our immigration laws. But before we raise the hue and cry once again to
round up and deport all those who do not have proper immigration papers, let all
of us pacify our spirits, calm our hearts, and focus our reason by reflecting on the
immortal words of our great martyr for freedom: "With malice towards none,
with charity for all …"

An Opinion by Charleston C. K. Wang - July 16, 2007

A Footnote on the City of Hazelton: Hazleton
has a population of 31,000 and once was a key
coal mining town which during the end of 19th
century drew its labor from Eastern Europe.
Ironically, Hazleton was the hub of the Lattimer
Mine which provided coal to the Bethlehem
steel mills. On 9/10/1897, a sheriff's posse
fired on unarmed labor strikers comprised of
Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Italian and
Hungarian anthracite miners, killing 19 and
wounding 3 dozen more, some whom later
died. This bloody incident is remembered as a
turning point in the American labor movement
as reports of the shooting drew nationwide
sympathy for the plight of Slavic immigrants
and added 15,000 to the membership of the
United Mine Workers. During recent years, the
Latino population in Hazleton had risen from
5% to 30%. The Hazleton ordinance appears
to have severe constitutional defects as it
contravenes the Congressional preemption of
immigration policy and has drawn a pledge
from civil rights groups to have the legislation
reviewed in court.

LULAC OPPOSES COMBS IMMIGRATION
PROPOSAL FOR OHIO ASSEMBLY

On 8/10/2007 the League of United Latin
American Citizens (LULAC) sent a 4 page
letter to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland setting
forth opposition to the Immigration Bill to be
proposed by Ohio Representative Courtney
Combs of Butler County for the 127th General
Assembly.   The letter contends that Mr.
Combs’ assertion that “illegal immigration is
causing economic hardship and
lawlessness in Ohio” unfairly sensationalizes
the issue and that the Combs proposal
merely restates federal provisions.   Instead,
the LULAC letter points out that
"undocumented immigrants typically provides
sorely-needed labor to United States
industries that lack sufficient workers," and
"work in some of the lowest paying and
toughest jobs in the nation." The LULAC
letter opposes the Combs proposal because
“by granting local law enforcement
immigration authority, the state of Ohio will
create a society of fear,” and immigration
reform should be left as a federal topic.   The
letter was signed by Mr. Jason Riveiro, Ohio
Deputy Director LULAC.

To read the entire LULAC letter including 16
footnotes to references, click here.

To read draft of the Ohio immigration statute
proposed by Mr. Combs, click here.

FIRST MIAMI VALLEY
IMMIGRATION FORUM
Challenges and Opportunities for Immigrants in the Dayton Area

ARCHBISHOP DANIEL E. PILARCZYK ADDRESSES
IMMIGRATION REFORM

Click on Photo

On 03/31/2006, the Cincinnati Coalition for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform presented a
gathering of religious leaders in support of
immigration reform at the Cathedral of St. Peter in
Chains, Cincinnati, Ohio. Archbishop Daniel E.
Pilarczyk made an opening statement together with
Cincinnati Councilmember David Crowley, and many
others, urging the U. S. Congress to pass immigration
reform that is comprehensive and fair.

Click on Photo

Photos above: On 10/6/07, students from various
campus organizations of Miami University, Oxford
Ohio, held a Peace Rally for Immigration Rights in
downtown Hamilton, Ohio, at the corner of
Monument and High Streets. An organizer of the
event is Christ Scott, a junior majoring in American
& Latin American Studies who said that "it was
important to support Latinos and their families
especially those separated by immigration raids and
to publicly show that there are people in Butler
County who support them." Angela VanHorn,
President of Student Activists for Language &
Cultural Exchange (SALCE) explained that "the rally
is to remind the community of the human rights of
immigrants and to urge the public to see that there
are two sides to the issue" and she hopes that "the
people of Butler County through education will be
better able to understand immigrants." Robert
Winslow who is majoring in economics added that "it
is wrong to treat immigrants as less than human."
Members of SALCE teach English to non-native
speakers at various locations in Fairfield and
Hamilton and help them make new friends in a
comfortable environment. To contact SALCE, click
here.

Immigration Panel At
HUMAN RELATIONS SUMMIT,
11/19/2007, City of Cincinnati
Human Relations Commission

On 2/27/08, Charleston C. K. Wang, Esq.
delivered the Keynote Luncheon Address: "Primal Fears & Hope Eternal"
Shown in photo above is Professor Theo Majka (right) welcoming Mr. Wang.

On 3/3/08, the Wise Center hosted a forum on immigration issues.
Photo shows Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass introducing from right to
left Brooke Menschel, Assistant Legislative Director, American
Jewish Comittee, D.C., Amy Marmer Nice, Esq. Dickstein, Shapiro,
LLP, D.C. and Prof. Monica Schneider, Miami University, Ohio.

IMMIGRATION PANEL AT
WISE TEMPLE CENTER

BY VOTING WE SAY NEVER AGAIN TO PEOPLE V. HALL

In the court case of The People v. George W. Hall, the California Supreme Court decided that a
white man cannot be convicted of murder in a court of law by the testimony of Chinese witnesses.
The opinion of that court was mainly based upon the prevailing view that the Chinese were "a race
of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual
development beyond a certain point, as their history has shown; differing in language, opinions,
color, and physical conformation; between whom and ourselves nature has placed an impassable
difference" and as such had no right "to swear away the life of a citizen" or participate "with us in
administering the affairs of our Government." (To read the complete opinion of People v Hall, click
here. Our readers can take cold comfort in the fact that People v. Hall was rendered in 1854, but
can one really afford such an approach?

Are the Chinese a race of people who are “inferior,” “incapable of progress,” and “incapable of
development beyond a certain point?” The Chinese certainly have a different language from
English, Spanish, and German - it can be argued that the color is also different and there are
distinguishing physical traits - but is People v. Hall dead and gone after the baptism by fire and
steel of the American Civil War and with the discovery of civil rights in America?

The answer to this perplexing and disturbing question is that it is and is not.

To say it is not, all we need to do is to look at the recent example the portrayal of Asian Americans
by CNN in its Anderson Cooper 360. To read the protest letter of the Japanese American Citizen's
League, click here. On the positive side, Asian Americans, as citizens of the United States, have
that most fundamental of civil rights – the right to vote. By voting we get to participate in the
selection of our legislators, executive officers, and in Ohio, even our judges. Legislators will make
the statutes that regulate society and the executives such as the President, Governor, and county
Commissioners get to carry out the statutes on a day-to-day basis. Judges will resolve any
constitutional or legal issues regarding the statutes being enforced

The good news is that the 2008 Presidential Elections is coming on the first Tuesday of
November! Never again the likes of People v. Hall. On Election Day, get out there and participate
with America in administering the affairs of our Government. Before we can do anything more, we
must first get out there and VOTE. An opinion by Charleston C. K. Wang updated 3/7/2008.