California 2019-2020 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill AJR34 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Joint Resolution No. 34Introduced by Assembly Member ChiuMarch 11, 2020 Relative to the refugee resettlement process for Southeast Asian Americans. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAJR 34, as introduced, Chiu. Southeast Asian Americans: refugee resettlement process.This measure would commemorate the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States, honor the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States, and recognize the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States. The measure would also oppose the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and urge the President of the United States to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, April 17, 2020, marks the 45th year that the Khmer Rouge began its devastating reign in Cambodia, April 30, 2020, marks the 45th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, December 2, 2020, marks the 45th year since the abolition of the Lao Monarchy, and the beginning of May 2020 marks the 45th year since the Hmong, Lao, and other Lao ethnic minorities from Laos began their evacuation from Laos; andWHEREAS, The year 2020 commemorates the 45th year of the beginning of the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States from their countries of origin or from the refugee camps in the surrounding region where many had escaped; andWHEREAS, Southeast Asian Americans comprise more than 3,000,000 individuals in the United States and include, but are not limited to, the Cham, Hmong, Khmer, Khmer Kampuchea Krom, Khmer Loeu, Khmu, Lahu, Lao, Iu Mien, Montagnards, Phutai, Pnong, Tai Dam, Tai Deng, Tai Lue, and Vietnamese; and WHEREAS, The United States intervened in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia through direct military intervention and covert and clandestine operations; andWHEREAS, The Vietnamese from South Vietnam allied with the United States in opposition to North Vietnam until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and many Vietnamese still suffer lasting trauma from the War, including exposure to Agent Orange and post-traumatic stress disorder; andWHEREAS, The Central Intelligence Agency and various different agencies enlisted the Hmong, Lao, and Laotian ethnic groups in Laos as allies to aid American forces in Southeast Asia, waging a 13-year covert operation called the Secret War against the Pathet Lao; andWHEREAS, The United States heavily bombed Laos as part of a strategy to contain communism in Southeast Asia that left the country as the most heavily bombed country on the planet, with over 580,000 bombing missions between 1964 and 1973; and WHEREAS, Cambodians assisted United States military forces during its occupation of Cambodia; andWHEREAS, The United States dropped 540,000 tons of bombs into Cambodia between 1969 and 1973 against Viet Cong forces located in Cambodia, destabilizing a fragile government, resulting in the rise of the Khmer Rouge, and leading to the genocide of an estimated 2,000,000 Cambodians; and WHEREAS, Over 3,000,000 individuals were displaced by war, conflict, and genocide from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam; and WHEREAS, From 1975 to the mid-2000s, the United States accepted over 1,200,000 Southeast Asians escaping the Vietnam War, persecution in Laos, and Khmer Rouge genocide of Cambodia; andWHEREAS, The resettlement of Southeast Asians to the United States typically placed many individuals and families in communities with inadequate financial, long-term resettlement support and many of these individuals and their children languished in severe poverty; andWHEREAS, Many Southeast Asian American refugees have thrived and contributed greatly to the economic, educational, military, political, and social culture of the United States since their resettlement; andWHEREAS, Despite the success of many Southeast Asian Americans, many still face economic, educational, and linguistic barriers in the United States; in particular, a significant percentage of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian Americans endure severe poverty, lack English proficiency, experience educational barriers, and face unique health disparities as survivors of war and genocide; andWHEREAS, The war on poverty including the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act decreased resources for low-income, refugee, and immigrant communities to transform from generational poverty; and WHEREAS, As survivors of war and genocide, Southeast Asian Americans still face disparate health outcomes including higher rates of physical, mental, and chronic health challenges, including over 60 percent of Cambodians and a significant number of other Southeast Asian Americans who continue to experience post-traumatic stress disorder; and WHEREAS, Children of the survivors of war and genocide, first and second generation Southeast Asian Americans, have intergenerational, compounded trauma that has created poor mental health conditions and educational barriers; and WHEREAS, Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) are critical to the postsecondary success of Southeast Asian American students, many of whom are from underresourced communities or are the first in their families to go to college; and WHEREAS, Half of Southeast Asian Americans have not attended college for any period of time, and AANAPISIs helped close this gap by providing vulnerable students with the resources needed to help navigate complex educational systems and a community to strengthen their identity; and WHEREAS, On September 17, 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act and on December 5, 2019, the Senate passed the amended FUTURE Act to reauthorize funding permanently for AANAPISIs; and WHEREAS, The war on drugs, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, expansion of the incarceration system, and overpolicing of low-income refugee communities resulted in a significant number of Southeast Asian Americans coming into contact with the criminal justice system; and WHEREAS, The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 expanded the definition of what type of crime could result in deportation and limited due process protections for immigrants, refugees, and other noncitizens, and the act also allowed the expanded definition to be applied retroactively without proper consideration of an individuals lived circumstances; and WHEREAS, More than 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans, many of whom were refugees, currently live in the United States with a final order of removal and over 2,000 have already been deported since 1998; andWHEREAS, Many individuals are United States residents who are more than 10 years removed from the time of their criminal convictions, and have now become pillars of their communities, homeowners, fathers, mothers, caregivers, and great tenure employees; and WHEREAS, The Trump administrations approach to deportation breaks up families and, in some cases, the returnees have never lived in their country of origin, speak the language, nor have a living relative; and WHEREAS, In December of 2018, a total of 55 House members and 13 Senators signed onto two separate letters by Representative Judy Chu and Pramila Jayapal and Senators Mazie Hirono and Kamala Harris to the President, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State urging fiscal restraint in the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans; and WHEREAS, In December of 2018, an additional 22 members of the House signed onto a letter to the Department of Homeland Security opposing renegotiations of the bilateral United States and Vietnam memorandum of understanding that would strip deportation protections from Vietnamese Americans who arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995, from deportation; and WHEREAS, On December 10, 2019, Members of the House of Representatives introduced the New Way Forward Act to restore due process protections to immigrants and provide immigration judges discretion to waive orders of deportation for certain removal immigrants, including many Southeast Asian Americans; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature:(1) Commemorates the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States.(2) Honors the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States.(3) Recognizes the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States.(4) Opposes the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.(5) Urges President Donald J. Trump and his administration to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago because the House of Representatives honors these individuals as they hold fast to American values of rehabilitation and the need for second chances.(6) Continues to pursue comprehensive policies that ensure equity and justice for Southeast Asian American communities, including in education and health.(7) Honors the United States responsibility to refugees, immigrants, and new Americans in this community; and be it further.Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 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.
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3	3	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Joint Resolution No. 34Introduced by Assembly Member ChiuMarch 11, 2020 Relative to the refugee resettlement process for Southeast Asian Americans. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAJR 34, as introduced, Chiu. Southeast Asian Americans: refugee resettlement process.This measure would commemorate the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States, honor the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States, and recognize the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States. The measure would also oppose the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and urge the President of the United States to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
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9	9	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION
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11	11	Assembly Joint Resolution
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13	13	No. 34
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15	15	Introduced by Assembly Member ChiuMarch 11, 2020
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17	17	Introduced by Assembly Member Chiu
18	18	March 11, 2020
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20	20	Relative to the refugee resettlement process for Southeast Asian Americans.
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22	22	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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24	24	## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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26	26	AJR 34, as introduced, Chiu. Southeast Asian Americans: refugee resettlement process.
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28	28	This measure would commemorate the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States, honor the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States, and recognize the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States. The measure would also oppose the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and urge the President of the United States to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago.
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30	30	This measure would commemorate the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States, honor the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States, and recognize the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States. The measure would also oppose the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and urge the President of the United States to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago.
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32	32	## Digest Key
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34	34	## Bill Text
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36	36	WHEREAS, April 17, 2020, marks the 45th year that the Khmer Rouge began its devastating reign in Cambodia, April 30, 2020, marks the 45th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, December 2, 2020, marks the 45th year since the abolition of the Lao Monarchy, and the beginning of May 2020 marks the 45th year since the Hmong, Lao, and other Lao ethnic minorities from Laos began their evacuation from Laos; and
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38	38	WHEREAS, The year 2020 commemorates the 45th year of the beginning of the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States from their countries of origin or from the refugee camps in the surrounding region where many had escaped; and
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40	40	WHEREAS, Southeast Asian Americans comprise more than 3,000,000 individuals in the United States and include, but are not limited to, the Cham, Hmong, Khmer, Khmer Kampuchea Krom, Khmer Loeu, Khmu, Lahu, Lao, Iu Mien, Montagnards, Phutai, Pnong, Tai Dam, Tai Deng, Tai Lue, and Vietnamese; and
41	41
42	42	WHEREAS, The United States intervened in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia through direct military intervention and covert and clandestine operations; and
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44	44	WHEREAS, The Vietnamese from South Vietnam allied with the United States in opposition to North Vietnam until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and many Vietnamese still suffer lasting trauma from the War, including exposure to Agent Orange and post-traumatic stress disorder; and
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46	46	WHEREAS, The Central Intelligence Agency and various different agencies enlisted the Hmong, Lao, and Laotian ethnic groups in Laos as allies to aid American forces in Southeast Asia, waging a 13-year covert operation called the Secret War against the Pathet Lao; and
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48	48	WHEREAS, The United States heavily bombed Laos as part of a strategy to contain communism in Southeast Asia that left the country as the most heavily bombed country on the planet, with over 580,000 bombing missions between 1964 and 1973; and
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50	50	WHEREAS, Cambodians assisted United States military forces during its occupation of Cambodia; and
51	51
52	52	WHEREAS, The United States dropped 540,000 tons of bombs into Cambodia between 1969 and 1973 against Viet Cong forces located in Cambodia, destabilizing a fragile government, resulting in the rise of the Khmer Rouge, and leading to the genocide of an estimated 2,000,000 Cambodians; and
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54	54	WHEREAS, Over 3,000,000 individuals were displaced by war, conflict, and genocide from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam; and
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56	56	WHEREAS, From 1975 to the mid-2000s, the United States accepted over 1,200,000 Southeast Asians escaping the Vietnam War, persecution in Laos, and Khmer Rouge genocide of Cambodia; and
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58	58	WHEREAS, The resettlement of Southeast Asians to the United States typically placed many individuals and families in communities with inadequate financial, long-term resettlement support and many of these individuals and their children languished in severe poverty; and
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60	60	WHEREAS, Many Southeast Asian American refugees have thrived and contributed greatly to the economic, educational, military, political, and social culture of the United States since their resettlement; and
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62	62	WHEREAS, Despite the success of many Southeast Asian Americans, many still face economic, educational, and linguistic barriers in the United States; in particular, a significant percentage of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian Americans endure severe poverty, lack English proficiency, experience educational barriers, and face unique health disparities as survivors of war and genocide; and
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64	64	WHEREAS, The war on poverty including the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act decreased resources for low-income, refugee, and immigrant communities to transform from generational poverty; and
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66	66	WHEREAS, As survivors of war and genocide, Southeast Asian Americans still face disparate health outcomes including higher rates of physical, mental, and chronic health challenges, including over 60 percent of Cambodians and a significant number of other Southeast Asian Americans who continue to experience post-traumatic stress disorder; and
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68	68	WHEREAS, Children of the survivors of war and genocide, first and second generation Southeast Asian Americans, have intergenerational, compounded trauma that has created poor mental health conditions and educational barriers; and
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70	70	WHEREAS, Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) are critical to the postsecondary success of Southeast Asian American students, many of whom are from underresourced communities or are the first in their families to go to college; and
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72	72	WHEREAS, Half of Southeast Asian Americans have not attended college for any period of time, and AANAPISIs helped close this gap by providing vulnerable students with the resources needed to help navigate complex educational systems and a community to strengthen their identity; and
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74	74	WHEREAS, On September 17, 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act and on December 5, 2019, the Senate passed the amended FUTURE Act to reauthorize funding permanently for AANAPISIs; and
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76	76	WHEREAS, The war on drugs, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, expansion of the incarceration system, and overpolicing of low-income refugee communities resulted in a significant number of Southeast Asian Americans coming into contact with the criminal justice system; and
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78	78	WHEREAS, The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 expanded the definition of what type of crime could result in deportation and limited due process protections for immigrants, refugees, and other noncitizens, and the act also allowed the expanded definition to be applied retroactively without proper consideration of an individuals lived circumstances; and
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80	80	WHEREAS, More than 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans, many of whom were refugees, currently live in the United States with a final order of removal and over 2,000 have already been deported since 1998; and
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82	82	WHEREAS, Many individuals are United States residents who are more than 10 years removed from the time of their criminal convictions, and have now become pillars of their communities, homeowners, fathers, mothers, caregivers, and great tenure employees; and
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84	84	WHEREAS, The Trump administrations approach to deportation breaks up families and, in some cases, the returnees have never lived in their country of origin, speak the language, nor have a living relative; and
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86	86	WHEREAS, In December of 2018, a total of 55 House members and 13 Senators signed onto two separate letters by Representative Judy Chu and Pramila Jayapal and Senators Mazie Hirono and Kamala Harris to the President, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State urging fiscal restraint in the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans; and
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88	88	WHEREAS, In December of 2018, an additional 22 members of the House signed onto a letter to the Department of Homeland Security opposing renegotiations of the bilateral United States and Vietnam memorandum of understanding that would strip deportation protections from Vietnamese Americans who arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995, from deportation; and
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90	90	WHEREAS, On December 10, 2019, Members of the House of Representatives introduced the New Way Forward Act to restore due process protections to immigrants and provide immigration judges discretion to waive orders of deportation for certain removal immigrants, including many Southeast Asian Americans; now, therefore, be it
91	91
92	92	Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature:
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94	94	(1) Commemorates the 45 years since Southeast Asian Americans began resettling in the United States.
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96	96	(2) Honors the sacrifices made by Southeast Asian American communities on behalf of the United States.
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98	98	(3) Recognizes the contributions of Southeast Asian Americans to the economic, educational, political, and social culture of the United States.
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100	100	(4) Opposes the deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who resettled to the United States as refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
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102	102	(5) Urges President Donald J. Trump and his administration to place an immediate moratorium on the deportation of thousands of Southeast Asian Americans whose crimes occurred more than 5 years ago because the House of Representatives honors these individuals as they hold fast to American values of rehabilitation and the need for second chances.
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104	104	(6) Continues to pursue comprehensive policies that ensure equity and justice for Southeast Asian American communities, including in education and health.
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106	106	(7) Honors the United States responsibility to refugees, immigrants, and new Americans in this community; and be it further.
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108	108	Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 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.