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Sep. 08, 2009
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IMMIGRATION REFORM: Asians, Islanders forgotten

Focus on health coverage has groups feeling left out

By LYNNETTE CURTIS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Comprehensive immigration reform has long been a major issue for Hispanic rights advocates.

But leaders of another minority group, the Asian-American and Pacific-Islander community, say the issue is just as urgent for them. And they're tired of being ignored.

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    • "We have to continually lobby to be recognized," said Rozita Lee, vice chairwoman of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, who lives in Las Vegas.

    Lee regularly flies to Washington, D.C., at her own expense to "walk the halls of Congress," talking to politicians about immigration reform, among other issues.

    She and fellow leaders in the Asian-American/Pacific-Islander community worry that progress has stalled on the matter since the national focus has shifted to other controversial issues such as health care reform.

    That's bad news for those who have been hoping reform would help more quickly bring family members to the United States.

    "It's just not fair," Lee said. "Some families have been separated 20 years. They need to be together."

    The Asian-American/Pacific-Islander community is pushing for immigration reform that focuses on family reunification.

    But many in the community also favor a more merit-based approach to immigration, in which highly educated, skilled individuals would more quickly move to the front of the immigration line.

    Asians "emphasize educational attainment," said S.B. Woo, executive director of the 80-20 Initiative, a national political action committee dedicated to getting Asian Americans to vote as a bloc to increase their political pull.

    A more merit-based approach to immigration "would give Asian-Americans a larger quota," he said. "It's a win-win situation."

    Census data from 2008 show that Asians make up 7.3 percent of Clark County's population, while Pacific Islanders make up less than 1 percent. About 136,200 Asians live in the county.

    Las Vegas in 2006 was named one of five "emerging communities" for the rapid growth of its Asian population by the Asian American Justice Center.

    Hispanics comprise more than a quarter of the county's population.

    Some in the Asian-American/Pacific-Islander community are angry that they haven't been able to bring family members legally to the United States, while people coming over the border illegally get in right away.

    That's another reason to support a merit-based immigration approach, said Wayne Tanaka, a retired Clark County educator who until recently was the honorary consul for Japan.

    "People are waiting an excruciatingly long time," Tanaka said. "I believe immigration should be meritorious."

    But Tanaka and others in the Asian American/Pacific Islander community also favor a sympathetic approach to immigration reform, providing a path to legal status for otherwise law abiding immigrants who are living in the United States illegally.

    An estimated 1.2 million Asians live illegally in the United States.

    "There are Japanese natives who have been in the country illegally for years, working as nannies, cooks and maids," Tanaka said.

    "If someone is contributing to America's growth and development, there should be a way" for them to gain legal status.

    Still, as in the larger community, opinions on immigration reform run the gamut in the Asian American/Pacific Islander community, Tanaka said.

    "There is no quick answer."

    Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.

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    joazinha wrote on September 09, 2009 04:35 PM: It's NOT fair that some foreign families have been separated for 20 years and they need to be together?! Get back together in your OWN countries! NO ONE country can contain the whole planet, NOT even OURS!


    David wrote on September 08, 2009 10:53 PM: But many in the community also favor a more merit-based approach to immigration, in which highly educated, skilled individuals would more quickly move to the front of the immigration line.

    Well, that leaves out the Mexicans.


    Understatement of the Year wrote on September 08, 2009 09:03 PM: > Las Vegas in 2006 was named one of five "emerging communities" for the rapid growth of its Asian population

    boy, you can say that again.lol

    god love 'em, there is plenty of land in Nevada, maybe that is the future of this State, just as California most certainly will soon be predominately Latino and Utah is already, well...


    Lady Perturbed wrote on September 08, 2009 04:40 PM: How about putting the cabash on human traffickers who are bringing women into the country on ginned up visas in order to exploit them in nail shops, massage parlors, escort services and restaurants. They are taking legitimate visas away from the Asian population that wants to reunited with families and work in legitimate fields of employment. This would also curtail the number of women and girls being sold as sex slaves in our country and county. The root of all evil is corruption. Kill the root so the tree may thrive.


    Kicked Out wrote on September 08, 2009 04:35 PM:
    Lets see we saved the Philippines from being mutilated by the Japanese just for them to vote to close our bases and send us home, now they are begging us to stay here.

    KICK THEM OUT THEY ARE TRASH !!!


    Press2forEnglish wrote on September 08, 2009 04:24 PM: People , you will have one chance left and one chance only to put a stop to the madness
    In 2010 and 2012 you MUST elect politicians that will put a stop to the mexicanization of this country , its time to expel all mexicans , illegal and legal alike unless they renounce the reconquista.Its time to show the ugly side of humanity once again or lose your country , While the holocaust was not pretty I almost can understand how hitler felt , Now my country is being invaded by people that want to take over my country , I will support anyone or whatever it takes to reverse this invasion , ANYTHING GOES


    Hms wrote on September 08, 2009 01:40 PM: White racism is dead! We have proved that by electing a black president.
    The only real racism left is black hate, Mexican hate, Asian hate, Indian hate of white people.

    The real racists are the so called minorities.

    Mexican and South American illegal’s are the worst though because with them they bring crime, drugs, murder, disease, illiteracy, on top of hate.


    John O wrote on September 08, 2009 01:35 PM: One day soon I will be able to put illegal’s in camps and gas them right?

    No?

    Why not?

    There are laws against that kind of thing?

    But how do laws matter if you only enforce the ones you support?

    You see, there are laws against murder, and, for the most part, those laws are enforced. But what happens when only the laws that politicians want enforced are enforced?

    Well, you get what we have here; When laws are selectively enforced people begin to understand that laws do not really matter especially of you are in power.

    So, like those treasonous politicians who fail to protect our borders, there will be a leader who one day decides to quit enforcing laws against prison camps and trial without a jury.

    When that guy gets in power and you find yourself in a camp don't come crying to me because YOU are the people who started this mess by breaking the laws you did not like.

    We are either a nation of laws or we are a nation of outlaws.

    Right now we are a nation of outlaws: the laws are selectively enforced while laws that matter are ignored.

    WE ARE NOT NOW A NATION BY ANY SENSE OF THE WORD.

    WE ARE A PLACE PEOPLE LIVE IN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND COMMIT AMORAL LIFE, BUT WE ARE NO LONGER A NATION!


    Joe C wrote on September 08, 2009 01:29 PM: roro,
    If you consider peoples frustration caused by corrupted business and our corrupted government.
    That have encouraged the hiring of legal immigrants and illegal aliens, many are frustrated beyond belief.

    Many illegal and legal immigrants are not interested in assimilation as they once were.
    Before I was with my wife I was engaged to a French Vietnamese immigrant.
    I can tell of all races our truest equality is to discriminate or hate those different.

    Since my wife is born here and we have lived in three different areas of the U.S. that has never happened.

    Possibly because she doesn’t allow herself to be involved in any type of clicks formation, if it’s power trips at work or race, language etc.

    I’ll admit some posters possibly are racist but not understanding the frustrations and exploitation that has lowered our standard of life because of crooked business and inapt corrupted government is not being fair.

    To get an idea about how pervasive companies have become to hire others rather than citizens watch this video.
    These are immigration attorneys giving seminars on how not to hire citizens. The law firm of Cohen and Grisgsby.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU

    Multiculturalism is being used as a divide not as a uniting system.
    Why I’m not sure but I do know there is much demonizing of whites and accusations to stop disagreeing dialogue.


    JHO wrote on September 08, 2009 01:25 PM: PLEASE BE AWARE THE ESURANCE IS THE WORST INSURANCE EVER!
    THEY CHARGED ME MORE THAN THEY SAID THEY WOULD AFTER I STARTED THE POLICY AND THEN THEY CHARGED ME A CANCELLATION FEE OF $50.00!


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