Unite Against Discrimination: Stop SB 264 and End AAPI Hate in Florida!

Unite Against Discrimination: Stop SB 264 and End AAPI Hate in Florida!

Started
April 14, 2023
Petition to
Florida Senator Jay Collins and 3 others
Signatures: 46,575Next Goal: 50,000
99 people signed this week

Why this petition matters

Started by Jenny Liu

The time has come to confront the deep-rooted discrimination faced by the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Florida. We cannot stand idly by while Florida's unjust property law, SB 264, perpetuates hateful treatment. It's time for action!

On May 8, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 264 into law, dealing a severe blow to the AAPI community. This law unfairly targets and restricts Chinese citizens, as well as citizens from Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, from owning property in Florida starting July 1, 2023. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, forget about ever owning property in Florida! The restrictions also apply to citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, and other "countries of concern."

They've left us with a mere loophole that grants limited access to those with non-tourist visas or asylum, allowing them to purchase just a single residential property under two acres—provided it's not within five miles of a military installation. But here's the shocking truth: Florida boasts over 20 military installations, conveniently situated near major cities like Orlando, Miami, and Tallahassee. To make matters worse, prominent builders such as Lennar and Dr. Horton have taken deliberate and audacious steps to deny property sales to ANY visa holders from China. This cruel discrimination only adds fuel to the fire, intensifying the magnitude of this unjust law. It is a grave injustice that cannot be overlooked or dismissed!

This appalling law harkens back to a dark period in history when false claims of "national security" were used to discriminate against Asian immigrants and other marginalized communities. In the early 1900s, similar discriminatory "alien land laws" were enacted to keep Chinese and Japanese immigrants from owning land. These policies inflicted financial hardship and fueled violence and discrimination against Asian communities. Thankfully, courts eventually struck down these laws or state legislatures repealed them for violating the Constitution's equal protection guarantees. Yet, the AAPI community continues to endure violence and discrimination, from the unjust internment of Japanese Americans during World War II to the blame and harassment they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We refuse to let national security become a veil for racial and ethnic discrimination. SB 264 threatens to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and further marginalize our AAPI brothers and sisters.

But we won't back down! On May 22, 2023, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU of Florida), Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) took a bold stand. They filed a lawsuit challenging Florida's discriminatory property law, SB 264, on behalf of Chinese citizens who have chosen Florida as their home, where they live, work, study, and raise families. Their fight is our fight, as they argue that SB 264 violates the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, institutionalizing and expanding housing discrimination against individuals of Asian descent. Furthermore, it unfairly casts suspicion on anyone with names even remotely associated with Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian origins who wishes to purchase property.

The legal team wasted no time! On June 6, 2023, they filed an emergency motion for a Preliminary Injunction, demanding an immediate halt to the implementation of Florida's discriminatory property law, SB 264, set to take effect on July 1.

We urge you to join our cause, to stand against SB 264 and the plague of hate and discrimination. This fight requires your support! We call on you to take decisive action:

  • Publicly denounce all forms of anti-AAPI hate and discrimination, lending your voice to counteract these destructive forces.
  • Allocate increased funding to AAPI community organizations tirelessly combating hate and providing crucial support to victims of hate crimes.
  • Provide necessary resources for AAPI language access and cultural competency training for law enforcement and public officials.
  • Foster diversity and inclusion in all realms of government and public life, ensuring that everyone feels valued and respected.

We are a resilient and diverse community. We are students, small business owners, entrepreneurs, workers, professionals, and more. Florida is our home, where we raise our children and contribute to our larger community. We uphold the fundamental human rights of all individuals and strive for equal opportunities for everyone. Stand with us by signing this petition, and together, let's fight against unjust laws like SB 264!

99 people signed this week
Signatures: 46,575Next Goal: 50,000
99 people signed this week
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