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Call for Action - Holding a Joint Conference of the Chinese American Communities Nationwide to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and to Prevent the Recurrence of History

March 2023

The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed on December 17, 1943, by the Magnuson Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943. This act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and lifted the 61-year-old ban on Chinese immigrants to the United States. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Against the backdrop of the spread of "anti-Asian sentiment" in the United States and the deterioration of US-China relations, commemorating this historical event has special significance.

The Chinese community has already felt a "survival crisis." Chinese immigrants and descendants from different periods, regions, and political backgrounds are a community of shared interests. We need to work together, plan, reach a consensus, and defend our constitutionally protected rights as Americans while seeking understanding and support from people of all ethnicities in the United States to prevent history from repeating itself.

We propose that a joint conference be held in Washington, D.C. around December 17, 2023, by multiple influential Chinese and Asian American organizations to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and to prevent history from repeating itself. We will invite President Biden and members of Congress to attend and convince the White House to issue an official statement on this historic event. We recommend the establishment of a joint conference planning committee, with representatives from the initiating organizations serving as co-chairs of the conference, to plan the agenda and invite Chinese American organizations from various backgrounds (civic organizations, Chinese language schools, art centers, foundations, chambers of commerce, hometown associations, alumni associations, professional associations, and artist associations) and individuals to participate in the conference.

In the democratic, free, and diverse society of the United States, various interest groups form alliances to advocate and influence the political and economic outcome. The political chessboard is not like the Chinese chessboard with clear boundaries, but rather a Go board, where mutual infiltration and competition determine the outcome. In promoting the rights and interests of the Chinese American community and advancing American society, we need to learn the tactics of playing Go. Various Chinese American organizations should be integrating resources on an equal footing, actively participating, working together, and seeking support from all sources for the common interests of the Chinese American community, rather than competing for attention, status, roles, or seating arrangements. Achieving equal civil rights for all Americans including Chinese Americans and Asian Americans is a difficult long journey during which we must take one step at a time. Holding this joint commemorative conference is a significant step in the right direction.

Proposed by: Xiaoyan Zhang, Heping Xu, Yingxi Liu, Qian Huang, Zhida Song, Liye Zhu, Mingtao Jiang, Wenbin Yuan, Xiaofu Si.

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