Alien Land Laws – Asian American History Timeline #quiz

This is part of the Ethnic Studies History section.

See Alien Land Laws on Wikipedia for more information.

Alien land laws originally intended to protect land purchases for white immigrants, were transformed into a tool for exclusion from capitalist participation by Asians.

Viewed in the particular, one might say that the land laws changed.

Viewed through a framework of white supremacist domination, the land laws were another tool to push the larger goals of both Asian exclusion, both in presence, and citizenship, and Asian labor super exploitation.

The two were embodied in Leland Stanford, an anti-Chinese, white supremacist governor, who got into the rail business, and exploited thousands of Chinese people to build his railroad, and his university.

…the settlement among us of an inferior race is to be discouraged, by every legitimate means. Asia, with her numberless millions, sends to our shores the dregs of her population. Large numbers of this class are already here; and, unless we do something early to check their immigration, the question, which of the two tides of immigration, meeting upon the shores of the Pacific, shall be turned back, will be forced upon our consideration, when far more difficult than now of disposal. There can be no doubt but that the presence of numbers among us of a degraded and distinct people must exercise a deleterious influence upon the superior race, and, to a certain extent, repel desirable immigration. It will afford me great pleasure to concur with the Legislature in any constitutional action, having for its object the repression of the immigration of the Asiatic races.

Leland Stanford’s inaugural speech, 1862

The other immigrant tide he was talking about was European American immigrants arriving on the East Coast.

The speech was made two decades prior to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Notably, he referred to Asia, not only China.

This speech was made over a decade prior to Denis Kearney’s takeover of the California Workingmens Party, which would become the street muscle of the anti-Chinese Movement.

1952 – Immigration and Naturalization Act

aka McCarran-Walter, repealed citizenship restrictions, and established small immigration quotas for Asian countries, which had been, in different degrees, prohibited from immigration. Supported by Asian American civil rights organizations.

However the main focus of the law was to clamp down on Communists and sympathizers, and restrict immigration by people considered immoral, which included LGBT people.

2023 – The Return of Alien Land Laws

This section to be completed later.

CAPAC response to re-emerging Alien Land Laws, objects to these restrictions against individuals, but not against restrictions on corporations from other countries.

National – S1136 – Katie Britt, Tom Cotton, Jon Tester, Mike Rounds – Slew of bills aim to ban China from buying land in the US

Florida – SB264 – Ron DeSantis – Florida Bans Chinese Citizens from Buying Land

Louisiana – HB 537 and SB 91 – Louisiana’s Chinese Americans Concerned About State Laws That Would Ban Foreign Nationals From Owning or Renting Property

New York – – Angelo Santabarbara, Michelle Hinchey – Assemblyman Santabarbara proposes ban on foreign enemy-owned farmland in New York; Sen. Hinchey introduces measure in state Senate

Texas – SB147 SB552 SB711 – Greg Abbot – Ban on Property Sales to Citizens of China, Iran, and Others Is Cruising Through Texas Legislature

Utah – HB 186 – Spencer Cox – Utah Enacts Law Prohibiting Certain Foreign Investments in Land Categorized Land Ownership

Facts: States Try Bans To Keep China From Upping Its Share Of U.S. Farmland — From Less Than 1%

History

Ibrahim X. Kendi, Thread about the Alien Land Laws.

Emma Newcombe, How States Used Land Laws to Exclude and Displace Asian Americans

Chersten Lyon, Alien Land Laws

Bernard A. Weisberger, “the Chinese must go” about the anti-Chinese Movement

See Also

A History of Black Land Ownership

Quiz

Opinion: Possible Reasons for the Return of Alien Land Laws

by johnk

These bills spread across different states and seem to have popular support, we can look at some of the factors.

• The drumbeat of war and conflict: the bill targets companies of state enemies.
• Capitalists might want to create a temporary dip in the real estate prices.
• Anger at rising housing prices, and blame is being put on foreign Chinese investment.

The first is strictly a move by the big business and state interests, to keep stoking the hostilities against China, Russia and other rival states, to take attention away from the fact that people are suffering because of big capitalism, and the failures of the state. This pressure is real – even the Asians in Congress weren’t willing to fight against the entire law – only against the part preventing home purchases by individuals.

Alien Land Laws’ immediate effect of passing could be a dip in the price of land and buildings, as the excluded buyers couldn’t bid for properties, and might be forced to sell. Big capitalists want to swoop in and buy low, before reality sets in and prices bounce back.

Every investor or speculator who is not Asian is content to see the hatred directed at Asians, rather than themselves — investors are a class with many things in common, like greed, but they are also competitors with each other, and legislated racism is a competitive disadvantage for Chinese buyers.

The anger about rising housing costs is legitimate, and shared by all working people. Housing costs are high.

The popular perception is that Chinese investors are buying property, raising prices. The effect of foreign capital is around 8 percentage points, and contributing to a quarter of the rise, so it’s not the main cause, but it’s Asians getting blamed.

Some homeowners don’t care about the race of neighbors, but some do, and don’t like Asian neighbors. See this racist NY Post comment thread.

The xenophobic solution being pushed is “stop foreign purchasers” with Alien Land Laws.

People might think these new Alien Land Laws will prevent Asian Americans from moving into the neighborhood, and also keep prices lower. They won’t do that, but that’s their hope.

The way to blunt this xenophobic trend is to create affordable housing, expand to public housing, and institute rent control. The governments won’t do this until the people force them.

Most politicians would rather see people go homeless, than mess with real-estate profits.

The proof is out on the sidewalk, where you may find a person living in a tent, and in the rising housing prices.

If the government and politicians would fix this housing problem, many voters wouldn’t care about foreign investors, aka “the Chinese”. The political base of xenophobic support for Alien Land Laws wouldn’t exist.

Instead, we have these extreme conditions when homelessness persists, and anti-Asian violence increases. It’s almost like that’s our role as Asians in capitalism: to be a punching bag to take the beatings for the failures of capitalism.

The more racism increases, the less likely the people are to work together to create the housing we all need. That makes the landlords and investors very happy.