Chinese in US urged to petition for govt apology  

美華人白宮網站請愿 要求白宮就“排華法案”道歉

美國華人團體近日聯手在白宮“我們人民”官方網站發起請愿，要求白宮就1882年美國國會通過并由美國總統簽署生效的“排華法案道歉”。參與發起請愿的美國華人全國委員會4日緊急呼吁美國華人一起參與簽名，向美國總統奧巴馬表達訴求。

Washington (CNS) – The National Chinese Committee of the United States has urged all Chinese people in the US to sign a petition letter online requiring the US government to apologize for discriminatory laws from the late 19th century.

The committee has called on all Chinese to log onto http://wh.gov/ssMz to sign the petition within two weeks (before April 20). They have also called for wide publicity to ensure the goal of 100,000 signatures.

Based on previous commitments by the White House, it will make official responses if the signatures exceed 100,000 within the limited timeframe.

With the two-year joint advocacy of Zhao Meixin, a Chinese-American congresswoman, and many Chinese communities, including the Chinese National Committee of the United States, the US Senate and the House of Representatives, acts were passed in 2011 and 2012 apologizing to all Chinese and Asians over the series of Exclusion Laws in 1882. However, the White House has yet to say anything on the issue.

Only about 500 people had signed the petition by noon on April 4.

"This is mainly due to insufficient publicity," said Xue Haipei, chairman of the committee and co-chairman of "Plan 1882."

"Urging the White House to apologize for the Chinese Exclusion Laws should be the right attitude taken by the Obama administration, following the Apology Act passed by Congress," said Xue.

"We must seize this precious historic opportunity to let every American family learn about the significance of the Exclusion Law," said Jiang Quanhuo, co-chairman of "Plan 1882" and a representative of the Chinese American Citizens' Alliance.

The Chinese Exclusion Law is the only law in US history targeting immigrants of a specific ethnic group. It was passed in 1882 and not abolished until Dec 17, 1943. This discriminatory law set two records in the US: the first legislation to prohibit an ethnic group to enter America, and the first legislation to exclude an ethnic group from becoming US citizens.