Tell Your Senators to Oppose English-Only Threats in Senate Immigration Bill
May 21, 2006
Proposed Amendments Would Jeopardize America’s Public Health and Safety
The U.S. Senate amended their proposed immigration bill to declare English as the national language of the United States. The proposed change could negate the right to federal communications or services in languages other than English except for those already guaranteed by law. In the same spirit, Senator Coburn (R-OK) is proposing to eliminate more protections and rights to access of government services for our communities. We need your help to express outrage against these amendments, and to support the Senators who voted against the proposals.
The Impact on Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Communities
Over half of the Asian American population (51%) lives in three states: California, Hawaii and New York. In California, about one in eight people are Asian or Pacific Islander.
In California, about 40 percent of Asian Americans and Latinos, and more than a fifth of Asian American children speak English “less than very well”. In addition, 15 percent of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are limited-English proficient. Several ethnic communities have rates of limited-English proficiency ranging from over 50 percent to up to 60 percent – this includes Guatemalans, Vietnamese, Hondurans, Hmongs, Salvadorians, Taiwanese, Cambodians, Russians, and Koreans. Nearly half of the Chinese community in California speaks English “less than very well”.
What You Can Do:
1. Send a short press release to your local media contacts, expressing your opposition to English-Only amendments. (See attached template).
2. Call Congressional Senators and House Representatives to Oppose the Coburn Amendment:
Sample Message:
Hi, My name is ________, calling from _____. I am calling to express disappointment on the English-Only amendments to the proposed immigration bill (S.2611). These amendments, sponsored by Senators Inhofe and Coburn, would seriously jeopardize the public health and safety of U.S. Citizens and immigrants alike. Please oppose any proposals that prevent the federal government from effectively communicating with its citizens.
We need realistic, workable and humane immigration reform legislation that will provide a path to citizenship for immigrants, keep families together and protects our civil rights, liberties and due process.
Please call 202-224-3121 to reach your U.S. Senators and House Representative.
To find your member of Congress, visit www.congress.org and enter your zip code.
See Asian American Justice Center’s Fact Sheet: PASSAGE OF THE INHOFE AMENDMENT JEOPARDIZES THE PUBLIC’S HEALTH AND SAFETY
http://www.advancingequality.org/files/inhofe.pdf
