Citizenship for Amerasian Act (혼혈인 시민권 법안)
NEWS RELEASE
| Topic: | Submission of H.R. 814 by Rep. Lane Evans to provide automatic citizenship to Amerasians born to U.S. soldiers in Korea , Vietnam , Laos, Kampuchea , or Thailand between the years 1950 to 1982 |
| Date: | February 18, 2005 (Friday) 11:30AM |
| Place: | Cannon House Office Building #121, Washington , D.C. |
| Rep. Lane Evans, a ranking Democrat member of the House Veteran ' s Affairs Committee, has introduced a citizenship bill making the children of American soldiers and the Asian | |
women eligible for U.S. citizenship. The offspring of the U.S. military personnel born in Asian war zones are called Amerasians. They are Americans born of mixed race and often abandoned by their American fathers. Due to their foreign features and ethnic homogeneity in their mother land, the Amerasians have long suffered discrimination and social ostracism. The stigma of being Amerasian remains so |
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| great that it is very difficult for Amerasians to receive proper educationor find jobs on their home countries. The Amerasians are forgotten Americans. | |
The Amerasian Immigration Law of 1982 made Amerasians born in Korea , Vietnam , Laos , Kampuchea , or Thailand eligible to come to the United States . The 1982 law defined Amerasian as any person 18 or older born in countries designated as war zones as stated above, after December 31, 1950, and before October 22, 1982, and fathered by a U.S. citizen. Amerasians were required to file a petition with proof of birth in one of the countries between those dates. In addition, they were required to submit evidence that their biological father was a U.S. citizen through documents such as birth or baptismal documents,affidavit or correspondence from the father,photographsor absent other docu- |
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ments, affidavits from knowledgeable witness detailing the parentage of the child. However, once they arrived in their fatherland ( America ), they were not given U.S. citizenship but only permanent residency, unlike any other child born overseas to a U.S. citizen. Any child of an American citizen born outside of the U.S. is entitled to U.S. citizenship. Amerasians should not be treated differently. H.R. 814 would amend the 1982 law to allow automatic citizenship for Amerasians who are present in the United States . |
At the news conference, the advocates of the bill from the Korean-American Women's Associations of USA ( Silvia Patton ) presented 1 2 , 159 petition signatures from Korean-Americans nation wide in support of the bill. Silvia Patton President KAWAUSA said ?I strongly believe that Amerasians should be granted for US citizenship. I will continue to support the Amerasians by gathering signatures from Korean-Americans all over the nation. I hope that the Congress would pass this bill and recognize Amerasians ? "This bill represents American consciousness and family values that define the nation. For Amerasians, this marks the beginning of healing process for their struggle for equality and recognition." Jong-Joon Chun, attorney said, "Amerasians are forgotten Americans. They deserve to be U.S. Citizens just like everyone born of U.S.Citizen parents. Since Amerasians have been ignored by their motherland and fatherland, it is time to put American family values first for ALL Americans. Let them come home." |
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This bill will recognize Amerasians living in the US from five Asian countries: Korea , Vietnam , Thailand , Laos and Kampuchea . Amerasians are not accepted in their motherland. Because of their Westernized appearance, they are often discriminated against and treated as foreigners without the basic rights to education, work, or marriage. Their precarious status is not recognized in their fatherland, the United States of America , either, forcing them to live in the periphery of the society. The Amerasians are forgotten people who desperately need your support. If you would like to support this bill, please write a letter your state Congressman. Please visit www.okaw.org or www.kawausa.org for more information. Please foward this email to anyone who might be interested. If you have any questions please contact Attorney Jong-Joon Chun at jj Chun2000@yahoo.com Thank you. Warmest regards, Silvia Patton |
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