The House of Representatives will pass an apology bill for the "Chinese Exclusion Act". The Chinese need to be prepared for danger in times of peace

The House of Representatives will pass an apology bill for the "Chinese Exclusion Act". The Chinese people need to be prepared for danger in times of peace. Chinese-American Representative Zhao Meixin of the Federal Congress revealed on the 13th that the "Chinese Exclusion Act" apology case has made a major breakthrough in Congress...

Chinese-American Representative Zhao Meixin of the Federal Congress revealed on the 13th that the "Chinese Exclusion Act" apology case has made a major breakthrough in Congress. The proposal is expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives as early as next week. The Chinese are all happy about the long-awaited apology, but some political observers remind that the congressional apology is not a discovery of conscience, but an emphasis on the potential "value" of the Chinese. The Chinese must know how to be prepared for danger in times of peace.

Judy Chu stated on June 13 that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith reached a bipartisan agreement with her and decided to have the House of Representatives vote on this bill as soon as possible and pass it. The bill will be voted on by the House of Representatives as early as next week. The Chinese Exclusion Act is a bill that discriminates against the Chinese passed by the U.S. Congress on May 6, 1882. It is also the first and only federal law in U.S. history that excludes an ethnic group from enjoying equality and freedom. After that, the United States introduced a series of anti-Chinese laws. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943 in order to strengthen the "World War II Alliance" with China, but the United States has never apologized to the Chinese for this act.

With the support of many Chinese associations, Zhao Meixin, the first Chinese-American member of Congress, has been seeking an apology from Congress to the Chinese. On May 26, 2011, she and two members of Congress announced that they had submitted House Bill 282 to the 112th Congress, requesting the House of Representatives to apologize for the laws that discriminated against Chinese Americans passed in American history, including the Chinese Exclusion Act. On the same day, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Scott Brown from California and Massachusetts also jointly submitted Bill 201 with the same content to the Senate. On October 6, 2011, the Senate passed a bill with a unanimous vote to apologize for the historical Chinese Exclusion Act. If the House of Representatives passes the Chinese Exclusion Act apology bill on June 18, it will mean that the U.S. Congress officially apologizes to the Chinese.

Although the U.S. Congress "bowed" to China belatedly, the Chinese people are still excited and even grateful to Congress. Did Congress really pass the apology out of conscience? Observers don’t see it that way. They generally believe that Congress’s willingness to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act apology is not a whim, and there are profound reasons behind this. From a global perspective, the case of agreeing to apologize to the Chinese is inseparable from the rise of China. Today, China is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations. In 2010, China's economy surpassed Japan's and ranked second in the world. As a major country, the United States cannot handle world affairs without China. Therefore, it is a historical necessity for Congress to apologize for the Chinese Exclusion Act.

However, observers emphasized that the real reason for Congress to apologize lies in the improvement of the economic conditions, cultural quality and political status of the Chinese in the United States. Looking at the United States, Chinese immigrants are no longer "piglets" and their education levels are getting higher and higher. In the United States, they have gradually transformed from the "powerful class" to the "intellectual class". They have risen from low-level industries to the industrial and financial industries. They have never dared to "speak out" to participate in political discussions and fight for political rights. In the United States, the number of Chinese has exceeded 4 million, making them the largest ethnic group among Asian immigrants. A survey report shows that by 2020, Chinese Americans will become the third largest ethnic minority in the United States. The hidden potential of Chinese Americans cannot be underestimated.

The 2012 U.S. election has begun, and the election of members of Congress has also begun. The Chinese, who are economically prosperous and have a good vote base, are naturally favored by politicians. Winning the support of the Chinese will undoubtedly increase their political bargaining chips. And passing the apology for the Chinese Exclusion Act is the best way to win over the Chinese.

Faced with the apology from Congress, the Chinese should not be blindly optimistic, but should be prepared for danger in times of peace. Some Chinese scholars reminded that pragmatism is a common tactic used by American politicians. They want to win over the Chinese today. The Chinese must not think that the United States will always treat the Chinese with courtesy. What the Chinese need to do is to continue to create superior economic conditions, maintain high cultural attainment, and at the same time participate more actively in politics. Let Chinese people be useful in various fields in the United States and become the mainstay. Regarding today's congressional apology, the Chinese can only regard it as a beginning, and what they need to do next is to "make further progress." The ultimate goal is to completely make the U.S. government and Congress look at the Chinese in a different light.