Advancing Justice – AAJC Calls on the Governor of Louisiana to Veto Discriminatory Land Laws
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Washington, D.C. – The Louisiana state legislature recently passed two discriminatory land laws (H.B. 125 and H.B. 537) that would effectively prohibit certain foreign nationals—including Chinese nationals—from purchasing land.
Louisiana is one of the latest in a series of states across the country to introduce land laws. While different versions of these bills contain slightly varying language depending on the state , taken together, they all send the same xenophobic message to Asian American and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC issues the following statement:
“We call on Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to veto H.B. 125 and H.B. 537) expeditiously and to work solidarity with the immigrant community. We are deeply concerned by this series of discriminatory land law bills sweeping across the nation.
Since 2022, more than 25 states have introduced bills restricting foreign nationals’ ability to purchase property. While many of these bills are awaiting further movement in their respective state legislatures, it is important to note that whether they are enacted or not, the bottom line is that they contribute to a heightened environment of fear and racial profiling in the Asian American community.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the U.S. has disenfranchised marginalized communities under the guise of national security. From the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans in World War II, to the surveillance and violence perpetuated against AMEMSA communities post 9/11, the U.S. has struggled to protect the civil rights of communities of color in times of crisis. This kind of behavior is not only dehumanizing, but it is also antithetical to our nation’s principles of fairness, justice, and diversity.
“Advancing Justice – AAJC is committed to protecting our communities from further discrimination and profiling. To that end, we call on lawmakers to co-sponsor the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act, which would preempt at the federal level state laws that seek to deny foreign citizens the right to acquire real property in the United States. We will continue to closely monitor further developments regarding these discriminatory land laws and provide resources to those looking to get involved with coalition efforts around the country to push back on these harmful efforts in their state and local jurisdictions.”
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