* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. [00:00:01] MY NAME IS JEAN WU [Press Conference: "Senate Bill 147"] AND I AM A STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FOR SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. I REPRESENT, UM, SHARPSTOWN, GULFTON, AND, UH, PARTS OF ASIA TOWN. AND I'M NOT HERE TODAY JUST AS STATE REPRESENTATIVE. I'M HERE AS A PROUD ASIAN AMERICAN. I'M HERE AS A PROUD CHINESE AMERICAN, AND I AM HERE TO DEFEND MY COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO DEFEND EVERY IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BECAUSE WE ARE FIGHTING A LAW THAT PUTS IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AT RISK TO PURPOSELY DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEM. I MYSELF AM NOT ONLY A CHILD OF AN IMMIGRANT, BUT I AM AN IMMIGRANT MYSELF. I WAS BORN IN CHINA AND I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH MY PARENTS AND I BECAME A UNITED STATES CITIZEN. AND I, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING. THIS IS, THIS IS THE HOUSE I GREW UP HERE, RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON. THIS IS THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN. THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT MY PARENTS BOUGHT. WHEN WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO CITIZENSHIP, THIS IS THE HOUSE MY PARENTS BOUGHT, OUR FIRST HOUSE THAT WE BOUGHT FOR $40,000, A HOUSE THAT COSTS LESS THAN MANY OF YOUR CARS TODAY. BUT THIS WAS OUR FIRST STEP ON OUR PATH TO THE AMERICAN DREAM. THIS WAS OUR MILESTONE. THIS IS WHAT WE DID TO SHOW THAT WE ARE HERE AND WE MADE IT. AND THERE IS THOUSANDS OF OTHER HOUSTONIANS OF TEXANS ALL AROUND THE STATE WHO WANT THIS SAME DREAM, WHO WANT TO HAVE THEIR FOOTSTEP, TO HAVE THEIR MILESTONE TO SAY, WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO ACHIEVING THE AMERICAN DREAM. AND THIS DREAM COULD END FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE. WHY? WHAT DID MY PARENTS DO TO THEM? HOW ARE THEY A DANGER? HOW DO THEY DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN HAVE GOOD JOBS, PAY TAXES AND BE GOOD PEOPLE AROUND THE COMMUNITY? AND THIS IS THE STORY OF THIS BILL, AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR. SENATE BILL 1 47, AND DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE SAY VERY CLEARLY TARGETS PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE LAWFULLY, IT TARGETS VISA HOLDERS THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO ATTRACT FROM AROUND THE WORLD. IT TARGETS LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS OR GREEN CARD HOLDERS AS WE CALL THEM, PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID, WE ARE MAKING THE UNITED STATES, WE ARE MAKING TEXAS OUR PERMANENT HOME. WE WILL NO LONGER LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. WE ARE LIVING HERE PERMANENTLY. AND THEY ARE OFTEN ON THEIR WAY, JUST LIKE MY FAMILY TO CITIZENSHIP. WHAT DID THEY DO TO OFFEND YOU? WHAT DID THEY DO TO HARM OUR STATE? WHAT DID THEY DO OTHER THAN WORK HARD PAY TAXES AND DO WHAT WE EXPECT OF THEM? WHAT'S REALLY PAINFUL ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION IS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE. WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. WE HAVE PASSED THESE EXACT SAME LAWS IN OUR NATION IN THE 18 HUNDREDS. WE PASSED ALIEN LAND LAWS THAT FORBID CHINESE AND JAPANESE FROM OWNING PROPERTY, OWNING BUSINESSES. WE PASS LAWS THAT SAY THE CHINESE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MARRY, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CHILDREN, AND THE ONLY THING THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO IS WASH OTHER PEOPLE'S DIRTY CLOTHES AND MAKE FOOD BECAUSE THE CHINESE AND MANY OTHER ASIAN GROUPS WERE ACTUALLY CALLED THE MONGOLOID RACES. THAT'S HOW WE'RE REFERRED TO. AND WE WERE SEEN AS VERMIN, NOT EVEN ANIMALS, BUT THE LOWEST OF ANIMALS UP WITH THE CULMINATION OF THE 1883 CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT TO SINGLE OUT ONE SPECIFIC ETHNIC GROUP TO EXCLUDE FROM THIS COUNTRY. FOR WHAT REASON? [00:05:01] BECAUSE WE WERE SEEN AS VERMIN TO SEE, BE SEEN AS TRASH, TO BE THROWN AWAY, TO BE USED UP AND DISCARDED. WE ARE PASSING THE SAME TYPES OF LAWS RIGHT NOW. AND THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY. I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. THIS IS ABOUT EVERY COMMUNITY. THIS IS ABOUT EVERY COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES HAS COME UNDER ATTACK. IT MAY SAY CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA AND IRAN RIGHT NOW. BUT IT'S A ONE WORD AMENDMENT TO THIS BILL. IT IS A ONE WORD CHANGE TO ADD YOUR COUNTRY. YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE DRIVING FEAR ABOUT INVADERS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, FROM MEXICO. YOU HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT THE MUSLIM BAN. ALL OF THOSE PLACES COULD BE NEXT. AND WHAT WE ARE SAYING TO YOU TODAY IS WE SHOULD TARGET NO ONE. WE SHOULD NOT TARGET CHINA. WE SHOULD NOT TARGET RUSSIA. WE SHOULD NOT TARGET ANY PLACE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE FROM THOSE COUNTRIES ARE NOT THE SAME AS THOSE COUNTRIES. AND THIS IS A LESSON THAT WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNED DURING WORLD WAR II. WHEN, WHEN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SAID, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GERMAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE GERMAN ANCESTRY, BUT WHO ARE AMERICANS ARE DIFFERENT FROM GERMANY, THE COUNTRY. BUT YET OUR NATION ROUNDED UP 160,000 JAPANESE AMERICANS, 60% OF WHOM, OR UNITED STATES CITIZENS, MANY OF THEM NATURAL BORN CITIZENS BECAUSE THEY SAY, THEY SAID, WELL, THE GERMANS ARE DIFFERENT. BUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOOK ASIAN, THEY CAN NEVER TRULY BE AMERICAN, EVEN IF THEY ARE CITIZENS, EVEN IF THEY WERE BORN HERE. AND RIGHT NOW, THIS TYPE OF LEGISLATION, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FACING ALL OVER AGAIN, THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO SEPARATE THE PEOPLE WHO FLED COUNTRIES FROM THOSE COUNTRIES THEMSELVES. AND WE CANNOT STAND FOR THIS. AND I, I I'M JOINED HERE BY A GROUP THAT LOOKS LIKE HOUSTON AND LOOKS LIKE TEXAS AND REPRESENTS VIRTUALLY EVERY RELIGIOUS GROUP, EVERY ETHNIC GROUP, EVERY COMMUNITY. WHY? BECAUSE THIS IS OUR FIGHT. BECAUSE ANY GROUP, ANY COMMUNITY, ANY NATION COULD BE NEXT WHEN WE FALL OUT OF FAVOR IN THE PUBLIC. BECAUSE PEOPLE USE US AS SCAPEGOATS. WE MUST STAND UNITED AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY. EVERYONE, WHETHER YOU'RE FROM ASIA, AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, LET US STAND UP AGAINST HATE. LET US STAND UP AGAINST BIGOTRY. LET US STAND UP AGAINST DISCRIMINATION. LET US STAND UP FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM. IT WAS THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT WAS WRONG IN 1883, AND IT IS WRONG IN 2023. AND NEXT UP WE HAVE MAYOR TURNER. WE'LL GIVE REPRESENTATIVE JEAN WU A HAND ONE MORE TIME. UH, LET ME WELCOME YOU TO THE STEPS OF, UH, CITY HALL. IS IS YOUR CITY HALL. UM, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE ASIAN OR IT'S FROM SOUTH, UH, EAST ASIA OR WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE FROM LATIN AMERICA OR AN AFRICAN COUNTRY. UH, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT IS FROM EUROPE. UH, THIS HAPPENS TO BE YOUR CITY HALL AND THE DOORS ARE OPEN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE. WHAT I'LL START OFF SIMPLY BY SAYING TO REPRESENTATIVE WU IS THAT HE IS NOT STANDING ALONE. UM, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER HE'S CHINESE AMERICAN OR ASIAN AMERICAN OR WHEREVER YOU COME FROM. UH, TODAY WE STAND AS ONE AND AN INJUSTICE DONE AGAINST ONE. THERE'S AN INJUSTICE DONE AGAINST US ALL. AND SO EVEN BEFORE, UH, SENATE BILL 1 47 GETS MUCH TRACTION, UH, WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP AND WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP LOUDLY AND BOLDLY [00:10:01] AND SAY, THIS IS WRONG. AND I DO AGREE WITH REPRESENTATIVE. WOO. WE HAVE SEEN THIS. WE HAVE SEEN THIS, UH, PICTURE BEFORE. UM, AND THIS IS A MOVIE THAT WE REALLY DON'T NEED TO SEE TO SEE AGAIN. WE ARE HERE TODAY NOT TO TALK ABOUT COUNTRY, SO TO SPEAK. AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A DISCUSSION OF FOREIGN POLICY, UH, THERE ARE PLENTY OF POLITICIANS THAT YOU CAN FIND OR TALK TO. BUT TODAY WE ARE DISCUSSING THE RECENTLY FILED SENATE BILL 1 47. THIS BILL PROHIBITS THE PURCHASE OR ACQUISITION OF TITLE TO REAL PROPERTY BY CERTAIN QUOTE UNQUOTE FOREIGN INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES. IF SENATE BILL 1 47 HAS PASSED, UH, NEITHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ARE COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED, UH, IN CHINA, IRAN, NORTH KOREA OR RUSSIA, OR PEOPLE WHO ARE MAJORITY STOCKHOLDERS OF COMPANIES IN THESE COUNTRIES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PURCHASE PROPERTY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT MAKES NO SENSE AND, AND WHY YOU JUST SELECT THESE COUNTRIES. AND THE REALITY IS REPRESENTATIVE WOO IS RIGHT. IF YOU WANTED TO AMEND THIS TO INCLUDE SOME COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA OR COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, THIS LIST COULD QUITE GROW. WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE? THIS IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BILLS THAT SHOULD NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. THIS BILL NEEDS TO BE STOPPED NUMBER MORE. IT NEEDS TO BE PULLED BACK. IT SHOULDN'T EVEN GO TO A COMMITTEE. IT SHOULD BE PULLED BACK. THE ELECTED LEADERS HERE AND MYSELF AS THE MAYOR OF THE LARGEST CITY IN TEXAS HAVE A DUTY AND A RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK ABOUT THE EFFECTS THAT SENATE BILL 1 47 WILL HAVE ON PEOPLE. ONE OUT OF EVERY FORCE, HOUSTONIANS AS FOREIGN BORN IN OUR CITY, BRINGING A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE PLANET. AND WHEN THOSE PERSONS COME, THEY BRING THEIR LANGUAGE, THEIR CUSTOMS, AND THEIR CULTURES. THEY DO NOT BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHOICES MADE BY THEIR NATIVE GOVERNMENTS. AND IN FACT, THE POLICIES OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS MAY BE THE VERY REASON WHY THEY HAVE COME TO THIS CITY OR TO THIS COUNTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE. SPECIFICALLY PEOPLE OF CHINESE DESCENT, OF WHICH THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, WOULD GREATLY BE AFFECTED BY THIS BAD PIECE OF LEGISLATION. AND GIVEN THE TROUBLED HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY'S POLICIES WITH IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, THIS BILL IS NOT FORWARD THINKING. WE CANNOT STAY SILENT. WHILE THE ABILITY TO SIMPLY OWN A HOME IS THREATENED. I HELD UP THAT SIGN BECAUSE THE HOME THAT REPRESENTATIVE WOO'S PARENTS PURCHASED LOOKED LIKE THE HOMES THAT MANY OF OUR PARENTS PURCHASED. THIS COULD BE MY FAMILY'S HOME, IT COULD BE YOURS. AND THE VERY FACT THAT A BILL COULD BECOME LAW THAT COULD SAY TO SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, YOU CANNOT PURCHASE THIS HOME IN THIS COUNTRY, IT'S JUST DOWN. RIGHT, WRONG. OKAY, LASTLY, LET ME SAY THIS. AS MAYOR, WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL TRADE TRIPS ACROSS THE GLOBE, AND SOME OF YOU STANDING HERE THAT'S RIGHT, HAVE TRAVELED WITH ME TO CHINA. MM-HMM . YOU HAVE TRAVELED WITH ME TO INDIA ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES IN THOSE RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES TO COME AND DO BUSINESS IN THIS CITY. WE'VE DONE THAT COUNTLESS NUMBER OF TIMES AND WE HAVEN'T DONE IT ALONE. THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, QUOTE UNQUOTE THE BUSINESS CHAMBER, HAVE BEEN A PART OF THOSE TRIPS, ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES AND COMPANIES IN THESE COUNTRIES TO COME AND DO BUSINESS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE'VE SAID, OUR DOORS ARE OPEN AND WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SAY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT TEXAS IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS? MM-HMM. AND LASTLY, THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN ISSUE. IT'S NOT A DEMOCRATIC ISSUE. THIS IS JUST AN ISSUE THAT'S DOWNRIGHT WRONG, DOWNRIGHT WRONG, RIGHT? OKAY. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR PARTY LABEL IS AND I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU COME FROM OR WHERE YOU LIVE. SENATE BILL 1 47 IS JUST DOWN, RIGHT, WRONG, [00:15:01] AND IT IS MORE DIVISIVE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. SO HOUSTON, THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE IN, IN THE UNITED STATES STANDS AS ONE TO SAY THAT WE ALL SHOULD STAND AGAINST 1 47. THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO START 2023. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GENE, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO BRING THIS ATTENTION, THIS ISSUE TO OUR ATTENTION. FRIENDS, I LOVE MY COUNTRY. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND I WANNA MAKE REAL THE PROMISES OF MY COUNTRY. THAT'S RIGHT. I WANNA MAKE REAL THE NOTION OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AS EX TOLD IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I WANNA MAKE REAL THE NOTION THAT ALL PERSONS ARE CREATED EQUAL ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATORS WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS AMONG THEM, LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. I LOVE MY COUNTRY, BUT I HAVE TO BE VERY CANDID WITH YOU. I JUST CELEBRATED MY 25TH BIRTHDAY FOR THE THIRD TIME. SO A LOT OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU, AND I RESPECT ALL OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID, THEY'VE READ ABOUT, THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT I HAVE LIVED. I HAVE LIVED. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. THAT'S RIGHT. I KNOW WHAT INVIDIOUS DISCRIMINATION DOES TO THE MIND. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DRINK FROM A COLORED WATER FOUNTAIN. THAT'S RIGHT. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO TO THE BACK DOOR TO GET YOUR FOOD. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SIT IN THE BACK OF THE BUS. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN IN A FIRST CLASS COUNTRY. AND I ASSURE YOU I'M HERE TODAY TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN TO ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS COUNTRY. I STAND WITH THE ASIAN COMMUNITY. I WANNA MAKE SURE WE PREVENT THIS KIND OF ATROCITY FROM GROWING AND BECOMING OUTSIZED IN OUR COUNTRY. AND I WANNA ASSURE YOU THAT MAYOR, I HAVE HEARD SOMEBODY PLANS TO INTRODUCE SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN THE CONGRESS. I ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL BE AMONG THE VERY FIRST TO GO TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND OPPOSE THIS KIND OF INVIDIOUS DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION. WHAT WE CAN'T HAVE IN TEXAS, WE WILL NOT HAVE IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I CAN REMEMBER MY FATHER BEING CALLED BOY. I CAN REMEMBER MY MOTHER BEING CALLED GIRL. THIS TYPE OF LEGISLATION IS A FORERUNNER TO THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. THAT'S RIGHT. THIS, THIS LEGISLATION. IF UNCHECKED DOESN'T BECOME THE LAST OF ITS KIND, IT JUST BECOMES THE GENESIS OF UGLY THINGS TO COME. THE MAYOR IS IMMINENTLY CORRECT. IT IS DOWNRIGHT WRONG. WE ARE OUTRIGHT RIGHT AND WE ARE READY FOR THE FIGHT. THANKS. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WHO ARE HERE TODAY WHO ARE JOINING THE ASIAN COMMUNITY. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BECAUSE WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IN THE WORDS OF DR. KING, THERE'S BUT ONE RACE, THAT'S THE HUMAN RACE. AND HE REMINDS US THAT ALL PERSONS ARE CREATED EQUAL FROM A BASE BLACK TO A TREBLE WHITE. SO WE ARE, WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND IF NOT BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE'RE COUSINS. AND I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS A FIGHT THAT IS A CONTINUATION OF A FIGHT THAT GENE CALLED TO OUR ATTENTION, THAT WE THOUGHT WE'D WON. WE FIND OURSELVES TODAY HAVING TO RE FIGHT ISSUES THAT WE THOUGHT WE'D WON ONE. AND THIS ONE IS ESPECIALLY HARMFUL TO THE ASIAN COMMUNITY. GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. WHAT HAPPENED IN GEORGIA, WHAT HAPPENED AT THOSE SPAS? I WENT TO THOSE SPAS. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THIS IS ESPECIALLY HARMFUL. SO I WANT TO END MY [00:20:01] PORTION OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BY ASKING YOU TO PLEASE LET'S LURE OUR HEADS FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO EXPRESS OUR SYMPATHIES AND OUR CONDOLENCES FOR THOSE 10 PERSONS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN CALIFORNIA. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET BECAUSE THE HATE CAN COME FROM ANY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY. WE ARE HERE TO STOP HATE. BUT WE ARE ALSO HERE TO LET PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM THIS KIND OF HARMFUL, EGREGIOUS, DREADFUL BEHAVIOR THAT WE ARE WITH THEM. SO IF YOU WOULD JOIN ME FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT MEDITATION IN YOUR VERY OWN WAY. THANK YOU. ARE WE READY TO FIGHT? YES. WILL WE STAND WITH THE ASIAN COMMUNITY? YES. WE ARE ONE, ONE COUNTRY, ONE COMMUNITY. WE STAND TOGETHER. GOD BLESS YOU, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT UP IS CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US THIS VERY SOMBER SITE ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL. I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO RELISH WHERE WE ARE, WHAT KIND OF CITY WE LIVE IN WITH A MAYOR WHO HAS SAID THE DOORS OF CITY HALL ARE UNCHAINED, UNLOCKED. EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAN WALK TO THIS PLACE, THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, THAT ALL OF US LOOK AS A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM AND A SYMBOL OF RESPECT. LET US GIVE OUR MAYOR, BUT LET US GIVE THE CITY WE LIVE IN WHERE WE ARE FREE AND WE ARE STRONG. AND THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IS POWERFUL BECAUSE WE HEAR YOU. WE HEAR YOU, WE HEAR YOU. GIVE US ALL A BIG APPLAUSE. YOUR POWER IS HEARD. LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE ARRAY OF WONDERMENT OF BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY THAT YOU REPRESENT. YOUR ARE ELECTED ON SCHOOL BOARDS, ON CITY COUNCILS. YOU ARE STATE REPRESENTATIVE. STATE REPRESENTATIVE, ANI, STATE REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS STATE REPRESENTATIVE. WOO. STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROSENTHAL. CHRIS, WHAT A POWERFUL MORALES CHRIS. REPRESENTATIVE MORALES HIDING FROM ME. COUNTY COMMISSIONER. COUNTY COMMISSIONER BNIS. WHAT A LEVELING AND LAYERS. PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS, OF WHAT THIS CITY, AMERICA CITY STANDS FOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO JOIN WITH THE MAYOR IN OPENING THE DOORS OF THE CITY, YOU'VE UNLOCKED THE KEYS, YOU WELCOMED US ALL. YOU SHOULD BE APPLAUDED. LET US APPLAUD HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM ABBY CAYMAN TO ROBINSON. I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE THEY'RE ALL REPRESENTING, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL. LET ME ASK THE QUESTION. WHO WILL BE NEXT? WHO WILL BE NEXT? WE BEGIN THIS LITANY WHERE THIS LEGISLATION CALLS OUT CHINA. IT CALLS OUT IRAN, NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA. LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE PERSON STANDING HERE THAT ADHERES TO THE POLITICS OF CHINA, TO THE OPPRESSION OF IRAN, TO THE VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS AND THE OPPRESSION AND STARVATION IN NORTH KOREA AND THE VIOLENCE AND WARRING ATTITUDE IN RUSSIA. WE'LL FIGHT TO THE DEATH TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY. THAT'S RIGHT. THERE IS NO COMMONALITY WITH ANY OF US HERE WITH ANY OF THOSE COUNTRIES. BUT LET ME SAY TO THE SENATOR WHY YOU ARE WRONGHEADED AND YOU MISINTERPRET AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND HOW LONG, UNFORTUNATELY IT TAKES WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM POLICY FOR GOOD PEOPLE, FOR OUR PEOPLE IN THE ASIAN PACIFIC AND BEYOND COMMUNITY TO EVEN GET TO THE STATUS OF CITIZENSHIP. THEY MAY STILL RETAIN CITIZENSHIP FROM PLACES WHERE THEY'VE FLED. THAT'S TRUE. AND THEY MAY BE STRONG GREEN CARD HOLDERS, WHICH YOU SAY ARE EXEMPT, BUT THEY MAY HAVE A CITIZENSHIP AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT. [00:25:02] AND SO IT WAS REFERRED EARLY ON BY MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE ABOUT MONTEREY. AND I DO WANNA OFFER MY SYMPATHIES TO CONGRESSWOMAN CHU, UH, AND MY FRIEND, THE FORMER SECRETARY OF LABOR WHO IS A COMMISSIONER THERE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. IT SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE FACTS OF NOT EVIDENCE, WHETHER IT IS NOT A HATE CRIME, HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. BUT WE KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT WERE KILLED, ANY INSTIGATION OF DIFFERENCE OF WHO YOU ARE, ANY SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE FROM THE ASIAN COMMUNITY OR ANY OTHER DIVERSE COMMUNITY, DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT GENERATES THE POTENTIAL OF HOSTILITY AND VIOLENCE? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SUBJECTING WITH A BILL LIKE THIS PASTOR? CAN YOU IMAGINE THE DEBATE ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE AND ULTIMATELY THE HOUSE FOR THIS KIND OF LEGISLATION? DO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE FORMER PRESIDENT USED UGLY WORDS THAT I WILL NOT REPEAT HERE DURING THE COVID? DO YOU ENVISION OR IS YOUR MEMORY LOSS FOR THE BLUDGEONING OF OUR FRIENDS FROM THE ASIAN COMMUNITY ON THE STREETS OF AMERICA? DO YOU KNOW THE NUMBERS THAT DIED IN THE MIDST OF THIS COVI AND MISINTERPRETATION AND MISUSE AND ABUSE OF WORDS? I REMEMBER THE SADNESS OF THAT TIME AND I REMEMBER THE FIGHT OF, OF GRACE MING, MY FRIEND, TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD GET A BILL DEALING WITH ANTI-ASIAN HATE. AND I LOVE THE CONGRESS, BELIEVE IN AMERICAN VALUES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT DIDN'T COME OVERNIGHT. SO I STAND HERE TODAY WITH THIS BILL AND SAYING THAT IT IS WHOLLY WRONG. IT'S WRONG IN ITS ENTIRETY. IT'S WRONG IN ITS PREMISE. IT'S WRONG CONSTITUTIONALLY BECAUSE PROPERTY CANNOT BE TAKEN WITHOUT DUE PROCESS. YOU HAVE A STATUTE AND A LAW THAT STOPS YOU FROM GETTING PROPERTY. WHO KNOWS IF IT GRABS YOUR PROPERTY AWAY OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE ON AN ISOLATED TAX LIST TO KNOW THAT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE FROM IRAN, NORTH KOREA, CHINA, AND RUSSIA? ARE YOU GOING TO BE ISOLATED IN POCKETS OF DISCRIMINATION? HOW DARE YOU DO THAT? THAT'S WHAT THIS SUGGESTS. AND SO I AM HONORED TO BE HERE WITH A CITY OF LIGHT THAT HAS NEVER SHUT ITS DOOR AND NEVER TURNED THE LIGHT OUT ON THE BEAUTY OF THE DIVERSITY OF THIS COMMUNITY. IT WILL BE OUR DUTY AS MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO BRING RELIEF, RELIEF. IF THE GOVERNOR DECIDES TO SIGN THIS BILL WRONGHEADED IN HIS DECISION. SORRY, THAT HE MADE A PRONOUNCEMENT, THAT HE WOULD SIGN IT. GOVERNOR ABBOTT, I THINK IT IS WISE THAT YOU THINK ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES ABOUT SIGNING THIS HARDLY REASONABLE AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. BILL, WOULD YOU WANT TEXAS TO BE ON RECORD FOR BEING A KIND OF DASTARDLY STATE THAT DOES NOT APPRECIATE ITS DIVERSITY? I DON'T. AND THEN FINALLY, AS I'VE READ THIS BILL, AND WE'LL READ IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY, I WILL INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO NULLIFY THIS BILL TO MAKE IT NOT A BILL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BECAUSE IT WILL BE FEDERALLY ILLEGAL TO HAVE A BILL THAT INSISTS THAT PEOPLE ARE DENIED THEIR DUE PROCESS RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME. AND I INSIST THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT TAKES BACK HIS WILLINGNESS TO SIGN A BILL THAT IS WITHOUT CREDIBILITY AND DENIES OUR RICHNESS OF WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS. REPRESENTATIVE W THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. ITS EMOTIONAL AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US THIS MOMENT, UH, TO SHARE OUR GRIEF FOR A MOMENT AND OFFER OUR PRAYERS TO MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, BUT ALSO TO STAND WITH OUR FIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCILWOMAN. NEXT UP IS, UM, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ULLO ANI, WHO IS THE FIRST MUSLIM AMERICAN TO BE ELECTED AT A STATE HOUSE. GOOD AFTERNOON. AS DR. KING SAID, INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE. SENATE BILL 1 47 IS INJUSTICE IS THREAT. IT'S A NUISANCE, IS A DISTRACTION. IT'S A DISTRACTION IS DISTRACTING US FROM WORKING [00:30:01] ON IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE HEALTHCARE. YEAH. EDUCATION, SAFETY, SECURITY. ELECTRIC GRID. AMERICA IS A LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES. AMERICA IS A LAND OF IMMIGRANT. IF SOMEBODY DENIES THAT, IT NEEDS TO GO BACK IN THE HISTORY. AND IT ONLY READ THE SACRIFICES MADE BY THE IMMIGRANTS. BUT ALL THE SUCCESSES MADE IN AMERICA DUE TO IMMIGRANTS, ABOUT 5 MILLION FOREIGN BORN AMERICANS CALL TEXAS HOME, WHICH IS ABOUT 17% OF OUR STATE. WE ARE NOT ONLY MARGINALIZING A SEGMENT AND AND THROWING THEM UNDER THE BUS AND AND THROWING THEM ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WE ARE ALSO DERAILING TEXAS FROM ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. THAT'S RIGHT. TEXAS IS THE NINTH LARGEST ECONOMIC OF THE WORLD. AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE IN OUR HANDS TO CLIMB UP THAT LADDER AND NOT TO THROW AWAY THE TEXANS. FROM THAT LETTER TO I TO POVERTY INSECURITY. I'M A PROUD IMMIGRANT. I'M A PROUD TEXAN. WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE ARE THE NEIGHBORS, WE ARE THE FRIENDS, WE ARE THE DOCTORS, WE ARE THE ENTREPRENEURS. WE ARE THE TAXPAYERS. THAT'S RIGHT. WE ARE IN GOVERNMENT. WE CALL THIS HOME. THIS IS OUR HOME. THAT'S RIGHT. THE IMMIGRANTS NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF TEXAS, BUT ALSO THE SPIRITUAL, THE CULTURAL, THE INTELLECTUAL FABRIC OF TEXAS. AND I STAND HERE IN SOLIDARITY OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL SAID. DEAR HONOR, SIR, UP NEXT, WE HAVE, UH, KEVIN YU AND HIS WIFE, UM, UH, WHO AND KEVIN IS A GREEN CARD HOLDER WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS LEGISLATION. GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS KEVIN YU AND THIS IS MY WIFE CLAIRE. SHE'S A US CITIZEN, AND MYSELF IS A GREEN CARD HOLDER. MYSELF IS ALSO A LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER IN TEXAS. THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE HELPED A LOT OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS TO PURCHASE THEIR HOMES IN HOUSTON AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS THEIR, UH, CITIZENSHIPS FOR YEARS. THESE PEOPLE CAN BE ENGINEERS, MEDICAL DOCTORS, ACCOUNTANTS AND TEACHERS, AND THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING IN A LOT OF WAYS IN THIS COMMUNITY. CHINESE AMERICAN IS ONE ESSENTIAL PART TO MAKE HOUSTON SUCH A VIBRANT AND DIVERSIFIED CITY. THIS BILL, SB 1 4 7, WILL NOT ONLY TAKE AMERICAN DREAMS AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE, INCLUDING MY FAMILY, BUT ALSO DAMAGE HOUSTON'S ECONOMY AND CULTURE. IT IS IMMORAL, IT IS AGAINST AMERICAN SPIRIT AND WE'LL ONLY SERVE SOME POLITICIANS BUSINESS AND INTERESTS. LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO STOP THIS BILL. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL, UH, ALL PEOPLE IN THIS, UH, RELAY. AND, UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING UH, OUR COMMUNITY. HAPPY NEW YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS WILLIAM WHITE, WITH CARE, PEACE BE UPON YOU ALL. I'M HERE TODAY STANDING WITH FELLOW ACTIVISTS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THE CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE TO SAY THAT WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO OPPOSE HATEFUL LEGISLATION. BUT THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IS NO STRANGER TO MO HATEFUL LEGISLATION THROUGH THE MUSLIM BAN AND THE ANTI SHARIA LAWS HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE HAVE NOT RESPONDED IN FEAR, BUT IN FAITH. AND IT'S MY FAITH, WHICH TELLS ME IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE HOLY QURAN, IT SAYS, WE CREATED YOU INTO SEPARATE NATIONS AND TRIBES, NOT SO THAT YOU CAN HATE ONE ANOTHER, GO INTO YOUR OWN SILOS, BUT SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER. AND SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AT LARGE OPPOSES THIS HATEFUL LEGISLATION THAT WE WILL STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE A API COMMUNITY AND WE WILL OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION IN EVERY [00:35:01] CHANCE IN TURN THAT WE GET, JUST AS YOU DID FOR US WHEN WE ARE FACING THE ANTI SHARIA LAWS, RIGHT? SO TODAY WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY. THANK YOU. NEXT WILL BE, UM, COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR PRECINCT FOUR, LESLIE . AND MICROPHONE IS, OH WAIT, YOU ACTUALLY NEED . BASICALLY. THANK YOU REPRESENTATIVE WU. I'M LESLIE BRIANNE AND I'M PROUD TO BE HERE STANDING IN SOLIDARITY AGAINST SENATE BILL 1 47, A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT HAS NO PLACE IN TEXAS. AND I STAND HERE FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. FIRST, AS THE NEW COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR PRECINCT FOUR, WHICH INCLUDES CHINATOWN, WHICH INCLUDES ASIA TOWN, THE LARGEST ASIAN AMERICAN POPULATION IN HARRIS COUNTY. I STAND HERE IN SOLIDARITY AS A LATINA, I STAND IN SOLIDARITY BECAUSE IT IS ONE SMALL AMENDMENT THAT INCLUDES ALL OF US. THEY CAN SO QUICKLY CHANGE. AND AN ATTACK ON ONE OF US IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US. I GREW UP ON THE US MEXICO BORDER, THE GATEWAY PEOPLE COMING TO THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE AMERICAN DREAM SENATE BILL 1 47 IS AN ATTACK ON INDIVIDUALS. INDIVIDUALS WHO BELIEVE IN THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY. IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UNJUST AND MUST DIE WHERE IT IS. THIS IS A COUNTRY OF OPPORTUNITY. THIS IS A COUNTRY OF IMMIGRANTS. I HAVE THREE LITTLE GIRLS. I WANNA BE RAISING THEM IN A TEXAS AND A COUNTRY THAT'S MOVING FORWARD, NOT NOT REPEATING THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND THAT IS NOT WHAT WE STAND FOR IN THIS COUNTRY. I KNOW EVERYONE HERE TODAY IS HERE IN SOLIDARITY, IS HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN UNITY. WE BELIEVE THAT AN INJUSTICE TO ANY ONE OF US IS AN INJUSTICE TO ALL OF US. SO WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN IN OUR OWN CIRCLES TO MAKE SURE WE FIGHT AGAINST THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION. AND I LOOK FORWARD FOR US RAISING OUR KIDS WHEN EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS ISN'T TALKING ABOUT TRUCKS, IT'S TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING BIGGER IN TEXAS IS OUR RIGHTS, OUR OPPORTUNITY, THE EQUALITY AND DIGNITY WITH WHICH WE TREAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL IN THIS GREAT STATE OF TEXAS. WE, HERE WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE. PLEASE LET ME HEAR YOU SAY IT. WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE. WE ARE ONE. AND WE'LL DELIVER ON THIS GREAT PROMISE THAT IS THIS COUNTRY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TOGETHER WE WILL GET CLOSER TO THAT PROMISE OF THIS GREAT STATE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS, UH, ANN SUNG WITH OOCA GREATER HOUSTON AND FORWARD GOOD AFTERNOON. I STAND HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OCA GREATER HOUSTON IN OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL 1 47. I'M THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG. UH, MY PARENTS CAME HERE ON STUDENT VISAS. UM, THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY, WITH ITS OPENNESS, WITH ITS WELCOMING NATURE. I DECIDED TO STAY HERE IN HOUSTON AND RAISE A FAMILY. UM, GROWING UP HERE, UM, MY GRANDMOTHER CAME OVER TO LIVE WITH US, UM, WHEN HONG KONG TRANSITIONED, UM, BACK FROM GREAT BRITAIN BACK TO, UM, TO CHINESE RULE. AND OVER THE YEARS, AS WE'VE SEEN DEMOCRACY BECOME CHALLENGED, THE HUMAN RIGHTS BECOME CHALLENGED IN HONG KONG. COUSINS OF MINE HAVE COME OVER ON STUDENT VISAS AND UM, WE HAVE BECOME ENGINEERS, ACCOUNTANTS, TEACHERS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. OUR FAMILIES CAME HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE AMERICAN DREAM. MY HUSBAND IS AN H ONE B VISA, UM, HOLDER WHO HAS NOW SINCE BECOME A NATURALIZED US CITIZEN. WE PAY TAXES, WE OWN HOMES. WE ARE RAISING OUR FAMILIES HERE, AND WE JUST WANT A CHANCE TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM AND TO BE PART OF THAT. WHAT HAVE WE EVER DONE TO ENDANGER ANYONE? WHAT HAVE WE EVER DONE TO HARM THIS COMMUNITY? NOTHING. WE'VE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND WE ASK THAT YOU STAND TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY, IN SUPPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL WHO LIVE HERE. THANK YOU. [00:40:02] MIX UP IS MARK DUBIN FROM THE, UM, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE. GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARK TOBIN. I'M WITH THE A DL, THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE. AND, UH, IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, AND STAND WITH EVERYONE. UH, UNFORTUNATELY OUR HISTORY IS FILLED WITH EXAMPLES OF GROUPS BEING EXCLUDED FROM PROPERTY OWNERSHIP, WHETHER IT WAS THE 1880S, 1915, THE 1950S. IF IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE, THEN IT IS CERTAINLY INAPPROPRIATE IN 2023. SV 1 47 ISN'T ABOUT SECURITY. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF RIGHTS. IT IS A XENOPHOBIC LICENSE TO HATE. WE CAN'T TOLERATE THAT AND THAT'S WHY THIS BILL MUST BE DEFEATED. WE SIT HERE AND WE LIVE HERE IN THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, WE NEED TO HARNESS THE DIVERSITY FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND NOT SEEK TO DIVIDE US. WE AS A STATE AND A COUNTRY CANNOT GO FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE DIVIDED WE MUST BE UNITED. AND OUR UNITY TODAY IS A START. AND THE DEFEAT OF THIS BILL, WHICH HOPEFULLY DOES NOT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, IS A START. THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT A SLIPPERY SLOPE. THE THE THIS BILL IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE TO THE PAST AND NOT TO THE FUTURE. UH, IT IS OUR HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE A API COMMUNITY. AND I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR. UH, WE STAND WITH YOU. WE STAND TOGETHER, WE STAND IN OPPOSITION TO GOING BACKWARDS AND WE STAND GOING TOWARDS THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE PHILIP ANDREWS. YEAH, JUST LET PHILIP, OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. HI, I'M PHILIP ANDREWS FROM FORT BENTON COUNTY, AND HONESTLY, I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO STAND HERE RIGHT NOW. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE'RE AT THIS POINT. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT I HAVE TO BE HERE AND, AND SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOU. OUR TEXAS LEGISLATURE, MY STATE SENATOR LOIS COHORT, OUR GOVERNOR, WHO I AS A REPUBLICAN HAVE SUPPORTED FOR MANY YEARS. THIS IS AN EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT. SB 1 47, AS IT IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN AND PROPOSED, CAUSES GREAT DESPAIR IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT IT ADDRESSES TODAY. THEY ARE WITH SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND FRIGHTENED CONVERSATIONS OF HOW BAD THINGS ARE AND A BEGINNING TO LIVE IN TERROR OF WHAT THEIR GOVERNMENT MIGHT DO NEXT. AND THIS DISTURBS ALL OF US GREATLY. SO I'M HERE TO SAY TO LOIS, GREG, ALL THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS TO MY FELLOW REPUBLICANS. YEAH, THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. TURN AWAY FROM THIS DARK PATH. STOP THIS BILL. NOW WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON NATIONALITY AND THEN ISOLATE PEOPLE IN SPECIAL CLASSES. THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE. SO MUCH HAS BEEN SAID HERE TODAY, AND IT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO SB 1 47, VIOLATING EVERY DOMESTIC SACRIFICE THAT HAS EVER BEEN DONE TO PRESERVE THE HEART OF OUR UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. AND I'M ASKING THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS, I CAN'T FORCE YOU TO GET ONLINE AND READ A SINGLE ONE PAGE DOCUMENT OF SENATE BILL 1 47. BUT I AM TELLING YOU [00:45:01] CONSTITUTIONAL OBEDIENCE DECLARES IT. GET ONLINE, READ THIS BILL THOROUGHLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT. ASK YOUR LEGAL FRIENDS TO CLARIFY YOUR QUESTIONS. AND I HOPE YOU COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT I HAVE. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL HOLD OUR TEXAS LEGISL, TEXAS LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES ACCOUNTABLE AND HAVE THEM SHUT THIS DOWN. SHUT DOWN. 1 47 AND ANY OTHER BILL THAT LOOKS LIKE IT. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS, UM, THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN ELECTED IN STAFFORD, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL. MS. ALICE CHEN. ALICE ALICE. CAN I HAVE A MOMENT PLEASE? MY NAME'S ALICE CHAN. I'M THE FIRST ASIAN WOMAN, WAS ELECTED SERVE AS A CITY COUNCIL FOR CITY OF STAFFER. MY PARENTS FROM CHINA. I WAS BORN IN TAIWAN. I'M THE FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TELL YOU HOW DIFFICULT FOR THIS JOURNEY. WE WORKED SO HARD STUDY, HARD WORK, HARD PAY TAX. AND ALSO WE DEVOTE OURSELF TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. I MEAN, ALL COMMUNITY. THIS IS A COUNTRY AS AMERICAN DREAM FOR MANY, MANY IMMIGRANT, THEY ARE PART OF THIS COUNTRY. SO WHEN I HEARD SB 1 47, THEY BLOCKED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FROM BUYING LANDS AND ALSO BAR CITIZEN FOR THOSE FOUR COUNTRY FOR BUYING LAND, THE MOST IMPORTANT THEY BARRING IMMIGRANT FROM PURCHASE PROPERTY. AND THIS IS TO ME, IT'S RUN ARO AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION. THE NON CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTRY ARE PROTECTED BY CONSTITUTION. AND THE PROPERTY TAX RIGHT CANNOT BE STRIPPED. YOU ALL, YOU ALL, WE ALL KNOW GOD CREATED ALL OF US. DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR COLOR, WHITE, BLUE, YELLOW, BLACK, RED, MANY COLORS. RIGHT? SO I WANNA ASK YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE SAME COLOR? WHAT IS THE COLOR OF THE GOD? WHAT THE SKIN COLOR OF GOD? WHAT IS THE COLOR OF OUR GOD? THE SKIN COLOR? WE ARE ALL BROTHER AND SISTER. AM I CORRECT? YES. ARE WE BROTHER AND SISTER? YES. WE ARE ONE, RIGHT? YES. SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO AGAINST THIS UN CONSTITUTION AND DISCRIMINATION TO SD 1 47. PLEASE. LET'S STOP THE BILL. THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE IRVIN ANGLO, UH, SENIOR PARTNER WITH THE MOSAIC PARADIGM LAW GROUP. UH, THANK EVERYBODY AND THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE. I WANT TO THANK THE ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR COMING HERE TO SUPPORT US WITH THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER. UM, MY NAME IS IRV CHLO AND I AM AN IMMIGRANT. MY FATHER AND MY FAMILY CAME HERE IN 96 ON A WORK VISA. AND BECAUSE OF HIS HARD WORK AND HIS SACRIFICE, WE WERE ABLE, OR I WAS ABLE TO COME HERE AND STUDY AND MY FATHER WAS ABLE TO BUY A HOUSE. AND FOR US TO LIVE HERE AND I WAS ABLE TO BECOME A LAWYER. I WAS ASKED HERE TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT WHAT SB 1 47, UH, MAY DO AND WILL AFFECT MY CLIENTS. SO A LOT OF MY CLIENTS ARE FROM CHINA. THEY'RE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THEY'RE IMMIGRANTS AND THEY'VE COME HERE TO, AND THEY WANNA LIVE THE AMERICAN LIFE. THEY WANNA LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. THEY WANNA LIVE A HOME. THEY WANNA RAISE THEIR FAMILY. THEY WANNA RAISE THEIR KIDS AND THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHEN I'M TALKING TO THESE CLIENTS, I ALWAYS TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS BRAG ABOUT TEXAS. I TELL 'EM, TEXAS HAS A GREAT ECONOMY. WE HAVE GREAT, UH, CULTURE, WE HAVE GREAT DIVERSITY, WE HAVE GREAT FAMILY VALUES, AND TEXANS ARE VERY FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING PEOPLE. BUT WITH THIS SB 1 47, BUT, BUT I'M AFRAID ABOUT WHETHER I CAN STILL TELL 'EM THAT IN THE FUTURE, THESE CLIENTS ASK ME, [00:50:01] AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO BUY A HOME IN THE FUTURE? AND THESE PEOPLE ASK ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF MY BUSINESS GROWS AND EXPANDS, AM I GONNA BE PREVENTED FROM EXPANDING MY BUSINESS? YOU KNOW, AND THEN LASTLY, THEY'RE, THEY ASK, WELL, WHAT'S TO COME NEXT? THE MAYOR SAYS THERE'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE AND HE'S RIGHT. WHAT COMES NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE A PROPERTY? ARE THEY GONNA TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO WORK? ARE THEY GONNA TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO WORK IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES? SO THAT'S A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'M, I'M HEARING TODAY. AND I JUST WANNA COME HERE AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR MY CLIENTS AND SAY, YOU SB 1 47 WILL BE REALLY HARMFUL TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS, UH, NE FAR HAFIZI FARI, UH, IRANIAN AMERICAN. HELLO AND THANK YOU EVERYONE SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. MY NAME IS N FARI AND I'M AN IRANIAN AMERICAN. I'M AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AND AN IRANIAN CITIZEN, WHICH MEANS S SC 1 47 APPLIES TO ME. I ALSO WORK FOR AMAGE AND AMAGE ACTION ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO MOBILIZE ASIAN AMERICAN AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES TO VOTE, BE ENGAGED, AND TO ELECT PEOPLE LIKE THE AMAZING REPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY WHO HAVE TAKEN A STAND AGAINST THIS DISCRIMINATORY, UNCONSTITUTIONAL. BILL. I WANT TO THANK AGAIN ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE BECAUSE WE AS IRANIANS STOOD IN THIS SQUARE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, PROTESTING FOR WOMEN. YEAH. LIFE AND FREEDOM. WE ASKED THAT THE GOVERNMENTS OF THIS COUN GOVERNMENT OF THIS COUNTRY TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TO GUARANTEE FREEDOM PORTS PEOPLE THERE AND TO PROTECT DISSIDENTS LIVING HERE. WHAT WE WERE NOT ASKING FOR WAS FOR A DISCRIMINATORY BILL THAT WOULD TREAT IRANIAN CITIZENS WHO JUST WANT TO BUILD A LIFE HERE TO OWN A SMALL BUSINESS HERE, TO BUILD THEIR FAMILIES HERE AND TREAT THEM THE SAME WAY IT TREATS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. BUT THIS BILL PUTS NOT JUST IRANIANS, BUT ALL IMMIGRANTS IN THE SAME BOAT, OR AT LEAST IN THE SAME CLASS OF HAVING FEWER RIGHTS THAN OTHER AMERICANS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE BAD LUCK TO COME FROM A COUNTRY THAT IS A FOREIGN ADVERSARY OF THE US. SO WE ASK ALL OF YOU AND WE ASK SENATOR HURST, GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK, DO NOT SET THIS PRECEDENT. TEXAS ALREADY HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING A STATE THAT PASSES UNCONSTITUTIONAL LEGISLATURE FREQUENTLY DO NOT ADD THIS DISCRIMIN DISCRIMINATORY BILL TO THAT LIST OF LEGISLATURE BECAUSE WE AS IRANIANS, CHINESE NORTH KOREANS, IF THERE ARE ANY, AND AS RUSSIANS AND ANY OTHER IMMIGRANTS WHO MAY BE TARGETED IN THE FUTURE, NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE COME HERE SEEKING SAFETY AND THE RIGHTS THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE IN OUR HOME COUNTRIES, THE UNITED STATES WILL FULFILL THE PROMISE MADE IN ITS CONSTITUTION AND GRANT THEM TO US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE JUST HAVE TWO MORE QUICK SPEAKERS. UM, UP IS MS. LINGO WITH THE A-A-L-C-A ENTITY, UM, AGENT, COMMUNITY LEADER. THANK YOU JEAN. AND THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF TODAY SHOW US, UH, SHOW UP TODAY HERE. UH, I WANT FIRST THANK YOU ALL, ALL EVERYBODY WHO COME TODAY TO PROTEST THIS BILL. WE ARE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS. WE HAVE BEEN BUILT THIS COUNTRY SINCE 140 YEARS AGO. WE BUILT THE RAILROAD. ANYBODY KNOW THAT? YES. AND THEN CHINESE AMERICANS, SCIENTISTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, DOCTORS. WE ARE BUILDING THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITIES. WE BUILD THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER. FOR SO MANY YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN HERE WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES. WE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH THE PROMISE THAT THIS IS THE PLACE OF DREAM PROSPERITY, FREEDOM, HOPE. BUT TODAY WE ARE HUNTED. WE WERE HUNTED 140 YEARS AGO WITH THIS CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT. THAT'S RIGHT. THREE YEARS AGO WE WERE BY CHINA INITIATIVE. YEAH. HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS AND PROFESSORS WHICH WERE ACCUSED OF SPICE. AND THEN IT TURNED OUT TO BE NONSENSE. AND TODAY WE ARE HAUNTED WITH ALL THE INDIVIDUALS. THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY ALL THE PROPERTIES. WE WERE HERE TO CHASE AMERICAN DREAM, BUT NOW WE ARE IN A, IN A AMERICAN NIGHTMARE. ARE WE GOING TO LET THIS HAPPEN ANYMORE? NO. NO. ARE WE GOING TO LET OUR CHILDREN IN THE NEXT GENERATIONS TO SUFFER THE DREAM, SUFFER THIS NIGHTMARE A NIGHTMARE AGAIN AND AGAIN? NO. NO, WE DON'T. IT'S TIME FOR US TO STAND UP. IT'S TIME FOR US TO SPEAK UP. IT'S TIME FOR US TO FIGHT BACK THE DISCRIM DISCRIMINATORY SB 1 47. JUST THROW THAT INTO TRASH. STUPID. YES, YOU, YES. THAT'S STUPID. THAT'S THE [00:55:01] STUPID BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND LASTLY, MY BROTHER FROM A PROMINENT PAKISTANI AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, DR. HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JEAN. UH, I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU AS A PROUD HOUSTONIAN PROUD AMERICAN APPOINTED BY MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL AS A COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING. BUT DOES THAT MEAN THAT I FORGET ABOUT MY ROOTS? I AM A PROUD MUSLIM AMERICAN. I'M A PROUD PAKISTANI AMERICAN. I'M A PROUD SOUTH ASIAN AMERICAN. I'M A PROUD ASIAN AMERICAN. AND THERE IS HATE. THAT'S EVERYWHERE. BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, THIS HATE EMANATES FROM MINORITY IN EVERY COMMUNITY. THERE IS NO COMMUNITY THAT IN MAJORITY SUPPORTS HATE. WHAT WE SAW IN MONTEREY PARK YESTERDAY, YES, IS DONE BY A MINORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE UP THESE GUNS THAT AMERICANS WANT PUT AWAY. WHAT WE SAW IN SWEDEN LAST WEEK BY BURNING OF QURAN IS A MINORITY THAT EVEN SWEDISH GOVERNMENT HAS, HAS CONDEMNED THIS HATE. EMANATES HATE, HATE, ENCOURAGES HATE. TODAY IT IS CHINESE AMERICANS AND NOT KOREAN AMERICANS AND IRANIAN AMERICANS AND OTHERS. BUT, BUT TOMORROW, WHERE WILL IT BE? PAKISTANI AMERICANS. BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT PAKISTANI IS DOING. WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A PAKISTANI AMERICAN WHO IS A CITIZEN NOW OR IS A GREEN CARD HOLDER? WHO OR WHO IS A STUDYING AT U OF H ON AN INTERNATIONAL VISA? SORRY JEAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS AND FOR BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US WITH THIS FORUM. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU TO ALL THE LEADERS WHO ARE HERE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THERE'S A LOT MORE GROUPS THAT, UH, THAT WE, IT IS TOO MANY GROUPS TO NAME WHO ARE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY, UM, TO, TO SUPPORT US TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION. AND I JUST WANNA PUT ONE QUICK REMINDER AS, AS WE END THIS, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. I WORKED ON THIS BILL. I WORKED ON A DIFFERENT BILL, A BILL TO REMOVE RACIST RE DEED RESTRICTIONS IN OUR PROPERTY, UH, PROPERTY DEEDS THAT SAID, NO BLACKS, NO MEXICANS, NO JEWS AND NO CHINAMEN. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LAST SESSION PASSING AND GETTING THAT LAW SIGNED TO BAN THAT TYPE OF PRACTICE TO REMOVE THOSE RESTRICTIONS FROM OUR PROPERTY DEEDS. AND HERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, 2023, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE'RE GOING RIGHT BACK. HORRIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. LEMME THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE. IF THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, I KNOW IF THERE HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANTED TO POSE TO, TO THE GROUP. OKAY. THANK YOU. LET ME THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING AND LEMME JUST SAY TAKE THIS VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY. OKAY? SO DO WRITE, DO EMAIL, DO CALL THE STATE SENATORS, STATE LEGISLATORS, THE GOVERNOR, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SPEAKER, AND TELL THEM NO TO SB 1 47. SO PLEASE DO THAT. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND ENJOY THE REST OF THE DAY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.