This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed disturbing legislation that could fuel racial profiling of Chinese immigrants in the state.
The bill, which bars many Chinese citizens from buying property in Florida, is the latest in an ongoing state and federal effort from Republican lawmakers to emphasize that they are “tough on China” as geopolitical and economic tensions have grown between the two countries. Activists, however, fear that it codifies and emboldens racial profiling in the state, making it harder for Chinese immigrants and Asian Americans to buy homes.
The Florida policy is theoretically intended to combat the influence of the Chinese Communist Party on US affairs, according to DeSantis. However, its broad scope and focus on Chinese people who have no ties to the government has fueled concerns about who will actually be impacted by it.
“The reality will be that any seller, when they see a Chinese name … will think, ‘Too much trouble,’ and they’ll refuse to sell,” says Echo King, a Chinese American attorney based in Orlando, Florida, who has helped organize opposition to the legislation as part of the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance. “My community, lots of people are scared.”
The policy allows some Chinese citizens — those with non-tourist visas — to purchase land, though they aren’t allowed to buy more than two acres, and can only do so at least five miles from military sites. That provision is still extremely restrictive, given the number of places in Florida that could be classified as military sites, activists note. Another provision in the bill bars citizens of Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria from purchasing farmland that’s within 10 miles of specific sites. It’s set to go into effect on July 1.
The legislation underscores how broad, xenophobic policies can result as a product of the anti-China rhetoric that has grown in the last few years. There’s much that the US should hold…
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