Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) posted an entry on his blog for July 30, 2008, titled, "Protecting Our Families From Asian Invaders". It was about a bill recently passed in the House regarding oversight of product safety, especially of those coming from China. The title was later changed to "Protecting Our Families From Harmful Products".
Side note: My initial reaction was to make a post right away, but I held off because Stephanie Chang (APIAVote-Michigan) was preparing a press release. It was just sent out.
I'm glad Knollenberg had the sense to change the title, but it never should've been posted with its original title. It's simply incorrect. Sure, the bill protects our families - there's nothing wrong with increased oversight, regardless of where products come from. But the title changes the issue from product safety to us-versus-them and promotes xenophobic attitudes in America, especially directed against Asians. Last I checked, allowing harmful products to enter the US - as shameful as it is - doesn't constitute an invasion. Yellow peril, anyone?
Even if your radar didn't go off, if you didn't gut a gut sense of unease as I did, it's not a stretch to see how this should concern Asian Americans, specifically. Beneath the explicit xenophobia lurks the idea that Chinese people and the Chinese government are one and the same - an idea that Knollenberg applies to all people of Asian descent, and one that, sadly, reaches Asian Americans as well (see perpetual foreigner, Vincent Chin).
We - all Americans - deserve better from our elected officials. In a country with a history of exclusion brought about by xenophobia, it's important that we don't make the same mistakes.
You can contact Rep. Knollenberg's offices at http://www.knollenberg.house.gov/Contact/
Google cache of Rep. Knollenberg's original blog post
- arthur
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