Protesting a Bill introduced by state Representative Tackey Chan of Quincy
Asian-Americans are apposed to and protesting a bill introduced by state Representative Tackey Chan of Quincy that would require state agencies to collect aggregate data on Asian-American groups in the Commonwealth. According to Chan, the goal of the bill is to provide legislators with a better sense of the demographics and needs of the Asian-American community in the state.
The Asian community protesters vehemently oppose the bill, voicing concerns about how the data might be used and questioning why the Asian-American community is the only group that Chan would target with this legislation. “Why single out Asians? If the goal is better policymaking, why not collect data on all ethnic groups?” asked Yong Wang, a software engineer from Sharon. “My children were born here, they are American.
Why should they be labeled differently?” For some people, the national political climate has fueled fears about the intent behind the bill. Some compared it to the Muslim registry President Donald Trump proposed, while others have concerns about how that data might affect their children’s futures. Media reports have indicated that the US Justice Department intends to investigate universities using affirmative action policies that discriminate against white and Asian applicants.
