Following are two translations of editorials in Sing Tao Daily, one of the two largest Chinese-language newspapers in the U.S.
Sing Tao is independent and politically moderate. The author, West Coast Editor Wellington Cheng, was denounced in China as a "rightist" and imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution.
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"The Chinese Community Opposes Illegal Immigration"
Editorial
Sing Tao Daily (West Coast Edition)
May 29, 1993
On May 24, 1993, a freighter of Honduran registry was able to slip into the San Francisco Bay, and more than 200 illegal immigrants from China embarked, [ironically] at a former Coast Guard inspection pier under the Golden Gate bridge.
On May 12, the Coast Guard caught 199 Chinese illegals on a fishing boat near San Diego.
On December 22, 1992, a Taiwanese freighter outside the Golden Gate Bridge, desperately in need of supplies, was forced to call the Coast Guard for help. On board were 180 Chinese who were preparing to enter the U.S. illegally.
On September 12, a 70-foot fishing boat sank off the California Coast, and 167 Chinese illegals on board were rescued.
On February 25 in the Los Angeles harbor, 85 [illegal] Chinese were caught on a ship [which they named] "The Goddess of Freedom."
The illegal immigrants from China are like the Pacific Ocean itself, with wave after wave hitting the U.S. mainland.
At the end of April [1993] the San Francisco Chronicle published a four-part article by Pamela Burdman, titled "Bitter Journey," on her investigation of recent illegals from China. She estimates that 100,000 Chinese enter the U.S. illegally each year---triple the number of legal Chinese immigrants to the U.S.
The Coast Guard reports that at the present time, off both American coastlines there are at least 50 ships under surveillance for such activities.
Both American coastlines are very long, as is the border with Mexico. The success rate among those attempting illegal entry to the U.S. is high, and the number of people who make this attempt is quite rapidly accelerating.
In the last two incidents of this kind in San Francisco, the Regional INS Director criticized the Chinese community for not providing information regarding the incidents.
The Chinese community is law-abiding. Of the three million Chinese- Americans, only a few are involved in smuggling illegal immigrants. Most Chinese-Americans have no such knowledge, and they cannot report to the INS what they do not know. The charge made by the INS has no basis.
This smuggling of humans is against the law. The position of Chinese- Americans on this issue is exactly the same as that of the American government and of all American people: We are all strongly opposed to illegal immigration.
The Chinese community understands quite well that the main victim of this surge of Chinese illegals is the Chinese community itself. If Burdman's estimates are not greatly above the mark, within five years one in six Chinese in the U.S. will be illegal, and within ten years the figure will be one in three. This would be a very heavy blow to the well-being of the Chinese community.
Most of the illegals speak little or no English, and they have no work permit, so most of them would seek work in Chinese restaurants and sewing factories. But employment of this type is limited, and thus this segment of the job market would quickly saturate. The illegals would squeeze out the legal residents from such employment. At the same time, large numbers of the illegals would not be able to find such employment either, and many of them would resort to crime. Once again, the Chinese community would suffer, as the criminal activity would occur mainly within that community. This would be very unfair to the legal Chinese residents. Everyone in the Chinese community knows these things.
The Chinese community hopes that this problem will be solved, and calls upon the American government to cooperate with the Chinese government to bring to a halt this wave after wave of illegals.
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"Plug the Loophole"
Editorial
Sing Tao Daily (West Coast Edition)
June 22, 1993
They enter illegally, yet later are given a general amnesty and become Permanent Residents.
They enter illegally and get arrested, yet apply for political asylum and become Permanent Residents.
All that separates the illegals from the legals is one thin, thin piece of paper; this is America's immigration policy loophole.
Illegals from China and all other countries abuse this loophole. As soon as they set foot in the U.S., they apply for Permanent Residence.
Not just once has America granted a general amnesty to illegals. Under the same muddled theory which asserts that legalization of drugs can reduce drug use, the government thinks that granting amnesty to illegal immigrants can reduce illegal immigration.
The U.S. probably won't grant any more general amnesties in the future. But it will continue to accept refugees and political asylees from the four corners of the world, without even a moment's respite.
In 1992, the number of refugees and political asylees reached the six-figure range. The largest numbers were from the former Soviet Union, Mexico, Vietnam, Guatemala, the Philippines and China.
Recently the U.S. has caught 1,000 Chinese entering the U.S. illegally. Yet the number of those who were subsequently deported was only in the dozens. Almost all of those arrested applied for political asylum, after which the government quickly released them from custody. The number of pending political asylum hearings has now reached 260,000, with the backlog getting longer and longer. And by the time an asylum applicant does receive a hearing, he has become so settled in the U.S. that he can't be deported, even if his original asylum claim was unwarranted. American government generosity is inspiring wave after wave of people from China to illegally enter the U.S.
Chinese find it much easier than those of any other country to justify their requests for political asylum. All they have to do is say that they oppose China's one-child policy. Any Chinese of childbearing age satisfies America's conditions for asylum.
The U.S., in treating China's one-child policy as a human rights issue, is imposing its own standards on China, without regard to China's urgent population problems.
After World War II, China's population swelled. In the 1950s, Ma Yinchu proposed controls for China's population growth. But Mao Zedong dismissed him as a Malthusian. Mao said, "It's good to have a lot of people. It's good for our work." Mao prevailed, and population went out of control. This was one of Mao's worst errors. Chinese people now say population must be decreased, but they must be left to solve their own problems. There is no alternative to strong measures. Most Chinese understand that this is vital to China's survival. Yet in many rural areas, the traditions of placing supreme value on having many male progeny are deeply rooted. If strong measures are not adopted now, the population will not stay at the already-gargantuan 1.1 billion, but will go to 1.4 billion, 1.5 billion and onward.
China has the world's largest population. Once its population exceeds the capacity of its land to feed the people, no other smaller country would be able to help. If China is in chaos, the security of the other countries would be adversely impacted.
Reasonable Americans should understand China's policy. Yet the American government gives political asylum to illegal immigrants who say they oppose that policy. Frustrated by this, Chinese people don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Some Americans support a woman's right to abortion, while some others oppose. If an immigration judge opposes abortion, then of course he will be especially sympathetic to an illegal immigrant's request for political asylum based on China's one-child policy. Immigration lawyers exploit this.
The U.S. government now understands that this loophole presents severe problems. If the policy can be tightened, definite benefits will occur. But America's coastlines and borders are very long, so effective plugging of the loopholes will require major effort.