Would more letters help?

[chinadave2001]

Hi all. I am a teacher at a large suburban high school here in Connecticut. I teach several government classes, Asian History, and advise the Asian culture club. This entire situation lends itself to a lesson in civics. I am quite sure that if my students knew about this situation, they would enthusiastically embrace the cause and generate a great many letters to all concerned. Is this a good idea? Or would it just dilute the message of those directly involved? Thoughts?

Dave

[AZwolfman]

Yes, by all means. The more concerned letters, the better. I think our biggest problem in dealing with our government on this issue is that the general public is not aware of our dilema.

[JonInDenver]

if possible - direct those letters to your government representatives and local media. almost every newspaper and tv station has a "trouble-shooter". bombard them with "please free xxx's fiance!"

 

i am hitting all the local media here - but i'm just one guy. a handfull of letters would make more impact.

[owenkrout]

I would judge that letters from students would be most likely to do the most good by directing them at the media, particularly the local media. If the local media sees alot of letters on an issue from students they may see it as covering the student activism being a good story, but it would have the side effect of bringing our issues to light, which is good for us.

 

By the way, the House committee investigation in 1999, that I posted a note on, made mention of the LA Times as having run numerous articles on the issues of the problems in the visa system. That might give a source for a major newspaper that would be open to looking at this mess.

[owenkrout]

Excellent idea, James. I will follow with another e-mail.

[Eric&Yuhui]

I have asked everyone to write or E-mail the political cartoonist from the LA Times and ask him to do a piece on this madness. His name is Mark Fiore and he wrote me a nice E-mail in return. Nothing better than political humor to bring people to attention. He has more clout than an article about our plight. His cartoons also appear in the NY Times and the Washington Post. His E-mail address is, mark@markfiore.com

This is good James !

I'm laughing already....

[chinadave2001]

I think the idea of getting the attention of the press is a good idea. Last Sunday, The Hartford Courant ran a front page story on an Iranian student who is waiting up in Canada for his visa to return to the University of Connecticut. Maybe they'd like to do a follow up/related story.....Maybe USA Today might be a good idea as well in that it's a true national paper.But I think I'll have them write to our Congressmen, Senators and the President too.

dave

[Robert S.]

That is very interesting that you are teaching these government courses. Of course you must have already mentioned to your students the anti-Asian era of racism characterized by the infamous Chinese Exclusionary Act. As originally pointed out by Jim Hoffman, this visa delay situation could be compared to that. When you think about how irrelevant any Chinese people could be to concerns involved with the "War on Terror" it makes you wonder if a new anti-Chinese prejudice is at work.

[Eric&Yuhui]

That is very interesting that you are teaching these government courses.  Of course you must have already mentioned to your students the anti-Asian era of racism characterized by the infamous Chinese Exclusionary Act.  As originally pointed out by Jim Hoffman, this visa delay situation could be compared to that.  When you think about how irrelevant any Chinese people could be to concerns involved with the "War on Terror" it makes you wonder if a new anti-Chinese prejudice is at work.

Robert. I disagree..

I wish I could agree..... At least it would prove some kind of conspiracy....and thought over process..

I think the plain truth is incompetency, my friend...Plain and simple... The right hand has NO clue what the left is doing.. I have 1000+ posts on records that say I'm right

[owenkrout]

Eric, I agree with you. This is just plain incompetentcy.

[chinadave2001]

Yes, in fact when I first discussed this situation with memebers of my department, the very first comment by a colleague was that " Hey - it sounds like The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882."

That law suspended all Chinese Immigration for ten years, was extended in 1892 for another ten, and made permanent in 1902. In addition, all Chinese immigrant men were prohibited from sending for their wives....IN 1906-7 Japan agreed not to send any more immigrants to the US (The Gentlemens' Agreement) and in 1913 California passes the Alien Land Law which restricted Asians from buying farmland. Certainly there is precedent for this kind of behavior.

Yet, yet, in as much as I am completely frustrated and angered by the seemingly uncaring and unsympathetic nature of the state department, I cannot believe that they have returned to the last century. But, their incompetency certainly leaves them vulnerable to this charge!

Somehow I just can't get the image of unopened boxes sitting somewhere in the basement of that building, never to be opened......

If nothing else, at least I can teach the kids how to access the government and voice their concerns.

Dave

[Eric&Yuhui]

That is very interesting that you are teaching these government courses.  Of course you must have already mentioned to your students the anti-Asian era of racism characterized by the infamous Chinese Exclusionary Act.  As originally pointed out by Jim Hoffman, this visa delay situation could be compared to that.  When you think about how irrelevant any Chinese people could be to concerns involved with the "War on Terror" it makes you wonder if a new anti-Chinese prejudice is at work.

Robert. I disagree..

I wish I could agree..... At least it would prove some kind of conspiracy....and thought over process..

I think the plain truth is incompetency, my friend...Plain and simple... The right hand has NO clue what the left is doing.. I have 1000+ posts on records that say I'm right

I'm afraid I agree with Robert. By mentioning Angel Island and the Exclusionary Act, we were at least able to get visas somewhat moving again in China. Up to then---Nada!

i'm afraid not... We started getting visas because it just happened ! Some obsure guy at DoS figured it out

Even Uncle Sam can't be that incompetent !

Just took them 5 months to start doing that though...

I wish I could pay my taxes in France though....It would have taken them only 3 months to issue a visa.....Still way too long

Frankly, in the past 3 month, I am not very proud to be an American. I've always been since 6/18/93 since I was sworn in.. No longer , and that is a shame.

[Robert S.]

Guys, please, read my posts more carefully and if you reply then reply in the spirit within which they were written. It is not possible to either agree or disagree with what I said. I said one COULD make a comparison and that this situation makes you WONDER what is going on. I did not make any statement at all about what I believe or would have anyone else think I believe or what I think anyone else should believe. I was merely making an academic assertion that present wrongs are reminiscent of previous wrongs, not that they are the same. I am consciously applying a tarbrush, whether the weapon is justified it its particulars or not.

[Jatuke]

Maybe it's The Chinese Fiancee Exclusionary Act.