APABA's Mission: How Can You Help? THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Spread the word! Download the toolkit at ARTICLE 1 SECTION 2 represent 2.6% percent of the South www.apabasfla.org. Florida population, and we are proud to Basic rights.—All natural persons, female call South Florida our home. As Do the Right and male alike, are equal before the law attorneys, we recognize our special Sign up to volunteer at www.apabasfla.org. responsibility to help under-represented and have inalienable rights, among which are segments of the community; to improve Contact your elected officials: Thing – Let’s the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, legal access to the courts; and to serve as a legal bridge between our ethnic Florida Capitol Office to pursue happiness, to be rewarded for communities and the South Florida 404 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 Get Rid of the industry, and to acquire, possess and protect region. Florida Senate property; except that the ownership, The mission of the Asian Pacific Sen. Lauren Book, Dist 32 Sen. Bobby Powell, Dist. 30 Alien Land Law! inheritance, disposition and possession of American Bar Association of South 202 Senate Office Bldg. 214 Senate Office Bldg Florida (APABA) is to: (850) 487-5032 (850) 487-5030 real property by aliens ineligible for • Represent and advocate the interests Sen. Oscar Braynon II, Dist 35 Sen. Kevin Rader, Dist. 29 citizenship may be regulated or prohibited by 200 Senate Office Bldg. 222 Senate Office Building of the Asian community of the South (850) 487-5035 (850) 487-5029 law. No person shall be deprived of any right Florida region Sen. Daphne Campbell, Dist 38 Jose Javier Rodriguez, Dist. 37 because of race, religion, national origin, or • Encourage and promote the 218 Senate Office Bldg. 220 Senate Office Bldg. (850) 487-5038 (850) 487-5037 physical disability. professional growth of the members of Sen. Gary M. Farmer, Jr., Dist. 34 Sen. Annette Taddeo, Dist. 40 APABA 216 Senate Office Bldg. (850) 224 Senate Office Bldg. History.—Am. S.J.R. 917, 1974; adopted 1974; Am. proposed by • Serve as a legal bridge between our 487-5034 (850) 487-5040 Constitution Revision Commission, Revision No. 9, 1998, filed with the Secretary of State May 5, 1998; adopted 1998. many and diverse Asian and Asian Anitere Flores, Dist. 39 Sen. Perry E. Thurston, Jr., Dist. 33 404 Senate Office Bldg. 208 Senate Office Bldg. American communities and the South (850) 487-5039 (850) 487-5033 Florida region Rene Garcia, Dist. 36 • Act as an information resource for all. 310 Senate Office Bldg. WHAT CAN YOU DO? (850) 487-5036 Contact Florida’s State Senators and Representatives Florida House of Representatives and tell them you support the repeal of the Alien Land Law and to support Proposal No. CS/P 3. Rep. George Moraitio, District 93 317 The Capitol Let them know that Florida needs to remove the (850) 717-5093 Alien Land Law from the Florida Constitution. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, District 97 212 The Capitol Asian Pacific American Bar 850-717-5097 Association of South Florida Rep. Richard Stark, District 104 405 House Office Building www.APABASFLA.org (850) 717-5103 Rep. Carlos Trujillo, District 105 418 The Capitol (850) 717-5105 Special thanks to the Greater Orlando Rep. Nicholas Duran, District 112 Asian American Bar Association 1102 The Capitol Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GOAABA) for creating this brochure (850) 717 5112 and allowing us to adapt and update. Rep. Holly Merrill Raschein, District 120 of South Florida 209 House Office Building www.APABASFLA.org (850) 717 5120 WHAT IS THE ALIEN LAND LAW? Reasons to Repeal lorida’s Constitution carries on its face Florida’s Alien Land Law passed in 1926, likely Florida’s Alien Land Law the legacy of racial discrimination. out of fear that Asian immigrants driven from F property ownership in the western United States 1. It’s embarrassing and antiquated: Specifically, Article I, Section 2 contains a would migrate to Florida. so-called “Alien Land Law,” which Florida is the last state in the nation to authorizes the legal prohibition against In 2018, Florida remains the last state in the have this Jim Crow era law still in its aliens owning real property: “all natural nation that still has an Alien Land Law, with the constitution. persons, female and male alike, last remaining states’ laws are equal before the law and repealed over ten years ago-- 2. It’s unenforceable: Across our have inalienable rights, among Wyoming in 2001, Kansas in nation, various state supreme courts and which are the right to enjoy and 2002, and New Mexico 2006. In the federal courts have ruled that "Alien defend life and liberty, to 2008, Florida’s legislature passed Land Laws" are unconstitutional because pursue happiness, to be a resolution in attempts to join they target a racial class and violate equal rewarded for industry, and the rest of the United States and protection & due process. The Florida to acquire, possess and eliminate this language from the Legislature has never enacted legislation protect property; except that Florida Constitution. A proposed to carry it out. the ownership, inheritance, amendment was included on a Floridians and disposition and possession statewide ballot for voters; 3. It’s un-American: of real property by aliens however, this attempt failed to Florida: all Americans have long valued a sense of fair play and equal economic opportunity ineligible for citizenship may be regulated achieve the necessary majority of 60% in the if you work hard. The "Alien Land Law' or prohibited by law. November 2008 election, likely due to voter runs against this tradition. No person shall be deprived of any confusion that the language relates to Get on Board! undocumented immigrants. right because of race, religion, national 4. It has nothing to do with the origin or physical disability.” Florida's Constitution Revision “aliens” or "illegal immigration": Beginning with California in 1913, many Don’t let the name fool you - the “Alien states passed Alien Land Laws throughout 2018 Commission (CRC) convenes once every 20 years to examine the Florida Land Law” was passed in the early 20th the 1910s and 20s, with the specific aim to Century to stop new immigrants from restrict Chinese and Japanese immigrants Constitution and propose changes for voter consideration. Currently, the CRC has owning property. It has nothing to do from owning land. In the 1920s, US with immigration. citizenship by naturalization was reconvened and is considering proposed constitutional amend-ments, including restricted to free white persons and 5. It has no supporters or defenders! persons of African nativity or descent, and PROPOSAL No. CS/P 3, for the repeal of the Alien Land Law. If passed by the CRC, the (Yes, it’s that bad.) “aliens ineligible for citizenship” acted as a proposal will be placed on the ballot at the euphemism to target Asian immigrants. 6. It is simply the right thing to do! November 6, 2018 General Election. 60% voter approval is required for adoption.