I might not have been an American if not for Ted Kennedy

I might not have been an American if not for Ted Kennedy and all those who worked to pass the Immigrant and Nationality Act of 1965.

With the passing of Ted Kennedy, The Daily Kos put out this blog post about about his work helping to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This ended the long history of heavy restrictions on Chinese immigration to the US (from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which outrightly banned the Chinese entry into the US and denied citizenship to those already in the States, to the series of acts that followed that expanded and extended the Chinese Exclusion Act until it's repeal with the Magnuson Act of 1943, which allowed only 105 Chinese into the US each year and gave those already in the US citizenship). After the Immigration Act of 1965, many more Chinese immigrated to the US. In part because restrictions were loosened and in part because of the social, economic and political unrest in China (re: Cultural Revolution). My mom's family was a part of that wave of immigration that came after 1965. Her aunt (a citizen of the US at the time) sponsored my grandpa who in turn was able to bring over the rest of his family. A few years later, my mom was introduced to my dad (via the phone and mail for he lived in HK) and they courted for a few months. After she married my dad, she brought him over to the States.

Yes, this act helped to change the face of the United States. It became and continues to be more multi-colored, multi-cultural, multi-lingual. This may be disturbing to some people but I, for one, am glad for this diversity. Without it, I might not be here to comment on it today.