A belated apology迟来百年 加州政府要向华裔道歉

导读：美国南湾州众议员方文忠提出的要求州府就排华法律道歉的决议案，已获州众议院和州参议院双双通过，只待州长签字，便可为加州历史翻开新的一页。该决议案要求加州就19世纪和20世纪实施的一系列排华法律道歉，并表彰华裔移民(Chinese American immigrant)的贡献。
A belated apology
迟来百年 加州政府要向华裔道歉
FROM China Daily
PUBLISHED: 2009-07-14
http://www.i21st.cn/story/558.html
Agencies： In this file photo from the 1920s, a group of Chinese and Japanese women and children wait to be processed as they are held in a wire mesh enclosure at internment barracks in Angel Island, Calif.

dsqq.cn：方文忠

dsqq.cn：当年，移民到“天使岛”做苦力的华人小孩。

dsqq.cn：华工辛苦劳作资料图片。
加利福尼亚的众多中国移民为美国作出了杰出的贡献。他们建造船只、码头、灌溉系统和州际铁路，他们勤劳的身影出现在美国的田间、矿区。然而，他们又得到了什么？作为回报，他们要付特种税，被迫远离城镇，甚至无权拥有不动产，不能与白人联姻，他们的子女也不能就读公立学校。更糟糕的是，他们时常遭到暴力恐吓，法庭却拒绝给予他们同等的保护。
California`s Chinese immigrants helped build ships, levees, irrigation systems and the transcontinental railroad. They worked in farm fields and mines. For their efforts, they were rewarded with special taxes, forced out of towns and denied the rights to own property, marry whites and attend public schools. They also were subjected to violence and intimidation and denied equal protection by the courts.
加利福尼亚州众议员方文忠认为，加州和联邦政府是时候为排华行为道歉了。方文忠是一名库柏蒂诺（美国加州旧金山湾区南部）的民主党员。他的外祖父曾饱受移民入境限制的折磨。
Californian State Assemblyman Paul Fong, a Cupertino Democrat whose maternal grandfather was subjected to immigration restrictions, thinks it`s time the state and the federal governments formally apologize for mistreatment of the Chinese.
方文忠在记者招待会上说：“美国想要前进变成一个更强大的国家，就必须承认所犯下的错误。”
"To move forward and become a stronger state, we need to recognize our mistakes," Fong said at a news conference.
从19世纪中期淘金热开始，大量中国人怀着衣锦还乡的美梦来到加州。他们从事矿工等职业，很多人自此便留在美国，更多的人还在源源不断地涌入。到了1882年，美国出台首部针对特定种族、国籍人员的移民法案--《排华法案》，以限制华裔移民。
The Chinese started coming to California in large numbers during the Gold Rush in the mid 1800s, hoping to strike it rich and return home. Many stayed and more came, working in the mines or taking other jobs. In 1882, they were made the targets of the United States` first law limiting immigration based on race or nationality, the Chinese Exclusion Act.
方文忠说：“由于《排华法案》，他们不能和自己心爱的人结婚，直到20世纪50年代才可以购买房产。身为亚裔人无法加入美国国籍。”
Fong has said "They couldn`t marry who they wanted. They couldn`t buy property until the 1950s. Asians couldn`t become (naturalized) citizens."
天使岛移民拘留所基金会（简称AIISF）执行理事Eddie Wong表示，“中国移民为加州的社会、经济建设作出了巨大的贡献。他们理应被认可，得到一份道歉。”
Eddie Wong, executive director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, said Chinese immigrants made "tremendous contributions to building society, building the economy of California. That should be recognized along with an apology."
美国国会为政府不公平待遇道歉甚至赔款相当罕见。1988年，美国国会就二战期间设立日裔美国人拘留营一事正式道歉，并对幸存者每人赔偿2万美元。1993年，美国政府为推翻夏威夷王国而向夏威夷土著道歉。
Apologies for government mistreatment and reparations have been rare in Congress. In 1988, Congress apologized for the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and offered $20,000 payments to survivors. It also issued an apology in 1993 to native Hawaiians for the unlawful overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
加州参议院少数党领袖丹尼斯－霍林兹沃斯的女发言人R-Temecula表示，丹尼斯对提案没有意见。记者招待会上，华裔代表们对此决议表示强烈支持。
A spokeswoman for state Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula, said he had no comment on the proposal. Representatives of Chinese-American groups that appeared at the news conference supported the resolution.
中美政治行动委员会前主席伊维认为：“从道义上说，议会必须就过去不公正的做法进行道歉。否则，我们无法迈过这道坎抵达和解。”
"It`s a moral imperative for the Legislature to rectify past injustices by apologizing," said Ivy Lee, former president of the Chinese American Political Action Committee. "Without an apology, we cannot move forward and promote reconciliation."
(Translator & Editor: Sylvie AND 小胡)
阅读工具
Chinese American immigrant 华裔移民
irrigation system 灌溉系统
transcontinental railroad 横贯大陆铁路，越州铁路
intimidation 恐吓,威胁
mistreatment 虐待
Gold Rush 淘金热时代
Chinese Exclusion Act 《排华法案》
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation 天使岛移民拘留所基金会
reconciliation 和解；和好