Immigrant Rights
Immigrants are major contributors to California’s diversity, economic success and cultural vibrancy. From the early Chinese immigrants who built the Transcontinental Railroad to the Japanese, South Asian, and Filipino farmers who worked the soil of the California Central Valley, immigrants have shaped the course of California’s history. More recently, there has been growth in Asian and Pacific American communities that hail from Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and contribute to California’s singularly diverse population.
Immigrants from Asia comprise the highest percent of foreign-born individuals in California. Over one-quarter of all California residents are foreign-born and comprise about one-third of the California labor force. Immigrants form the backbone of California’s economy, the world’s seventh largest. Recent immigrants are over-represented in the agricultural, domestic work, and manufacturing industries—all major sectors of the California economy. In addition to labor, immigrants contribute by paying approximately $4.5 billion in state taxes a year.
While immigrants contribute enormously, they often toil in exploitative workplaces, face language barriers to accessing critical social services, and are frequently vilified in the very communities they help build. The well-being of immigrant communities is inexorably tied to the California’s progress and health. AACRE advocates for language rights to ensure access to public services, adequate resources and meaningful access for safety net programs, and policies that facilitate civic participation by immigrant communities.