In a pleasant surprise, the California Supreme Court took a courageous stand: the high court ruled that everyone had a right to marry, regardless of their personal status. Unless California voters overturn its ruling — which is unlikely — both straight and gay folks can now marry in the Golden State.
Only a few decades ago, our country unjustly interfered with Asian Americans’ right to immigrate and marry. Between the 1920s and 1965, Asian Americans were practically banned from immigrating to the US. Furthermore, until 1967, states had the power to ban interracial marriages. In fact, under one odious federal statute, US citizens who married non-citizens would automatically lose their citizenship.
Our community suffers when our country fails to safeguard the civil rights of every member of our society. Asian Americans embrace a wide range of political, ethnic, and personal identities.
Significantly, a number of Asian American groups — including Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Greater Los Angeles), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association (Northern & Southern California) — signed friend-of-the-court (amicus) briefs that supported everyone’s right to marry. By joining this landmark effort, we will pave the way for all Americans to realize their dreams.
– Gautam Dutta
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