Cambodian Refugees

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how American immigration and deportation systems have affected Cambodian refugees living in the US and argues that these systems are profoundly unfair . The paper first explains that refugees from Cambodia, which was carpet-bombed by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, were not granted citizenship but rather were allowed into the U.S. only as "permanent residents". The paper then discloses the ways in which the 1996 "Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act" had implications for Cambodians living in the U.S. by making deportation mandatory for all legal permanent residents, who are or had been sentenced to a year or more for aggravated felonies, moral turpitude or using controlled substances. Also discussed are the problems faced by the Cambodians, who are Americans by experience, education, and language, when they are deported back to Cambodia.

From the Paper:

"A second problem with the Act is the fact that the conviction does not need to have occurred after the Act was introduced. Convictions prior to 1996 are applied 'retrospectively'. This applies regardless of the length of time, which has passed since the conviction, and no matter how minor the offense. When we consider that men of color are more likely to be sent to prison after conviction and are often poorly represented during trial, then it is clear that the law unfairly targets immigrants from African, South American, and Asian countries."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Independent Lens: SENTENCED HOME http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/sentencedhome/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_3_independentlensbrsentencedhome_2007-05-15.

More papers on Cambodian Refugees:

• Persuasive Essay # 142298 : "Cambodian Genocide"
• Comparison Essay # 116636 : "Cultural Communication: Cambodian Americans"
• Analytical Essay # 61072 : "Asian-American Panethnicity"

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