Monday, August 5, 1996
Welfare Reform bill would deny legal immigrants access to
federal benefitsBy Mike Angell
Summer Bruin Contributor
Eric Wat stood in a park in Koreatown amid the spicy scent of
BBQ and the peal of an ice cream truck’s bells, but all he had to
look forward to was another cup of water. He has not eaten since
Wednesday. Apart from being a little bit more tired than usual, Wat
feels fine. He even went for a ride on the park’s swing set.
Three of his friends, though, did not have the energy to do even
that. They could only lay down on a blanket under a tree since
they, too, have not eaten since Wednesday. However, Wat and the
others believe that their temporary hunger would pale in comparison
to the permanent hunger that would be experienced by thousands of
legal immigrants if current welfare reform legislation passes.
With endorsements from the UCLA Asian Pacific Coalition, UCLA’s
Undergraduate Student Association Council and the University of
California Student Association, Wat and six others are on a hunger
strike protesting current welfare reform legislation.
Specifically, the protesters are targeting a provision in the
bill that would make legal immigrants ineligible for Supplemental
Security Income, food stamps and most other federal benefits.
"I felt very angry and sad at the passage of the bill," said
Wat, a counselor at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. "I
needed to do something to demonstrate my feelings over what has
happened."
Last Wednesday, President Clinton said he would sign the current
version of the welfare reform bill. Shortly afterward, the House
approved the bill by a three-fourths majority. The Senate approved
the bill on Friday.
"This bill is a huge step forward and is long overdue," said
Jason Steele, president of Bruin Republicans. "It ends the kind of
blank check policy that has been in effect for the past six
decades."
Even though Clinton promised to sign the legislation as it
stands, he has said that he may try to enact legislation sometime
in the future that will allow legal immigrants to continue
receiving benefits.
For the time being, Clinton is acknowledging many voters’ desire
to pare down the list of those who receive government benefits.
Yet Clinton has not fully satisfied either side of this issue.
Immigrant rights advocates believe they have been sold out to
election year hysteria. Steele also sees Clinton’s move as a ploy
for votes.
"President Clinton does not want to sign this bill. Liberals
have been very angry that he signed. I would not be at all
surprised if he tried to weaken this bill," Steele said. "The
president is only doing this because of the upcoming election."
The Welfare Reform bill would end the 61-year-old federal
guarantee of cash assistance to poor families with children.
Instead, under the new bill, the federal government would give
each state an annual cash grant. The states, operating within broad
federal guidelines could design their own programs for getting
welfare recipients into jobs.
The bill would save the federal government about $5 billion over
six years, compared with the projected spending under existing
programs. Opponents of the bill said that most of the savings would
come from denying welfare benefits to legal immigrants and
tightening eligibility for food stamps.
While the government would be saving money, Wat said that his
family would be losing money. His 70-year-old uncle relies on
Medicaid to pay the medical bills after he suffered a stroke.
Although Wat’s uncle has had a green card for 14 years, he could
become ineligible for Medicaid under the new legislation since he
is not a citizen.
"We can’t afford speech therapy or physical therapy;" Wat said.
"There are very few people who can afford such medical bills. My
mother is working two jobs right now in order to help pay for the
bills. If this bill becomes law, we will have to take our uncle
home and care for him ourselves. That’s an enormous burden on any
family."
Legal immigrants would be eligible for benefits after paying
federal taxes for 10 years if they entered the country prior to the
bill’s approval. That time drops to five years for immigrants
entering the country after the bill goes into effect.
"One of the main benefits of this bill is that recipients will
now have to work in order to get benefits," Steele said.
Presently, 335,000 elderly, blind and disabled individuals in
L.A. county receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), according
to the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services. Of that
number, 93,000 are legal immigrants who could lose benefits.
The possibility of losing those benefits is forcing Asian
Americans to fight for something they may not always like to admit
to receiving.
Public assistance can provide help in that initial step
immigrants take towards becoming full-fledged tax-paying U.S.
citizens, according to Jaenam Ko of the Korean Resource Center.
"In the Asian group, people don’t mention whether or not they
are receiving federal aid," Ko said. "We’re much more likely to
work and do that sort of thing to survive. Yet, especially elderly
people get seriously ill. In that case, they need Medicaid."
Ko believes that the elderly will suffer greatly under the
reform bill. She estimates that there are 26,000 Korean elderly who
currently receive SSI. These recipients have been coming to her
office asking questions about the new legislation, worried about
losing their SSI money, she said.
While the bill’s speedy approval may be disheartening to some,
the hunger strikers have not given up hope. The reform bill allows
states to decide who will be eligible for Medicaid. Immigrant
advocates will take their cause to the state level next to protect
what programs they can for immigrants.
After the hunger strike ends, Wat plans on building up his
strength to fight for immigrant rights in Sacramento. Currently,
though, he will hold out until Sunday when his group will rally
outside the downtown Federal Building.
"Immigrants contribute to this country in the same way that
everyone else does," Wat said. "They put money into these programs.
The elderly are still a part of the family and they have to be
protected.
"It’s ironic that all these people who talk about family values
are ready to cut off family members from federal aid," he added.
"This bill affects the family."
Photos by CHARLES KUO?Daily Bruin
Don White, a member of United Teachers Los Angeles, addresses
people supporting immigrants’ rights at rally Sunday. The rally,
held at the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, protested
current welfare reform legislation.
On Sunday, the fifth day of his hunger strike, a protester rests
while listening to rally speakers.