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Missouri | "Today, fueled by anti-immigration sentiments, several states are considering alien land legislation to prohibit foreign nationals from certain Asian, Central American, and Middle Eastern countries from purchasing agricultural lands, under
the guise of national security protection. Thirteen states have already passed legislations to prohibit Chinese foreign nationals from owning agricultural land or lands within certain
distance of a U.S. military instillation. Since their arrival, immigrants of color have been perceived as perpetual foreigners. These state proposals would put specifically some
communities, specifically Chinese, under unfair, discriminatory scrutiny and suspicion
again.
According to USDA data as of 2021, Chinese entities and individuals owned about 384,000
acres of U.S. agricultural land, less than 1 percent of all U.S. agricultural land held by
foreign persons. Thus, the attention and reaction to Chinese ownership of agricultural land
is not a reaction to a real problem but can be better viewed as actions based on Xenophobic
stereotypes."
"The existence of artificial and formal barriers perpetuates a
system where immigrants often lack equitable access to opportunities essential for building
generational wealth. By supporting a clear and accessible pathway to citizenship, USDA can
break down these barriers and increase stability for undocumented immigrants and their
families"
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USDA to promote more foreign ownership of farms
