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From YouTube: Councilman Oh Speaks on Ordinance That Allegedly Targets Chinese-Owned Businesses 10-26-2017
Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held October 26, 2017:
Councilman David Oh (At Large) introduces an amendment to Chapter 9 Section 627 of the Philadelphia Code in response to reports that current enforcement of the ordinance has unfairly targeted Chinese-owned businesses.
A
Whether
she
recognizes
Cal's
Manoa,
thank
you
very
much.
Council
president
I
offer
one
bill
and
maybe
her
may
be
heard
after
the
titles
read.
So.
Thank
you
tells
me
thank
you
very
much,
an
ordinance
amending
section,
9
6
27
of
the
philippi
code
inside
of
commercial
establishments
on
residential
block
phases
by
revising
requirements
and
making
related
changes.
She
recognizes
councilman.
Thank
you
very
much.
Council
president
first
I'd
like
to
say
that
I'm
introduced
introducing
for
consideration
of
our
council
body
and
amendment
there's
nothing
wrong
with
the
bill
itself.
A
A
This
bill
is
being
enforced
by
the
police,
because
L&I
is
not
enforcing
the
bill.
This
bill
is
being
enforced
by
the
police,
because
L&I
has
not
written
any
regulations
or
process
to
enforce
it
fairly,
and
probably
the
entire
process
of
enforcing
the
bill
is
illegal.
Probably
the
bill
is
being
enforced
in
commercial
areas
where
the
bill
does
not
apply
and
where
it
does
apply.
It
is
being
enforced
against
businesses
very
unevenly
and
unfairly,
it's
being
enforced
against
some
businesses
and
not
others.
A
A
People
will
say
they're
getting
fined
enclosed
by
the
police,
because
they're
doing
something
wrong
and
that's
the
beginning
of
the
problem
when
the
police
go
someplace
and
do
something
people
assume
those
people
must
be
doing
something
wrong.
The
next
thing
is
when
people
say
well,
I
think
they're
being
discriminated
against,
but
they
deserve
it,
and
we've
heard
that
many
times
in
our
country,
we've
heard
it
with
African
Americans,
we've
heard
it
with
LGBT
we've
heard
it
with
Irish
Americans,
we've
heard
it
with
Italian
Americans,
with
Jewish
Americans
Muslim
Americans.
We
could
go
down
the
line.
A
One
of
the
things
that
I
would
like
to
say
is
that
the
double
standard
that
has
existed
throughout
the
history
of
America
is
problematic
and
I'm
going
to
speak
up
about
it
just
a
little
bit
because
it's
oftentimes,
not
understood
I
will
have
people
say
to
me.
Well,
you
know
the
Chinese
didn't
participate
in
the
civil
rights
movement
and
therefore
this
is
what
they
get.
I
will
have
other
kind
of
statements
like
that,
which
is
very
grossly
unfair
and
unsubstantiated.
A
But
let
me
start
with
this:
in
1790
you
could
not
be
a
citizen
unless
you're
a
white
man
it
couldn't
be,
and
in
1882
Congress
passed
the
law
that
excluded
the
Chinese
or
anyone
who
looked
Chinese
from
coming
to
United
States
or
becoming
a
citizen
that
did
not
end
until
1943
and
we've
had
generations
of
Americans
born
in
this
country
of
Asian
ancestry.
Who
could
not
vote
could
not
vote
anyway
and
they
they
were
forced
to
carry
papers
that
proved
where
they
lived.
A
500
people
went
through
the
Chinese
area
of
Los
Angeles,
going
into
homes,
stealing
property,
stealing
items
smashing
things
and
they
took
out
18
people,
Chinese
people,
Chinese,
Americans,
shot
them
and
lynched
in,
but
the
law
in
Los
Angeles,
as
in
many
parts
of
this
United
States,
was
that
people
of
Chinese
answers.
Ancestry
were
not
allowed
to
testify
against
white
people.
That's
the
history
of
our
country
in
1910,
Pittsburgh
passed
an
ordinance.
A
Fortunately,
the
mayor
vetoed
it
I
think
there
were
about
45
councilmembers
43
of
them
voted
for
an
ordinance
that
Chinese
restaurants
had
to
close
earlier
than
any
other
restaurant
and
that
women
could
not
eat
or
work
in
a
Chinese
restaurant
that
was
1910
in
Pittsburgh.
That
was
not
unusual
because
throughout
the
history
of
that
time,
period
from
after
and
before
the
Civil
War
through
that
period
of
time,
Chinese
restaurants
were
competing
with
other
restaurants,
Chinese,
restaurants
and
Chinese
laundries,
because,
despite
all
the
suppression,
Chinese
couldn't
go
to
school.
A
A
He
ran
out.
That's
called
a
break
in
the
action
for
the
lawyers.
They
chased
him
outside
heat
him
up
some
more.
He
ran
away.
They
grabbed
a
couple
of
baseball
bats
from
their
car,
chased
him
down
the
street
and
beat
him
to
death
in
front
of
McDonald's.
He
was
given
probation
manslaughter
and
the
judge
said
these
are
good
people.
A
The
family
reached
out
to
all
the
civil
rights
organizations,
and
none
of
them
responded
in
part
because
of
this
problem,
the
model
minority
issue,
and
so
that
issue
arises
because
some
people
typically
identified
as
Republicans
say,
look
at
the
Asians
they're
doing
very
well
in
our
country.
Why
do
other
people
have
a
problem
and
the
other
folks
typically
Democrats
say
because
they
are
light-skinned
and
they've
received
a
lot
of
favoritism
from
white
America
and
we
call
them
Democrats
well,
neither
is
true.
Both
are
very
ignorant
statements.
A
Many
asian-americans
face
discrimination,
poor
education,
health
issues;
they
don't
have
insurance
and
things
like
that.
Yes,
some
Asian
Americans
are
doing
well.
Despite
all
these
problems
and
again
they're,
not
the
only
group
of
people.
Women
have
not
been
able
to
vote
African,
Americans,
Caribbean,
African
immigrants,
many
people
in
our
country,
so
it's
a
continuing
issue
of
how
we
treat
ourselves
fairly
and
not
rely
on
prejudice
and
unfounded
statements.
A
I
thank
the
mayor
and
the
police
department
for
the
temporary
suspension
of
the
enforcement.
That
is
very
selective
and
discriminatory,
but
it's
not
enough.
We
do
and
should,
as
a
body,
amend
this
law
to
be
clear
and
logical
so
that
it
serves
its
good
purpose
that
it
was
written
for
and
I
appreciate.
The
members
of
this
council
yourself,
especially
council
president
for
your
leadership
in
always
trying
to
ensure
that
our
city
leads
away
in
fairness
and
equity
for
all
people.
I
will
say
that
many
of
the
people
here
today
they
are
struggling.
A
Many
of
them
don't
have
a
great
deal
of
education.
They
couldn't
get
a
job
anywhere
else,
just
like
their
the
other
people
we
talked
about.
They
have
to
find
a
way
to
earn
money
for
themselves
with
the
thinnest
of
margins.
They
make
their
money
by
not
turning
on
the
heat
they
work
16
hours
a
day,
seven
days
a
week,
that's
how
they
do
it,
and
these
fines
are
not
only
illegal
they're,
crippling
their
businesses.
A
So
with
that,
I
would
ask
everyone
in
Philadelphia
all
fair-minded
people,
and
especially
our
legislative
body
and
our
mayor,
to
ensure
that
our
process
is
fair,
that
we
send
a
message
to
the
people
that
is,
it
is
not
okay
to
discriminate
and
that
we
enforce
the
laws
fairly
and
appropriately.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.