Xiang Zhang, a professor of genomics at the University of Cincinnati, drove more than 1,000 miles over two days to oppose a proposed law that would force him to sell his home, even though he is a US permanent resident.
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“I never thought that one day, I would have to stand here in front of you to defend myself solely because of my nationality,” he told a packed hearing room in the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday morning, after cutting short a trip to make it back and give his testimony.
“I never thought that one day, I would lose my house in Ohio solely because of my nationality.”
Zhang – who arrived in the US in 1998 with just a suitcase and a US$100 bill, and now leads a major research facility that supports hundreds of life scientists across the country – told Public Safety Committee lawmakers that he had been living his American dream.
The midwestern state is following in the footsteps of Florida and Texas by proposing legislation to ban non-citizens from “foreign adversary” countries – such as China, Iran, and Russia – from owning land within 25 miles (40km) of critical infrastructure.
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House Bill 1, which is supposed to address national security concerns like espionage and cyberattacks, would apply even to green card holders like Zhang. Under SB 88, a related Senate bill, he would be required to sell his house within two years.