Asians Fleeing Arizona

PHOENIX -  As Arizona is set to enact its draconian immigration reform bill, SB1070, the state’s Korean population is leaving in droves, reports Radio Seoul in Los Angeles. 

Some 20 percent of the 30,000 Koreans who live and work in Arizona have either left or are packing their bags. A majority of them are small business owners who depend largely on Hispanics to staff their businesses and who make up the bulk of their customers. 

A separate piece in the Korea Daily noted a spike in the number of Korean-owned establishments near the Arizona-Mexico border that have shut down for the same reason. 

For those Koreans remaining in state, the majority are overwhelmingly opposed to the new regulations, the article noted, adding that more Koreans are expected to leave in the coming months. It said that local community groups are encouraging people to carry their identification cards at all times.