A group of Chino Hills residents met Thursday night to discuss the proliferation of so-called birthing tourism, in which women from other countries visit the U.S. to give birth thus securing citizenship for their babies. Janet Kwak reports from Chino Hills for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Dec. 6, 2012
A hilltop home in Chino Hills has become a familiar landmark, a place residents say pregnant Chinese women come to have their babies.
Some call it birthing tourism. Residents call it unwelcome.
"We are upset, we want it to go away," said Jody Velazquez. "It's not right, it's ethically and morally wrong, what these people are doing."
About 40 Chino Hills residents from a group called "Not in Chino Hills" filled a community center Thursday night, pledging to pass out literature, hold public protests and start a letter campaign to elected officials. Their goal is to get the maternity businesses to close permanently.
"This is not an 'in my backyard' issue," Mitchell said. "This is an issue that affects everyone."
Still, not everyone is as adamant. Pomona resident Mike Cargyle has mixed feelings.
"I'm opposed to illegal immigration," he said. "But that's not what we are talking about here, we are talking about legal immigration, legal immigration with a loophole."
The city of Chino Hills has already filed a cease and desist order on the homeowner of one suspected facility, Hai Young Wu.
City officials said they may file a criminal complaint, as well. But the argument has nothing to do with birthing tourism. It's about the issue of having what amounts to a maternity ward in the midst of a residential neighborhood.
