#246 4/8 Monthly Meeting; JASON Report; Voting Gap; China Engagement; Delaware HB 322; More
In This Issue #246
· 2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting
· JASON Report on Safeguarding the Research Enterprise
· Voter Registration Gap for Latinos and Asian Americans
· Opinion: US Engagement Without Provocation of China
· Delaware House Bill 322 Moves Forward
· News and Activities for the Communities
2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting
The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 8, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are:
· Robert Underwood, Commissioner, President's Advisory Commission on AA and NHPI; Former Chair of CAPAC; Former President of University of Guam
· Yvonne Lee, Commissioner, USDA Equity Commission; Former Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
· Chenglong Li, Zhong-Ren Peng, and Jiangeng Xue, Officers of Florida Chinese Faculty Association and Professors of University of Florida
· David Inoue, Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
· Cindy Tsai, Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100
The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎, Vincent Wang 王文奎, and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org.
JASON Report on Safeguarding the Research Enterprise
On March 21, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) released a new report by JASON, an independent science advisory group, titled "Safeguarding the Research Enterprise." This report builds upon the 2019 Fundamental Research Security report. In this study, JASON was tasked to comment on specific steps NSF might take to identify sensitive areas of research and describe processes to address security in those areas. The report presents eight key findings and six recommendations for NSF's consideration. It emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in research while acknowledging various risks and the necessity to distinguish between sensitive and nonsensitive research.JASON recommendations highlight the importance of fostering a culture of research security awareness within the scientific community by providing substantive information to researchers about real risks, making resources available and encouraging continuous engagement with researchers and their institutions about the efficacy of research risk mitigation and control efforts. NSF is currently reviewing the findings and considering the implementation of recommendations as it develops new policy review processes for national security concerns. These policies are slated to be effective by the May 24, 2024, deadline set forth in the "CHIPS & Science Act of 2022."On March 31, 2024, Axios offered insights on the JASON report, suggesting caution in adding controls over fundamental science research. Many scientists emphasize the importance of an open research environment, essential for testing and exchanging results and hypotheses. Others argue that international collaborations offer insights into other countries' capabilities and help shape global science and tech standards.
JASON highlights changes in fundamental research across physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, with increasing scientific collaborations between countries. There is growing science and tech competition globally as nations invest in education and research infrastructure. The transition from basic science to practical technology is faster now, with advancements quickly commercialized.Many defense-related scientific breakthroughs are coming from civilian sectors and private companies, posing dual-use challenges. The rise of China in the science world order prompts re-evaluation of sensitive research handling.JASON advises NSF against broadly designating scientific fields as sensitive but recommends assessing project sensitivity case by case. It also cautions against expanding export controls to include fundamental research areas, warning of increased research costs, talent pipeline reduction, and hindrance to broader U.S. economic and national security interests.The project-by-project approach is "reasonable," says Tobin Smith, vice president for policy at the Association of American Universities, where the rubber hits the road for these policies.NSF is launching a Research on Research Security (RORS) program to delve into research security matters from an academic viewpoint. Currently, there is limited comprehensive data available on the issue, despite some information being published by the agency and others. NSF is working on a machine learning tool to scrutinize grants, papers, and related documents. This tool aims to uncover undisclosed affiliations, professional roles, or funding sources that could pose conflicts of commitment or interest.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is currently developing its Research Security Program Standard Requirement. A 2021 national security memorandum directed OSTP to establish research security standards for universities and other research institutions.Read the NSF announcement: https://bit.ly/4ajpFvv. Read the JASON report: https://bit.ly/3TGukke. Read the Axios report: https://bit.ly/3VBlve2
Voter Registration Gap for Latinos and Asian Americans
According to NPR on April 2, 2024, in a pivotal election year, U.S. democracy continues to face a persistent challenge among the country's electorate — gaps in voter registration rates between white eligible voters and eligible voters of color."For years, the shares of Black, Asian and Latino citizens age 18 or older signed up to cast ballots have trailed behind that of white adult citizens, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey."Based on national estimates from the last two federal election years, the disparity in registration rates between white and Asian eligible voters is around nine percentage points. Between white and Latino eligible voters, the gap is about 13 percentage points."Long-standing barriers to voter registration have made it difficult to close these gaps, and dedicated investment is needed to ensure fuller participation in elections and a healthier democracy, many researchers and advocates say," NPR said. The barriers and challenges include:
· For some, economic needs overshadow political participation
· Asian Americans and Latinos are less likely to be contacted by campaigns
· Voting restrictions can disproportionately affect people of color
· "...without our voice, nothing's going to be done"
Read the NPR report: https://n.pr/49rvzcK
Opinion: US Engagement Without Provocation of China
According to the East Asia Forum on March 31, 2024, Johns Hopkins University Professor David Lampton and Stanford University Professor Thomas Fingar opined that the United States should seek engagement without provocation of China."China is in a phase of its foreign and domestic policy that emphasises an old bundle of policies attaching primacy to regime and national security at the cost of economic growth. At some point, China will move toward its other historical foreign policy bundle emphasising economic growth and more openness. The United States should hold open the door to the second policy package for the indefinite future, while deterring Beijing's most dangerous behaviour in its current policy incarnation. Washington needs to restore credibility to its One China Policy and lower the rhetorical temperature, a formidable challenge in the midst of a presidential election in the United States and when there is a high level of insecurity in Beijing," the professors said.Read the East Asia Forum essay: https://bit.ly/4cFddYG
How Chinese Students Experience America
In a comprehensive New Yorker report on April 1, 2024, Staff Writer Peter Hessler recounts his teaching experience at Sichuan University in China and tracks a class of students who have come to the United States through the Sichuan University–Pittsburgh Institute (SCUPI). All SCUPI classes were in English, and after two or three years at Sichuan University students could transfer to the University of Pittsburgh or another foreign institution. SCUPI was one of many programs and exchanges designed to direct more Chinese students to the U.S. In the 2019-20 academic year, Chinese enrollment at American institutions reached an all-time high of 372,532.A generation earlier, the vast majority of Chinese students at American universities had stayed in the country, but the pattern changed dramatically with China’s new prosperity. In 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Education reported that, in the past decade, more than eighty per cent of Chinese students returned after completing their studies abroad.In the span of a single generation, China’s enrollment rate of college-age citizens had risen from eight per cent to 51.6 per cent by 2019.
Following a number of his students from China to the United States, Hessler tells a story of how COVID, guns, anti-Asian violence, and diplomatic relations have complicated the ambitions of the 300,000+ college students who come to the U.S. each year. Read the New Yorker article or listen to it at https://bit.ly/3vt00l3 (51:04).
Delaware House Bill 322 Moves Forward
According to Coastal-TV on April2, 2024, an act to amend title 29 of Delaware code in regard to a commission on Asian and Pacific Islander heritage and culture was recently voted on with one person in favor of the bill and four others agreeing to move it forward but with further consideration needed.House Bill 322 is sponsored by William Bush of District 29. It would bring representation of the AAPI community. The Delaware Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture would do the following:
1. Provide the Governor, members of the General Assembly, and policymakers with recommendations to promote the welfare and interests of all people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who reside in this State
2. Establish, maintain and develop cultural ties between Asian and Pacific Islanders and Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander-Americans
3. Foster a special and compelling interest in the historical and cultural backgrounds of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, as well as in the economic, political, social and artistic life of the nations and territories involved
4. Help study, establish, or promote programs or events that will provide appropriate awareness of the culture, history, heritage, and language of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent
5. Provide a platform for the promotion of the cultural and historical heritage of any people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent
Asian American advocate and student at the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy, Devin Jiang, said, "We can’t have a democracy when certain groups don’t have seats at the decision-making table. And for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we lack representation in all three branches of government in Delaware, other states across the country, and the federal government." said Jiang, "We don’t have seats in many rooms. This changes in Delaware: if passed and signed into law, HB 322 will bring about more political representation for AAPIs."Read the Coastal-TV report: https://bit.ly/3PLJXWi
Blinken appoints chief diversity and inclusion officer
According to NBC News on April 2, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has appointed a new chief diversity and inclusion officer at the State Department ten months after the role became vacant. The position does not require Senate confirmation. Zakiya Carr Johnson will be tasked with building a workforce that “reflects America,” Blinken said in a statement.
Although most at the State Department supported Blinken’s efforts to elevate issues of diversity and inclusion, a number also said that they would have liked the opportunity to share their thoughts ahead of Carr Johnson’s appointment. Chief among the challenges facing Carr Johnson will be “a massive retention issue at the department,” said Merry Walker, president of the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association. “Especially at the mid-levels.” Representatives from other State Department employee organizations expressed similar concerns about keeping staff on board. Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3U1kn1X
News and Activities for the Communities
1. APA Justice Community Calendar
Upcoming Events:2024/04/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/04/09 China Town Hall (2-part program)2024/04/17 Racially Profiled for Being A Scientist. A Discussion of the US DOJ's China Initiative2024/04/18 Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice 2024/04/19 Appeals Court Hearing on Florida SB 2642024/04/19 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and GalaVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details.
April 4, 2024