top of page

#255 Registration Open for FBI Forum; Students from China; Bill Tracker; Trailblazers; More

In This Issue #255

·       Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI

·       Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection

·       C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024

·       Trailblazing Asian American Legislators

·       News and Activities for the Communities

 

Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI


 

WHAT: A Dialogue Between Academic & AAPI Communities and The FBIWHEN: June 6, 2024, 4:00 - 6:00 pm Central TimeWHERE: This is a hybrid in-person and virtual event (registration required)

·       In-person: O'Connor Building, Rice University, Houston, Texas

HOSTS:

·       Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition (TMAC)

·       Science and Technology Policy Program, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Office of Innovation, Rice University

·       APA Justice Task Force

OPENING WELCOME:

·       Sergio Lira, Vice President, TMAC; President, Houston Council, League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC)

·       Paul Cherukuri, Chief Innovation Officer, Vice President for Innovation, Rice University

PANELISTS: 

·       Jill Murphy, Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, FBI Headquarters

·       Georgette "GiGi" Pickering, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office

·       Kelly Choi, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Houston Field Office

·       Gordon Quan, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Quan Law Group, PLLC; Former Houston City Mayor Pro-Tem

·       David Donatti, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Department, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas

·       Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum

SUMMARY REMARKS:

·       Douglas Williams, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office

·       Neal Lane, Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Former Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

MODERATOR: Steven Pei, TMAC and APA Justice Task ForceDESCRIPTION:  This event brings together Jill Murphy, the deputy assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, who oversees the FBI’s espionage investigations, and the leadership of the FBI Houston Field Office with members of the academic and Asian American communities to discuss the gaps between national science and technology policy and its implementation at the forefront of law enforcement, as well as to explore the possibility of a regular communication channel.REGISTRATION: 

· In-person.  To be announced by Rice University

· Zoom: https://bit.ly/3wjg759


 

Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection


 

On May 8, 2024, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns posted a message on X welcoming students from China to study in the U.S.  It is encouraging that the U.S. is welcoming Chinese students to come and study here again.However, marginalizing the secondary screening by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and related problems faced by the Chinese students at the border may inadvertently undermine the effort.Numbers can be misleading, depending on how they are used. There were about two dozen scientists and researchers prosecuted under the China Initiative.  One may argue that it was a very small percentage of all the scientists and researchers in the U.S. (according to the National Science Foundation, there were 24 million employed as full-time scientists and engineers in 2019, https://bit.ly/3WxPIuM).  It is also true that the percentage is very small by that measure.  But an issue is defined by how it is framed.  The impact of the China Initiative can be very big from another perspective.  When you look at the population of impacted persons under the China Initiative, those of Asian and particularly Chinese origin will stand out.  The fair question to address the concerns at the border is:  Among the students and scholars who faced secondary screening by CBP, what is the percentage of them being Asian or Chinese?  How is their rejection rate compared with other groups of students and scholars?  That may tell a different story.This observation was reported by U.S.-China Perception Monitor:2024/05/10 中美印象简报:中国学生被关“小黑屋”是否被夸大According to AP on April 13, 2024, far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that.  Only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of close to 25,000 a decade ago.  “We need young Americans to learn Mandarin. We need young Americans to have an experience of China,” Ambassador Burns said.  Meanwhile, China is hosting American high school students under a plan Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled in November to welcome 50,000 in the next five years.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3WAUJTz

 

C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024


 

Committee of 100’s ongoing effort to identify and monitor legislation that restricts property ownership by foreign governments, businesses, and people has been updated to cover the 2024 legislative session.  It shows a continuing effort by state governments and Congress to limit the ability of such entities to own property in the U.S. As of April 25, 2024, 

·       151 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities have been considered by 32 states (115 bills) and Congress (36 bills).

·       Of the 151 total bills, 78 are under consideration that would prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning property.

·       Of the 151 total bills, 7 passed and were signed into law in Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska (2 bills), South Dakota, and Utah, respectively.

·       Of the 7 bills passed so far, 3 prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning some form of property: Indiana’s HB 1183, Nebraska’s LB 1301, and South Dakota’s HB 1231.

C100 has also updated the interactive map to track legislative activities by state and Congress in 2024, especially those related to the People’s Republic of China. It also allow users to view legislation that has passed or is currently under consideration in 2023.Visit the C100 Alien Land Bill Tracker at https://bit.ly/3Hxta4BTwo lawsuits have been filed against Florida's alien land law known as SB 264:

·       SHEN v. SIMPSON (4:23-cv-00208), filed on March 22, 2023

·       National Fair Housing Alliance, Inc. v. Secretary of Commerce (1:24-cv-21749), filed on May 6, 2024

 

Trailblazing Asian American Legislators


 

According to the New York Times on May 6, 2024, opposition from the Asian American community in Texas, including a former Republican lawmaker of Chinese descent, helped roll back some provisions in an alien land bill known as SB 147.  That former state representative was Dr. Martha Wong, an iconic trailblazer in the Texas legislature.  Dr. Wong, a native Houstonian, is a third generation Chinese American. She is the first Asian American elected to the Houston City Council (1994-2000) and the first Asian American woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives (2003-2007). She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and both a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Houston.  She is 85 years old.On March 2, 2023, she testified in front of the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs on SB 147.  "It's unusual for me to get up at 4:45 to get here and I see that I got here so late that I'm registered to be the last speaker," she remarked about her interest and importance of the matter.  "The part regarding the security of our land is very important ...  sometimes is that there are unintended consequences.  The unintended consequences I think are what most people were speaking about today.  The unintended consequences is causing many Asians to be discriminated against.  It's not that the bill is discriminating, but it's that it's causing other people to be discriminating.  I don't know how many of you know of which ethnicity I am - maybe only because of my name.  I could be Korean, I could be Vietnamese, I could be Chinese, I could be Filipino."Watch Dr. Wong's testimony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMtMLubX_lY (14:06)

Gene Wu was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012.  Prior to being elected, he served as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where he sought justice for thousands of crime victims. He is currently an attorney in private practice. Rep. Wu has been the leading voice opposing not only alien land bills but also across the nation.  "This is not just a Chinese problem this is not just a Russian problem or Iranian problem or North Korean problem this is a problem for every community that has been targeted," says State Representative Gene Wu.  "Senate Bill 147 is unconstitutional and un-American, and it's bad for business I hope my colleagues will see the consequences on this bill and work with us to ensure that every single Texan has the opportunity to live their American dream."To read more about alien land bills and Rep. Wu's leadership role, visit https://www.apajustice.org/alien-land-bills.html.  He also hosts a monthly town hall meeting.  Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for his next meeting and how to attend.According to a blog by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Sam Park and his family immigrated from South Korea to Georgia in the early 1980s. That was made possible only after immigration quotas, which severely restricted immigration from Asian countries and date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, were abolished by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.  He was raised by a single mother. 

By the power of the vote, Sam Park became the first Asian American Democrat elected to the Georgia Legislature in 2017.  Since he was the only Asian American legislator serving in the Georgia Legislature, it was a lonely and challenging endeavor. Yet in knowing his history, Sam Park recognized that he stood on the shoulders of those who came before him and that he had a responsibility to continue the work of perfecting our union for all.  He has learned that it is one thing to break a barrier, it is another matter to pave the way for others. Over the past eight years, Sam Parks has seen an increase in Asian American political participation, and more Asian Americans are running and getting elected to the Georgia Legislature, where it now has one of the largest Asian American legislative caucuses in the country. Read Rep. Park's blog: https://bit.ly/4dGfseJ

 

News and Activities for the Communities

 

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar


 

Upcoming Events:2024/05/22 Heritage, Culture, and Community: The Future of America's Chinatowns2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/06/06 A Dialogue Between Academic/AAPI Communities with The FBI2024/06/20-22 Social Equity Leadership Conference2024/06/27-30 2024 Chinese American Convention Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details.

 

2.  Did You Know?

There were 10 charter members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) when it was formed 30 years ago in 1994: Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (Inaugural Chair), Rep. Patsy T. Mink, Del. Robert Underwood, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Daniel Akaka, Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Daniel Inouye, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Rep. Robert Matsui, and Del. Eni Faleomavaega?  Read the CAPAC press release: https://bit.ly/4ao5A6G

 

3.  Sampling of AANHPI Heritage Month Activities and Articles

2024/05/16 Smithsonian Magazine: Explore Amazing Contributions Made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Four Smithsonian Stories2024/05/16 The Dallas Morning News: Richardson’s Chinatown: The history, development and needs of an Asian American enclave2024/05/16 South Seattle Emerald Opinion: The History and Heritage of Asian and Pacific Islander Communities Belong in Our Classrooms2024/05/01 PBS: What to Watch | Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage MonthLibrary of Congress: Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month!Smithsonian: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 20, 2024

  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
bottom of page