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#225 Section 702; Pushback Alien Land Bills; Carter Center; "China Initiative" Revival; +

In This Issue #225

·       Reminder: Community Briefing on Section 702 of FISA

·       Asian American Groups Pushed Back Against 17 GOP Governors on Alien Land Bills

·       China Focus, the Carter Center and Conference for 45th Anniversary of U.S.-China Relations

·       Over 40 Organizations Oppose Appropriations Proposal to Reinstate the China Initiative

·       News and Activities for the Communities

 

Reminder: Community Briefing on Section 702 of FISA

 

 


 

WHAT: Webinar - Community Briefing on Section 702 of FISA: Sweeping Reforms to Warrantless Surveillance InitiativeWHEN: December 12, 2023, 2-3 pm ET/11-12 noon PTHOSTS:  Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), Advancing Justice | AAJC, APA Justice, Brennan Center for Justice, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)MODERATOR: Eri Andriola, Associate Director of Policy & Litigation, AASFSPEAKERS:

· Noah Chauvin, Counsel, Liberty & National Security, Brennan Center for Justice

· Joanna YangQing Derman, Director of Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights, and National Security, Advancing Justice | AAJC

· Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, AASF

· Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, CAA

DESCRIPTION: The briefing will feature civil rights, national security, and policy experts, who will break down what Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is and how it impacts Asian American communities. Panelists will discuss the key reform bills at play, including the Government Surveillance Reform Act (GSRA) and the Protecting Liberty and Ending Warrantless Surveillance Act (PLEWSA), and how the Asian American community and advocates can get involved on this issue.REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/41ejxkG

 

Breaking News: Do not miss the opportunity to attend the community briefing and learn how it may impact us individually and collectively for years to come.  As early as Tuesday, Speaker Mike Johnson will bring a significant expansion of warrantless surveillance, known as the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act (H.R.6611), to the House floor. This bill, dubbed "PATRIOT Act 2.0," poses a significant threat to privacy. Among other things, it vastly widens the scope of businesses eligible to be compelled to give the government access to their systems without a warrant and grossly expands warrantless surveillance of all people seeking to travel to the U.S.  Read more from the Brennan Center on this radical expansion of Section 702. 

 

Asian American Groups Pushed Back Against 17 GOP Governors on Alien Land Bills 

According to AsAmNews on December 7, 2023, several Asian American groups including APA Justice push back a letter from 17 Republican governors calling on President Joe Biden to crack down on Chinese ownership of private land in the U.S.The letter instigated by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Biden and congressional leaders to use “all available tools to prevent continued acquisition of American lands by adversarial foreign governments and entities.”  

“Committee of 100 believes that if such restrictions become law, they will make it difficult, if not impossible, for individuals in the U.S. on long-term visas to purchase a home and are likely to lead to direct discrimination against any individuals of Chinese American or AAPI descent,” said the Committee of 100.Florida has already enacted a law that bans ownership in the state by Chinese citizens.  A lawsuit against the Florida state law is ongoing.  The Congressional Research Service says 14 other states have enacted similar laws with more than 20 states considering their own bills.“As Americans, we are all concerned about national security but when elected officials whip up fear painting an entire group whether based on race, ethnicity and or national origin, you have to ask what is the real agenda and purpose,” Cynthia Choi, a founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action said. APA Justice has been tracking various state alien land bills and local media reports across the nation, but have not found substantive factual evidence to support the rhetoric of security threats of foreign land ownership in the U.S. by China.

Farm Progress reported that China has only 19 acres in Nebraska out of 800,000 acres of Nebraska land that are owned or controlled through leases by foreign entities.  Canada is the largest foreign holder of land in the state and in the nation.

Investigate Midwest reported that the only Oklahoma land owned by a Chinese company is a combined 2,571 acres held by Smithfield Foods, a large pork producer that moved into the state several years ago."  says while foreign landownership in Nebraska has spiked in recent years, Chinese landowners have not contributed to that increase.A bill introduced by Rep Judy Chu (D-CA) and Rep Al Green (D-TX) would ban states from enacting such laws based on citizenship and race. The Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act would move that authority to the federal government.Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3t1A3YD

 

China Focus, the Carter Center and Conference for 45th Anniversary of U.S.-China Relations


 

China Focus, headed by long-time China expert Dr. Yawei Liu, is the primary team at the Carter Center working on issues related to China.  Dr. Liu has been in charge of the Center’s China program for over two decades.While adapting to the demands of the 21st century, the Carter Center remains committed to preserving the legacy of President Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping’s historic decision to normalize diplomatic relations between the United States and China.The Carter Center’s China Focus fosters greater dialogue, exchange, and critical reflection on the past, present, and future of U.S.-China relations. The China Focus produces original scholarship that provides action-oriented insights for advancing U.S.-China engagement. The China Focus organizes a range of activities designed to enhance mutual understanding of American and Chinese interests.The China Focus engages the U.S. and China online. The Center publishes two websites focused on bilateral relations and U.S.-China public opinion. These are the English- and Chinese-language U.S.-China Perception Monitor websites. Content includes a wide variety of interviews with American and Chinese scholars, insightful analyses of U.S.-China relations, surveys of Chinese public opinion, profiles of key opinion leaders in the bilateral relationship, translations of influential commentaries into English or Chinese, and more. 

Conference for 45th Anniversary of U.S.-China Relations

On January 9, 2024, the Carter Center, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and the U.S.-China Business Council will host a public in-person event to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.  Through keynote speeches and panel discussions, the event will bring together experts to discuss the legacy, controversies, and future of U.S.-China engagement. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/46SW8pO

 

Over 40 Organizations Oppose Appropriations Proposal to Reinstate the China Initiative


 

According to a press release by the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF),  45 organizations led by AASF and a coalition of Asian American and allied partners who worked to end the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative” sent a letter to Congress on December 7, 2023, to oppose legislative language that would reinstate the “China Initiative” in the House version of the FY 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill (H.R. 5893) and any future iterations of the Initiative. The proposal would reverse the decision to end the “China Initiative”—a devastating program ended last year that raised serious concerns of racial profiling and targeting of Asian Americans and immigrants, particularly of Chinese descent.Read the coalition letter to Congress here: https://bit.ly/41dhn4C 

News and Activities for the Communities

 

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar


Upcoming Events:2023/12/10 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/12 Community Briefing on Section 702 of FISA2023/12/13 APIAVote In-Person Event: Taste of Democracy2023/12/15 Webinar on Voices of AAPI Communities2023/12/17 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly town hall meetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details.

 

2. APAPA National Unity Awards Gala

Among others, Rep. Grace Meng received the Community Champion Award and Professor Xiaoxing Xi was honored for his Unity & Resilience during the APAPA National Unity Awards Gala on December 9, 2023. 

 

3. APIAVote In-person Event: Taste of Democracy

WHAT: In-person Annual Event on Taste of DemocracyWHEN: December 15, 2023, 1:00 pm ETWHERE: 700 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, 6th Floor, Washington DCDESCRIPTION: An annual year-end event to celebrate APIAVote accomplishments in getting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders out to vote.  The evening will also include a presentation of the Beacon of Democracy award. HOST: APIAVoteREGISTRATION: https://apia.vote/ToD2023

 

4. APIAVote Webinar: Unveiling Insights from New AAPI Data/AP-NORC Survey

WHAT: Webinar on Voices of AAPI Communities: Unveiling Insights from New AAPI Data/AP-NORC SurveyWHEN: December 15, 2023, 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PTDESCRIPTION: Learn about AAPI views on voting rights, threats to democracy, and trust in political institutions.  This poll is conducted by AAPI Data and AP-NORC.HOSTS: APIAVote, AAPI Data, Asian American Journalists Association REGISTRATION: https://apia.vote/dec23poll 

5.  California Teenager Who Passed Bar Exam at 17 is Now Practicing Attorney

According to the Guardian on December 8, 2023, Peter Park, now 18, enrolled in the Northwestern California University School of Law at age 13 and graduated earlier this year, has become the youngest person to ever pass California’s bar exam and is now working as a practicing attorney.  The Tulare county district attorney’s office announced that Peter Park, a Korean America, learned last month at 17 that he had passed the rigorous exam on his first attempt in what officials described as a “legal history making moment”. In July 2023, 51.5% of the 7,555 people who took the exam passed.  Park has been a law clerk with the office since August after completing law school.  Read the Guardian report: https://bit.ly/47Re3yz.  Read also the Washington Posthttps://wapo.st/47R9hRQ

 

6.  Conference on Social Progress Since Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act 80 Years Ago (CRCEA80) 

The CRCEA80 Conference was held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC on December 5, 2023.  More than 400 individuals attended the event.  Speakers included US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Reps Judy Chu and Ted Lieu.

·       Video summary of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ucBsUaVw9I (5:18)

·       Office of The U.S. Trade Representative: Remarks by Ambassador Katherine Tai at Event Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act

·       U. S. Department of State: 戴琪大使在《排华法案》废除80周年纪念活动上的讲话

December 11, 2023

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