#295 Webinar on Alien Land Laws; Gene Wu on Texas EO; Yanping Chen Case Hearing; Students +

In This Issue #295

·       12/11 Webinar: The Impact of Land Ownership Exclusion Laws on Diverse Communities

·       State Representative Gene Wu Response to Texas Executive Order

·       Appeals Court Hears Dr. Yanping Chen's Case

·       Indians Become Biggest International Student Group in U.S.

·       News and Activities for the Communities

12/11 Webinar: The Impact of Land Ownership Exclusion Laws on Diverse Communities

Historically discriminatory policies are reemerging in state legislatures across the U.S. Originally designed to prevent non-citizens, particularly those from AAPI communities, from owning property, these laws are now being reframed as safeguards to national security.On December 11, 2024, the Committee of 100 and APA Justice will co-host a webinar to discuss whether these laws properly address national security concerns or whether they are merely a pretext that infringes upon civil rights and liberties under the guise of protection.  A panel of legal experts and advocates will delve into the history of alien land laws, examine their renewed impact on vulnerable communities and discuss key cases, including a law passed in Florida.  This event is essential for anyone committed to upholding justice and equity in America. To learn more about current land ownership exclusion legislations, visit Committee of 100’s interactive map, which details specific bills, status, and text. Also, visit APA Justice Alien Land Bills webpage for the latest developments on current lawsuits challenging these laws and more. 

WHAT: From Past Prejudice to Present Policy: The Impact of Land Ownership Exclusion Laws on Diverse CommunitiesWHEN: December 11, 2024, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm ETWHERE: WebinarHOSTS: Committee of 100, APA Justice Moderator: Cindy Tsai, Interim President, Committee of 100Speakers:

·       Edgar Chen, Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)

·       Ashley Gorski, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

·       Gene Wu, Texas State Representative

Closing Remarks: Jeremy Wu, Founder and Co-Organizer, APA Justice; Member, Committee of 100 FOR MORE INFORMATION/REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3CEWK9p

State Representative Gene Wu Response to Texas Executive Order 

According to Texas Tribune on November 18, 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order directing the Texas Department of Public Safety to target individuals conducting influence operations for the Chinese government. This response addresses “Operation Fox Hunt,” a Chinese initiative allegedly used to intimidate dissidents and forcibly return them to China. Abbott emphasized Texas’s commitment to protecting the state’s Chinese community from harassment by the Chinese Communist Party. The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted cases linked to this operation.State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, who was born in China and immigrated to the United States applauded Abbott's move.  Wu issued a statement "I applaud Governor Abbott's newfound commitment to protecting the civil rights of Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants and dissidents in our state. The ability to speak your mind and live freely are the core promises of the American Dream; and any who seek to take that away stand against Texas values. I would also encourage Governor Abbott to share his new commitment to protecting the civil rights of Chinese immigrants and dissidents with the Senators and Representatives in his own party who have recently filed legislation to take away the civil rights of Chinese immigrants and dissidents. Laws that would strip away the rights of an entire community to buy a home, to start a business, to go to school, or even get a job–based purely on where they were born. Attacks from Texas Republicans on the civil liberties of Chinese immigrants are no less dangerous to the Chinese dissident community. The loss of safety and security, even by different means, sends the same message." 

In 2023, Wu criticized Texas Republicans for pushing legislation that would ban citizens and foreign entities from countries including China from buying land in Texas. He urged Abbott to also support Chinese immigrants by opposing such legislation.Read the Texas Tribune report: https://bit.ly/40ScNL2.  Read Rep. Gene Wu's statement: https://bit.ly/4eIWpQn

On November 20, 2024, State Representative Gene Wu was interviewed by KVUE and discussed Texas Governor Abbot's orders targeting China.  He expressed concerns about Abbott’s approach, suggesting it may politicize the issue and harm Chinese Texans. Wu emphasized that existing laws are sufficient to address these threats and urged the Governor to focus on meaningful infrastructure improvements instead of divisive policies.

Wu linked alien land legislation to historical laws that fueled prejudice, such as those preceding Japanese internment, and warned they undermine Chinese dissidents who fled oppression, stating that:

"These bills ... just label an entire community as being threats ... without accusation, without evidence ... saying that these communities, because of where they're from, we will just blanketly say that we should ban all of them from being able to even buy a home, start a business, or farm."

Watch the KVUE interview: https://bit.ly/3Okv781 (9:01)

Appeals Court Hears Dr. Yanping Chen's Case

According to Yahoo News on November 18, 2024, a U.S. Appeals Court is unlikely to overturn penalties against former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge, who faces fines and possibly jail time for refusing to disclose her source in stories about Dr. Yanping Chen. Herridge’s 2017 reporting involved leaks from an FBI investigation into Chen, who claims the leaks harmed her reputation. Chen later sued several federal agencies and subpoenaed Herridge to identify her source, but Herridge declined, citing journalistic protections.U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper had previously ordered Herridge to pay an $800 daily fine for defying the subpoena, though enforcement was delayed pending her appeal. If Herridge loses the appeal, Chen’s lawyers could seek harsher penalties, including potential jail time. This legal standoff raises significant questions about the balance between press freedoms and privacy rights in the context of leaked information.During oral arguments at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, two judges appeared unconvinced by Herridge’s arguments for lifting the contempt order, expressing doubts about the scope of protections for journalists. A third judge highlighted concerns over defining journalistic privilege in an era dominated by social media, asking how such privileges apply to less traditional media platforms and individuals claiming journalistic roles.

The case could become a major press freedom test during President Donald Trump’s second term. While Trump cannot directly intervene to remove Herridge’s penalties, he could instruct the Justice Department to settle Chen’s underlying lawsuit, effectively nullifying her subpoena against Herridge. Trump has previously praised Herridge’s investigative reporting, particularly when it aligned with his political narratives.Read the Yahoo News report: https://yhoo.it/3ZdoURF.   Read Dr. Yanping Chen's case: https://bit.ly/3Xi4hms

Indians Become Biggest International Student Group in U.S.

According to CNN, NBC News, South China Morning Post, and other media reports, while India and China still make up over half of all international students in the US, India has overtaken China as the top source for international students in the US for the first time in about 15 years, according to new data released by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department. A total of 331,602 Indians studied in the US during the 2023-24 school year, compared with 277,398 Chinese. Indian students saw a 23 percent increase from the previous academic year, while Chinese students saw a 4 percent decrease.  The number of Chinese university students in the US rose from about 98,200 in 2009 to a record high of 369,500 in 2019.The decline of students from China reflects significant shifts in both policy and public perception, with many Chinese students and families worrying about safety, racism and discrimination, and immigration difficulties – especially as more options open up in other countries, including in China itself.In the late 2000s and early 2010s, when Chinese students first began surging overseas, China was rapidly transforming from a poverty-stricken nation to an economic superpower, thanks to an “opening up” initiative that began in the late 1970s and saw sweeping reforms.  It changed China’s relationship with the world. After China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and hosted a successful Olympic Games in 2008, “there was this upturn in US-China relations – everyone had a really optimistic view of what China could be,” said Mallie Prytherch, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong’s Center on Contemporary China and the World. “So there was a lot of openness in accepting students into America.”

But the launch of the "China Initiative," onslaught of racism, and anti-Asian hate crimes during Donald Trump’s first presidency and the Covid-19 pandemic meant students became disillusioned with the idea of the American Dream.  The downward spiral was reflected in policy, too: Trump imposed an executive order canceling the Fulbright exchange program with China, then introduced a ban that effectively prevents graduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students from several Chinese universities from gaining visas to the US.In 2020, the US revoked visas for more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers deemed security risks. When President Joe Biden took office, many of those Trump-era policies were kept in place – making it difficult for Chinese graduate students and researchers to secure a visa.There have been more immigration-friendly policies in other nations, like Canada, the UK and Australia.  Chinese parents have more options to choose from in terms of where they want to go, and what universities are willing to accept their children.  Simply staying in China is also one of the options, where universities are growing in prestige. Many Chinese professors previously based in the US are now returning to teach in China – partly because of the difficult conditions they faced in the US, but also because of the improvement in Chinese educational quality.

Despite the tightening of immigration rules under the last two administrations, some US officials are still trying to encourage the flow of students.  “I want to confirm that we very much welcome students from China to the US. We have the largest number of Chinese students studying outside of China here. We do know that US universities are continuing to value Chinese students,” said Marianne Craven of the State Department.2024/11/21 CNN: Indian international students in the US outnumber Chinese for the first time in 15 years2024/11/19 NBC News: Indians become biggest international student group in U.S., surpassing Chinese for first time since 20092024/11/18 South China Morning Post: As number of Chinese students in US keeps falling, Indians move to top of list2024/11/18 Institute of International Education and State Department: Report on International Exchange (video  43:59)

News and Activities for the Communities

1. APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2024/11/24 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/12/08-10 National Immigrant Inclusion Conference2024/12/08 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/12/11 Webinar on Alien Land Laws2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details.

2. Census Bureau Implements New Standard 

On November 4, 2024, the Census Bureau announced that it will implement the finalized 2024 Statistical Policy Directive (SPD) 15 published by the Office of Management and Budget on March 28, 2024, in the 2027 American Community Survey (ACS) data collection cycle.Read the Census Bureau announcement: https://bit.ly/4fZjKy2

3. APA Justice Newsletter Web Page Moved to New Website

As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletter webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters.  Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org.