#283 10/7 Meeting; Firsthand Accounts; Chinese American Survey; McCarthyism; Dr. Min Wu; +

In This Issue #283

·       2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

·       Firsthand Accounts of the Harmful Effects of the China Initiative 

·       C100 Unveils The 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey

·       Dr. Min Wu Recognized with Top Faculty Honor

·       McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee

·       News and Activities for the Communities

2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, October 7, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran, ExecutiveDirector, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are:

·       Grace Meng, Member, U.S. House of Representatives; First Vice-Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

·       Gene Wu, Texas State Representative

·       Min Fan, Executive Director, U.S. Heartland China Association

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.

*****U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, where she represents New York's Sixth Congressional District.  She returns to update us on the current state of Asian Pacific Americans.State Representative Gene Wu serves the people of District 137 in the Texas House. Rep. Gene Wu will urge the community to wake up to the threats of anti-Asian laws at the state and federal level.Min Fan introduced USHCA to us at the February 2024 monthly meeting.   She returns to update us on an upcoming hybrid event "China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach" at the University of Kansas, the 4th Annual U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable in June, and related activities of USHCA. *****

Summary for the September 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted here: https://bit.ly/3zzWcjR.  In addition to Nisha Ramachandran, Joanna YangQing Derman, and Gisela Perez Kusakawa who gave their updates about CAPAC, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and AASF respectively, we thank these invited speakers:

·       Christine Chen from APIAVote for her discussion to boost voter participation among AA and NHPI, and its efforts to intensify outreach through events, mailings, and phone banking while emphasizing early and mail-in voting, aiming to engage first-time voters, especially in battleground states.

·       Jane Shim from AALDEF for her discussion of the ongoing case of Dr. Yanping Chen, who is suing the government for leaking her personal information to Fox News, which falsely implied she was spying for China. AALDEF has filed an amicus brief supporting Dr. Chen’s privacy rights, emphasizing the harm caused by irresponsible media reporting and the need to protect Asian Americans from discrimination.

·       Sandy Shan from Justice Is Global led a discussion on a brief advocating for a progressive U.S.-China policy to replace the current confrontational approach, which fuels xenophobia and geopolitical tensions. Tori Bateman from the Quincy Institute proposes reforms to foster cooperation, address shared challenges, and promote global sustainability, especially during Congress's "China Week."

Read past summaries of APA Justice monthly meetings at https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP

Firsthand Accounts of the Harmful Effects of the China Initiative 

On September 25, 2024, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) posted a video (3:51) on X and Instagram, providing firsthand accounts of the harmful effects of the China Initiative, which "painted academics of Chinese descent as spies for the CCP, leading to the racial profiling and wrongful arrests of innocent researchers."  Testimonies were made by Professors Gang Chen, Anming Hu, and Franklin Tao and Hong Peng, Professor Tao's wife.   Watch the video on X: https://bit.ly/3zzfwxA and Instagram: https://bit.ly/4eeTHCH

C100 Unveils The 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey

On September 25, 2024, the Committee of 100 (C100) unveiled the findings of its 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey.  The survey was conducted to help address the insufficient data necessary to inform and address ongoing discrimination, stereotypes, and misperceptions about Chinese Americans, and the many gaps in knowledge that remain about Chinese Americans’ political attitudes and behaviors.“Understanding the mental health, discrimination and political perspectives of Chinese Americans is essential to create inclusive and informed policies,” said Cindy Tsai, Interim President, Committee of 100. “These insights not only enrich political dialogue but also foster a more equitable society."According to the survey, about three quarters of Chinese American citizens (76%) are certain they will turn out to vote in November’s presidential election.  A little less than half of Chinese Americans (46%) identify as Democrats, 31% Republicans, and 24% Independents.Chinese Americans have been targeted in a surge of both popular and policy-driven racism over the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a wave of anti-Asian and anti-Chinese hate across the country that endures at an elevated level, causing lasting and severe financial, social, health, and emotional harm across the Asian American population.Chinese Americans also face discrimination from federal and state policies. Many were falsely accused of espionage under the auspices of the China Initiative, further extending racist stereotypes of the population as perpetual foreigners loyal to Chinese national interests.  While the codified racism of the China Initiative formally ended in 2022, many states have recently passed legislation prohibiting U.S. residents with Chinese citizenship from owning property.

The Washington Post reported that the survey showed that 68% of Chinese Americans said they face at least one form of discrimination in an average month, while 65% said they think the state of U.S.-China relations negatively impacts how other Americans treat them. The survey also asked about mental health, and 43% of Chinese Americans said they felt depressed. A large majority — 81 percent — of Chinese Americans said they are “at least a little concerned” about rhetoric used by presidential candidates when talking about China or U.S.-China relations, and 61 percent said U.S. news media rhetoric on the subject “negatively affects how strangers treat them,”Read the Washington Post report: https://wapo.st/3XXTUo9The South China Morning Post reported that nearly six in 10 Chinese Americans reported hearing about legislative efforts by many states and the US Congress to limit individuals who hold Chinese citizenship from owning houses, farmland and other stateside property.  Of those who had heard about the legislation, two thirds thought it had a negative effect on how others treated them.“We were surprised at the large percentage of responses when it came to issues of mental health and wellness and how the relationship with the US and China impacts how Chinese-Americans are feeling discriminated against,” said Sam Collitt, a research and data scientist with C100.  “We know there are issues related to shame and language barriers that prevent discussions from taking place,” said Collitt, adding that overall Asian Americans were 60 per cent less likely to seek mental health services than other racial groups.

Chinese Americans express high levels of concern about the state of U.S.-China relations, the likely sources of poor bilateral relations, and the downstream effects of domestic policy discrimination and discriminatory political rhetoric. Despite this, many Chinese Americans are cautiously optimistic about the ability of the U.S. and China to cooperate on a number of issues.  They identified areas where Washington and Beijing could, at the margin, improve ties, including student exchanges and in fighting climate change and infectious diseases.A majority of respondents said being Chinese and being American were very important to their identity.Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4do9g9YNBC News reported that 54% of Chinese Americans felt that the current relationship between the U.S. and China has had a “somewhat negative” impact on how those of Chinese descent are treated. Another 10% said the current environment had a “very negative” effect on the group.  Only about 3% felt that current relations between the two countries had a positive impact on the community.  Almost two-thirds think that such contentious relations can affect how other Americans treat them.“Rhetoric and language is impacting relationships with how strangers treat them, acquaintances even treat them, co-workers and colleagues,” said Nathan Chan, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University. “This is really infiltrating into the lives of everyday Chinese Americans.”  Professor Chan pointed to policies like the controversial Trump-era surveillance program the China Initiative and the former president’s language around economic espionage.  The “rhetoric is not doing any good for a large swath of Chinese Americans that are then being scapegoated or held under a suspicious lens.” 

Jo-Ann Yoo, who heads New York City-based Asian American nonprofit Asian American Federation, said that too often, language used by media has been imprecise, leading to “sweeping generalizations” about the Chinese community.   Yoo said the study’s results reflect discussions she has heard in the local community. Citing discussions around the land bans and the looming TikTok ban, which was signed into law earlier this year in an effort to combat Chinese influence, Yoo said those in the heavily immigrant community are unsure of their safety amid contentious relations.C100 partnered with NORC at the University of Chicago to reach a sample of 504 Chinese American adults for the survey.  Gordon H. Chang, Professor, Stanford University; Daphne Kwok, Vice President, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP; and Jeremy Wu, PhD, Founder and Co-Organizer, APA Justice, serve on the Advisory Committee.Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/4doBjG2Additional media reports:2024/09/25 AsAmNews: Belonging and discrimination weigh on Chinese Americans2024/09/25 Bloomberg: Chinese Americans Face Racism, Mental Health Risks Amid Tensions2024/09/25 AP: The Latest: Candidates try to counter criticisms in dueling speechesRead the C100 press release: https://bit.ly/47EQCcs, executive summary: https://bit.ly/3TIxPHG, and infographics: https://bit.ly/3N0fRfV

Dr. Min Wu Recognized with Top Faculty Honor

The University of Maryland (UMD) has selected Min Wu 吴旻, Professor and Associate Dean of Engineering, as 2024 Distinguished University Professor—the highest appointment bestowed on a tenured faculty member.  The title is a recognition not just of excellence, but of impact and significant contributions to the nominee’s field, knowledge, profession, and/or practice.According to the UMD announcement, Dr. Wu holds appointments in UMD’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, as well as leads the UMD Media, Analytics, and Security Team (MAST).  She is a Fellow of the IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors.  Dr. Wu was elected to serve as president of the IEEE Signal Processing Society for 2024–2025, the first woman of color to be elected to this leadership role.Read the UMD announcement: https://bit.ly/4exf4in

McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee

According to Wikipedia, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those organizations suspected of having communist ties. It became a standing (permanent) committee in 1946, and from 1969 onwards it was known as the House Committee on Internal Security. When the House abolished the committee in 1975, its functions were transferred to the House Judiciary Committee.The committee's anti-communist investigations are often associated with McCarthyism, although Joseph McCarthy himself (as a U.S. Senator) had no direct involvement with the House committee.  McCarthy was the chairman of the Government Operations Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate, not the House.In the wake of the downfall of McCarthy, the prestige of HUAC began a gradual decline in the late 1950s. By 1959, the committee was being denounced by former President Harry S. Truman as the "most un-American thing in the country today".HUAC hearings in August 1966 called to investigate anti-Vietnam War activities were disrupted by hundreds of protesters. The committee faced witnesses who were openly defiant.According to The Harvard Crimson:"In the fifties, the most effective sanction was terror. Almost any publicity from HUAC meant the 'blacklist'. Without a chance to clear his name, a witness would suddenly find himself without friends and without a job. But it is not easy to see how in 1969, a HUAC blacklist could terrorize an SDS activist. Witnesses like Jerry Rubin have openly boasted of their contempt for American institutions. A subpoena from HUAC would be unlikely to scandalize Abbie Hoffman or his friends."

In an attempt to reinvent itself, HUAC was renamed the Internal Security Committee in 1969. On January 14, 1975, coinciding with the opening of the 94th Congress, the House Committee on Internal Security was officially disbanded. Its files and staff were subsequently transferred to the House Judiciary Committee on the same day.  In July 1995, the National Archives and Records Administration published the Records of The House Un-American Activities Committee, 1945-1969, and The House Internal Security Committee, 1969-1976, which is available online at https://bit.ly/4gGw7Aq.Read Wikipedia on the House Un-American Committee: https://bit.ly/3N23NL1

News and Activities for the Communities

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2024/10/02 C100: Asian American Career Ceiling Initiative2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/10/08 Media Training for Election Season2024/10/10 China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach2024/10/11 China and the World Forum2024/10/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/16 Rebuilding Trust in Science2024/10/20 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/25-27 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the American Studies NetworkVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details.

2. Delaware OKs Asian American Studies and new AAPI commission

According to AsAmNews, Delaware Governor John Carney signed two bills into law on September 26, 2024, making his state the seventh in the nation to integrate Asian American and Pacific Islander history into k-12 schools along with all other American histories.  The other establishes a statewide Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture.  Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3TOaF2t 

3. 2024 National Overview of AANHPI

According to a Fact Sheet based on Census Bureau data created by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in collaboration with AAPI Data, the Asian American population was estimated to be around 24.2 million, including one race alone or in combination of other races.  The top five ethnic groups are Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean.  About 75% are native born or naturalized citizens.  The top five most populous states are California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Washington.  Read the WHIAAPINH Fact Sheet: https://bit.ly/3Nokq45

4. 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 Newsletters 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.