#276 9/9 Meeting; NIH's China Initiative; Talent Programs; Heartland/Mainland; Texas Raids+

In This Issue #276

·       2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

·       NIH's "China Initiative"

·       International Talent Programs in the Changing Global Environment

·       From Heartland to Mainland: Reflections and Insights on US-China Agricultural Roundtable

·       Texas Raids Latino Democrats' Homes, Including Those of LULAC Members

·       News and Activities for the Communities

2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting

The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, September 9, 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), invited speakers are:

·       Ted Lieu, Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Vice Chair, Democratic Caucus (invited)

·       Jane Shim, Director, Stop Asian Hate Project, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) (confirmed)

·       Tori Bateman, Director of Advocacy, Quincy Institute (confirmed)

·       Sandy Shan, Director, Justice Is Global (confirmed)

·       Christine Chen, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Vote (confirmed)

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.

NIH's "China Initiative"

According to the South China Morning Post on August 26, 2024, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is attempting to rebuild relationships with Asian researchers, though some scientists believe the damage is almost "irreversible."Six years after the Trump Administration's "China Initiative" targeted scientists for suspected ties to China, the NIH, which led many of these investigations, has acknowledged the "difficult climate" it created but stopped short of issuing an apology. The NIH was the first and most active federal agency in conducting these investigations.As of June 9, 2024, 112 scientists, predominantly of Asian descent, had lost their jobs due to dismissals or forced retirements. Most of these cases involved NIH-funded researchers who were suspected of undisclosed connections to Chinese institutions. Consequences ranged from job terminations to funding suspensions and criminal investigations.Tragically, a prominent Chinese American researcher in neurology and genetics died after her lab at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine was shut down.On August 15, 2024, NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli expressed support for Asian American, Asian immigrant, and Asian research colleagues, acknowledging that the government's actions had "unintended consequences" for these communities, leading them to feel "targeted and alienated."According to her statement, NIH is now working with universities and academic organizations to take steps to repair relations with Asian researchers.

Dr. Nianshuang Wang, a principal scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, highlighted that researchers of Chinese descent make up a significant portion of the NIH and the broader US life sciences and biotechnology research community. Many top research papers today include contributions from these researchers. However, Dr. Wang, whose work was instrumental in developing the COVID-19 vaccine, noted that many scientists, including well-established senior figures, have left the US, feeling targeted and bullied due to their race.Although the Department of Justice ended the "China Initiative" in February 2022, the NIH's efforts to curb "foreign interference" continue.

A leading Chinese-born virology professor in the US welcomed the NIH's recent statement as encouraging but cautioned that the impact of racial profiling on Asian American scientists, particularly those of Chinese origin, is "long-lasting and almost irreversible." This climate of suspicion, the professor argued, will "definitely" weaken the US's competitiveness in life sciences research, a field in which China is becoming a formidable competitor.

There are approximately 100,000 Chinese-born scientists in the US, who contribute enormously to America's leadership in science. However, the number of Chinese-born scientists leaving the US has risen steadily, from 900 in 2010 to 2,621 in 2021, according to the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions.

In June 2024, Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences, warned in her address on the State of Science in the US that the country is losing its global scientific leadership to other nations, particularly China.

Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/3T5LOa0

International Talent Programs in the Changing Global Environment

WHAT: International Talent Programs in the Changing Global EnvironmentWHEN: August 29, 2024, 3:00-4:00 pm ETWHERE: WebinarHOST: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; speakers include Harvard University Professor of Biostatistics Xihong LinDESCRIPTION: This event highlights the public release of the International Talent Programs in the Changing Global Environment consensus study report.  The report reviews foreign and domestic talent or incentive programs and recommends ways to improve the effectiveness of U.S. mechanisms for attracting and retaining the best and brightest scholars, relative to programs and incentives used by the U.S.'s strategic competitors.  Members of the consensus study committee will provide an overview of the report and discuss its findings and recommendations. This will be followed by a moderated question and answer period during which members of the public can submit written questions.REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3X3k5If

From Heartland to Mainland: Reflections and Insights on US-China Agricultural Roundtable

In June 2024, the U.S. Heartland China Association (USHCA) led a special delegation of American agriculture students and faculty from 7 states, 10 universities to attend the 4th Annual U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable in China.  The immersive trip was 17 days long.On August 29, 2024, a special webinar will share the delegates' reflections and insights from their recent travels.  As delegates of two American delegations organized by USHCA - the Ag & Food Business Delegation and the Ag Education Delegation – they had a front-row-seat opportunity to observe and explore the impact of US-China collaboration around agriculture as they traveled through Shanghai, Hefei, Jinan, Binzhou, Weifang, Beijing, and Xi’an.Register to attend the webinar: https://bit.ly/3Z4uWnU

Texas Raids Latino Democrats' Homes, Including Those of LULAC Members

According to CBS News on August 27, 2024, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), has been targeted in voter fraud raids led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.LULAC, founded in 1929, has requested the Justice Department investigate Paxton's office for potential Voting Rights Act violations, accusing it of conducting illegal searches under the guise of voter fraud. The organization argues that these actions are reminiscent of historical voter suppression and intimidation tactics against Black and Latino communities.  Latinos make up about 40% of the Texas population.One of those reportedly targeted was Lidia Martinez, an 87-year-old who lives in San Antonio. Martinez has been a LULAC member for over 35 years and works to expand voter registration among seniors and veterans in South Texas.She said that on August 20, 2024, there was a knock on her door in the morning, and she was greeted by nine officers in tactical gear and firearms who said they were executing a search warrant. Martinez was questioned for over three hours about her voter registration efforts in Texas.  Law enforcement seized Martinez's phone, computer, personal calendar, blank voter registration forms and her certificate to conduct voter registration. "This is a free country, this is not Russia," Martinez said during a press conference denouncing the raid. Manuel Medina, the chair of Tejano Democrats, is another LULAC member who was targeted. Medina's home was raided on August 22 by police in riot gear, who were armed and broke down his door. Read the CBS News report: https://cbsn.ws/3X4qNhb

News and Activities for the Communities

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2024/08/29 From Heartland to Mainland: Reflections and Insights from the U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable2024/08/29 International Talent Programs in the Changing Global Environment 2024/08/29 Anti-Alien Land Law & Attacks on AAPI Community2024/09/01 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/09/10-12 Chronicle Festival: The Road Ahead to 20352024/09/12 AA4D: Nobel Laureates and Scientists for Democracy 2024/09/19 1990 Teachers Workshop: Asian American Identity2024/09/19-20 AANHPI Unity Summit2024/09/25 C100: State of Chinese American Survey 2024 The Community Calendar has moved.  Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 

2.  Anti-Alien Land Laws: a Broad Overview

On August 29, 2024, Texas State Representative Gene Wu will host a webinar on "Anti-Lien Land Laws: A Broad Overview," starting at 7:00 pm ET.   In the past two centuries, more than a dozen states passed laws banning Asian immigrants from purchasing or acquiring property.  Nationwide, states enacted Anti-Alien Land Laws in response to a wave of Anti-Asian feeling that began in mid-1800s.  However, the history of Anti-Alien Land Laws can be traced back to the very founding of our country.  Previous alien land laws have since been ruled unconstitutional for violating the 14th Amendment right to equal protection, as well as regulations prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and national origin.  However, legislative efforts across the United States, including here in Texas, continue to target individuals from China based solely on their national origin.Join the webinar: https://bit.ly/3X2BjFB