#277 Passing of Dr. Jane Wu; Anti-Asian Laws; Rock Springs; White House Initiative Meets; +

In This Issue #277

·       The Tragic Passing of Dr. Jane Y. Wu

·       Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past, Present, and What's Coming

·       The Rock Springs Massacre

·       White House Initiative Policy Summit in Washington DC

·       News and Activities for the Communities

The Tragic Passing of Dr. Jane Y. Wu

On August 31, 2024, South China Morning Post published an exclusive report on the tragic passing of Dr. Jane Y. Wu 吴瑛, a prominent Chinese American researcher in neurology and genetics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Wu took her own life on July 10, 2024, after her lab was shut down and all records of her work were erased by Northwestern University.Her death has drawn attention to the negative impact of the "China Initiative" and "foreign interference" investigations by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which targeted scientists of Chinese descent. Over 250 scientists, most of them of Asian origin, have been scrutinized by the NIH alone, leading to job losses and severe personal and professional damages, and now a loss of life.According to the report, there were only two indictments and three convictions as legal outcomes of the NIH's "China Initiative" investigations, yet 112 scientists lost their jobs as a result.The NIH Office of Extramural Research, headed by Dr. Michael Lauer, declined to say whether Dr. Wu was a target but a source informed about the matter said there were investigations of Dr. Wu.Dr. Wu was remembered by her peers as a warm, caring, and inspiring role model. Dr. Wu's contributions to neurodegenerative disease research and her involvement in training the next generation of scientists in the U.S. and China were widely recognized.  She significantly influenced the careers of many scientists, including Dr. Bing Ren, who credits her with guiding him into molecular biology.  

“Dr Wu taught me basic molecular biology skills, and showed me how discoveries were made at the bench,” said Dr. Ren, who first met Dr. Wu in 1993 and worked under her direct supervision at Harvard University.  “Dr Wu was the one that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of molecular biology, and convinced me to pursue a career in this field,” said the professor in cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego.“The investigations killed her career,” said Dr. Xiao-Fan Wang, a distinguished professor in cancer research at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.  “She was such a devoted scientist. Denying her the right to do research was like taking away the most important thing in her life,” Dr. Wang said. Dr. Wang is a former president of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA) said the research community had been devastated by Wu’s death.  “It’s hard to believe such a familiar and upbeat colleague has left us,” he said.In March 2019, SCBA, the Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network, and the Chinese Biological Investigators Society write an open letter to Science, titled "Racial Profiling Harms Science."    "[We] hope that ... increased security measures will not be used to tarnish law-abiding scientists ...," the letter said.Molecular geneticist Adrian Krainer from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York said, “I remember her as a kind and caring person.  She was very devoted to training the next generation of scientists in both the US and China.”

Born in Hefei, Anhui province in 1963, Dr. Wu graduated from Shanghai Medical University in 1986 and went on to earn her doctorate in cancer biology from Stanford University in the US.  She did postdoctoral research at Harvard University and spent a decade at Washington University in St Louis as an assistant and then associate professor in pediatrics, molecular biology and pharmacology before joining Northwestern University in 2005.Northwestern University has not responded to multiple inquiries from the South China Morning Post since July. Dr. Wu’s profile page on the medical school has disappeared. Other web pages, such as her publication and grant records on the Northwestern Scholar website, have also been deleted.  “The university’s reaction is rather unusual,” said a Chinese American biologist based in Ohio, who did not wish to be named. “Normally, the school or the university would publish an obituary and keep the faculty’s webpage for a period of time.”Dr. Wu was buried in Chicago on July 17.  She was 60 years old.Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4787IiK

Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past, Present, and What's Coming 

On August 29, 2024, Texas State Representative Gene Wu hosted a webinar on "Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past, Present, and What's Coming."  It was repeated on September 1, a video of which is posted at https://youtu.be/QDEf4vvN_g4 (37:07)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 in Texas and Florida, continue to target individuals from China based solely on their national origin.In 2021, Texas passed Senate Bill (SB) 2116, which stops businesses and government entities from making deals involving state critical infrastructure with certain foreign-owned companies, including those run by non-citizens from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The law defines "critical infrastructure" to include communication systems, cybersecurity, electric grids, hazardous waste treatment, and water treatment facilities. This law took effect immediately.In 2023, SB 147 was introduced to prevent foreign entities and individual immigrants from China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia from purchasing or acquiring real property in Texas. This bill targets individuals based solely on their national origin. With a simple amendment, these restrictions could easily be extended to people from any other country. The bill does not require any proof or accusation for an individual to be targeted. It also applies to businesses owned by foreign-born individuals or those with investments from foreign-born individuals.

SB 147 did not pass the Texas legislature in 2023, but it is expected to return in the 2025 legislative session.  A Texas House Select Committee was formed in May 2024, and it has been holding hearings, including individuals from The Heritage Foundation, the authors of Project 2025.Project 2025 is a 900-page plan developed by a conservative coalition for a potential future Republican U.S. presidential administration.  It outlines a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to implement a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch. Throughout the document, significant attention is given to the U.S.'s top four foreign adversaries, but there is a clear emphasis on China and Chinese nationals. The plan mentions China nearly 900 times, while the other three nations combined are referenced fewer than 200 times.Project 2025 is a 900-page conservative coalition's plan for a potential future Republican U.S. presidential administration.  The multi-pronged initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to usher in a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch.  While many references are made to the U.S.’s top 4 foreign adversarial nations throughout Project 2025.  Project 2025 show a clear focus on China and Chinese Nationals with almost 900 word counts while Iran, North Korea, and Russia have a combined word count of less than 200.On page 556 of the Project 2025 report, "Restart the China Initiative" is listed as a recommended mandate.

Gene Wu compiled a comprehensive analysis of Project 2025 that have impacts on the Asian Pacific American community in such fields as Higher Education, Housing and Property Ownership, Immigration, and Employment.  These are not just concepts, but are put into action with specific bills introduced in Texas, other states, and Congress.The contemporary resurgence of Anti-Alien Land Laws bears resemblance to historical antecedents of the eighteen, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They share a common origin in the xenophobia and nationalistic fear towards certain immigrant populations, most notably being those immigrating from China and Japan.  California’s Anti-Alien Land Law of 1913 was justified as a result of the perceived threat from Japan and the (distorted) ascription of disloyalty of Japanese immigrants. In WWII, U.S. Army Lt.General John L. DeWitt, commanding general of the western theater of operation, famously said: “A Jap’s a Jap – it makes no difference whether he is an American citizen or not”.  That is what they are saying today about Chinese Americans and those who fled the CCP to come to this country. As history appears to repeat itself, new Anti-Alien Land Laws continue to be rationalized on a similarly flawed assumption that all Chinese immigrants, whether citizen or not, are “foreign agents” who pose a risk to our communities and to our national security.All of the claims used to justify these proposals share a common theme: they focus on real issues affecting the United States and countries around the world, such as job loss, data privacy violations, IP theft, inflation, and cost of living increases.  However, they often then assert, with little to no evidence, that China and Chinese immigrants are the main cause of these problems, scapegoating an entire community, as we have seen before with countless other ethnic groups in the past.

The growth of Anti-Asian hate, driven by the political scapegoating of China and Chinese-born individuals by conservative politicians, has resulted in increased discriminatory policies becoming laws across the country. "THIS IS NOT THEORY.  THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE.  THIS IS NOT A FAR-FETCHED, CONSERVATIVE WISHLIST," as Gene Wu concluded his presentation.Watch the video: https://youtu.be/QDEf4vvN_g4 (37:07).  Read his comprehensive analysis about Project 2025: https://bit.ly/4cSHNNj

The Rock Springs Massacre

According to the Library of Congress, on September 2, 1885, a mob of white coal miners attacked their Chinese co-workers (both groups were employed by the Union Pacific Coal Company) in Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, over a dispute on who had the right to work in a particularly lucrative area of the mine. The violence occurred after Chinese workers refused to participate in a strike for higher wages planned by the American miners. Twenty-eight Chinese were killed and fifteen were wounded; seventy-nine homes were set ablaze. The bodies of many of the dead and wounded were thrown into the flames. Several hundred Chinese workers were chased out of town and fled to the surrounding hills.  Property damage was estimated at $150,000.A week later, federal troops escorted Chinese laborers back to the mines. After restoring order, the troops remained at Rock Springs until 1898. Although the federal government had refused responsibility for actions in a territory, President Grover Cleveland requested that Congress indemnify the Chinese for their loss of property and Congress complied.In the mid-1800s, large numbers of Chinese came to the U.S. to build the transcontinental railroad and to work in the gold fields. With completion of the railroad, the ebb of gold prospecting, and widespread economic depression, jobs became scarce and Chinese immigrants faced increasing exclusion, racism, and violence. These factors contributed to the events at Rocks Springs.The Rock Springs Massacre was followed by a similar situation in early November in Tacoma, Washington, where Chinese immigrants were ordered to leave the city. Several hundred Chinese immigrants left before the eviction deadline but another 200 were marched out of the city by force. Two Chinese settlements were burned down.

Read the Library of Congress story: https://bit.ly/3TdPSFb

White House Initiative Policy Summit in Washington DC

WHAT: White House Initiative AA& NHPI Policy SummitWHEN: Thursday, September 26, 2024 | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM ETWHERE: U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters, 1200 New Jersey Avenue Southeast Washington, DC 20590WHO: White House Initiative on AA & NHPIsDESCRIPTION: This day-long, in-person event will highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, accomplishments, and continued commitment to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. Speakers will include senior White House and federal agency officials, policy experts, and community leaders from across the country who will have the opportunity to network and dialogue on key AA and NHPI issues. Our program will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m., and doors will open for check-in starting at 8:00 a.m.During the event, the President's Advisory Commission on AA and NHPIs will host an in-person listening session as a breakout that participants can choose to attend. Individuals may submit a request to provide oral public comments at the Commission’s listening session. Request to give oral public comment must be emailed to AANHPICommission@hhs.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on September 18, 2024.REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/4e4swtE

News and Activities for the Communities

1.  APA Justice Community Calendar

Upcoming Events:2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/09/10-12 Chronicle Festival: The Road Ahead to 20352024/09/12 AA4D: Nobel Laureates and Scientists for Democracy  2024/09/18 1990 Teachers Workshop: Asian American Identity2024/09/19-20 AANHPI Unity Summit2024/09/25 C100: State of Chinese American Survey 2024 2024/09/26 White House Initiative Policy Summit2024/10/02 C100: Asian American Career Ceiling Initiative2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu Town Hall MeetingThe Community Calendar has moved.  Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details.