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Newsletter - #258 6/3 Monthly Meeting; Chinese Students; Clear&Fair Law Enforcement; 6/6 Forum with FBI+ #258 6/3 Monthly Meeting; Chinese Students; Clear&Fair Law Enforcement; 6/6 Forum with FBI+ In This Issue #258 · 2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Bloomberg: Expulsions of Chinese Students Spread Confusion from Yale to UVA · An Urgent Call for Clear and Fair Law Enforcement Guidelines and Procedures for Research Security · 06/06: An Open and Public Community Forum with The FBI · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, June 3, 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), confirmed speakers are: · Tam Dao , Assistant Vice President for Research Security, Office of Innovation, Rice University, will report on the future of the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Research on Research Security program · Haipei Shue , President, United Chinese Americans, will report on the 2024 Chinese American Convention · Jeremy Wu , Co-Organizer, APA Justice, will preview an alpha version of a web page on the story of exonerated Professor Anming Hu · Anming Hu , Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will give an update of his situation and his family since the end of his ordeal under the China Initiative. 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 . Bloomberg: Expulsions of Chinese Students Spread Confusion from Yale to UVA According to Bloomberg on May 29, 2024, Customs agents at US airports have barred entry to at least 20 students and scholars with valid visas since November in ‘more insidious’ version of disbanded China Initiative. Susan , a second-year Ph.D. student in biomedical imaging at the University of Virginia, faced relentless questioning from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent upon her return from visiting her parents in China. Accused of ties to the Chinese Communist Party, her student visa was abruptly canceled, forcing her to purchase a $1,400 ticket back to Beijing and barring her from the U.S. for five years. Her experience is part of a broader trend where at least 20 Chinese students from prestigious universities have had their visas revoked since November. The Chinese government and lawyers confirmed these accounts, highlighting the lack of transparency and public accountability in these decisions. These actions contradict the efforts to foster educational and cultural exchanges endorsed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping .The expulsions reveal internal divisions within the Biden administration, where Customs agents under the Department of Homeland Security are canceling visas approved by the State Department. The Biden administration ended the controversial China Initiative but has continued similar practices covertly, impacting Ph.D. students and researchers without public scrutiny. Susan and others, like Meng Fei , a fifth-year Ph.D. student at Yale, have faced racial and gender discrimination, with their exclusions linked to vague national security concerns under Presidential Proclamation (PP) 10043 . This proclamation targets students with alleged ties to Chinese military-civil fusion, yet the specifics remain undisclosed, causing confusion and fear among affected students. Universities like the University of Virginia and Yale are striving to support their students by seeking clarity and providing legal assistance. However, the ongoing lack of clear guidelines and coordination between federal agencies leaves many students in limbo, disrupting their academic and personal lives. As the U.S. grapples with balancing national security and academic freedom, the impact on foreign-born researchers like Susan underscores the need for transparent and consistent policies to ensure fairness and uphold the integrity of educational exchanges. Two years ago, the Biden administration ended a controversial Trump-era policy known as the China Initiative that purported to root out spies but resulted in more ruined careers than successful prosecutions. Now that program has been succeeded by a piecemeal effort — one that’s largely hidden from public view. Instead of targeting prominent academics, Customs agents are expelling Ph.D. and postdoctoral students, as well as company employees, by secret administrative actions with no public accountability or right to appeal. Marta Meng , founder of the Meng Law Group in Covina, California, who represents Susan and three other expelled students seeking to overturn their bans, said no reason was given to her clients or in transcripts of the airport interviews that she has reviewed. Dan Berger , Meng Fei's lawyer, said he can’t understand why his client would have been subject to PP 10043, as nothing in her background indicates ties to any of the banned universities or to state funding, and her visa was renewed by the State Department just last year. That’s a problem for learning institutions, said Toby Smith , who handles government relations and public policy at the Association of American Universities, which acts on behalf of 71 research universities including the University of Virginia, Yale and other schools with recently banned students. “Despite asking for additional clarity, the specific items that would result in visa denial for Chinese graduate students under Proclamation 10043 have never been disclosed to our universities,” he said. “So we have been left only to speculate as to what might spark such denials.” The secrecy makes what’s going on “much more insidious now,” said Gisela Perez Kusakawa , executive director of the Asian American Scholar Forum , a nonprofit organization that promotes academic freedom. “The end of the China Initiative wasn’t the end, they’re just not calling it that anymore,” said Ivan Kanapathy , senior vice president at Beacon Global Strategies, a national security advisory firm in Washington, and a former National Security Council official in the Trump administration. When the Biden administration ended the China Initiative, it said that a 2021 national security memorandum about vetting foreign students would remain in effect. It instructs the State Department to work with Homeland Security to ensure that the granting of visas reflects “the changing nature of risks” to US research. But it doesn’t specify what those risks are or how the agencies should be coordinating enforcement. “The question is, who is coordinating the whole thing, the guidelines and procedures for law enforcement,” said Steven Pei , an electrical engineering professor at the University of Houston and co-organizer of the Asian Pacific American Justice Task Force , which advocates against racial discrimination. “We are trying hard to balance national security, US competitiveness with China in high tech and civil rights,” he said. “But this top-level policy has not trickled down.”Read the Bloomberg report: https://bloom.bg/3wRL4O3 An Urgent Call for Clear and Fair Law Enforcement Guidelines and Procedures for Research Security Neal Lane* , Steven Pei* , and Jeremy Wu* posted a public commentary, calling for the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate their policies using comparable principles and set clear, fair guidelines and procedures. Our scientific success is rooted in core values, including collaboration, honesty, transparency, integrity, the fair competition of ideas, and the protection of intellectual capital. Some foreign entities do not share these values and are working to illicitly acquire our research and innovation. This necessitates laws – and law enforcement.But it is vital that law enforcement guidelines and procedures be clear and fair for maintaining public trust, upholding individual rights, and promoting accountability and consistency within the justice system. Otherwise, we can expect our competitive edge in science and technology to wane, as well as our standing as a leading democracy.With its sharp focus on research security, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has set a balanced path to guide policies of federal agencies that support research. There is a similar need for the FBI, HSI, and other federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate their policies using comparable principles and set clear, fair guidelines and procedures.Given OSTP’s unique role and capability within the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), it should also coordinate with all key law enforcement agencies to close the apparent gap in communication between national science and technology policy set by NSTC and agents at the forefront of law enforcement. In doing so, it can protect America’s security and economic competitiveness while minimizing the unintended negative impact and associated chilling effects on the science and technology community. * Dr. Neal Lane is Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute, Rice University, and Former Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. Dr. Steven Pei is Co-Organizer of APA Justice; Founding Chair of United Chinese Americans; and Professor at the University of Houston. Dr. Jeremy Wu is Co-Organizer of APA Justice; Member of Committee of 100; and Retired from the Federal Government. Read the full commentary: https://bit.ly/3yDRaSB 06/06: An Open and Public Community Forum with The FBI On June 6, 2024, the Baker Institute and the Office of Innovation at Rice University, the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition, and APA Justice will co-host a hybrid forum titled " A Dialogue Between the Academic and Asian American Communities and the FBI ." Registration for in-person attendance and Zoom webinar is now open. In 2022, the Department of Justice ended its China Initiative — a strategy to counter Chinese espionage and threats to U.S. research security — after academic and civil rights groups raised concerns about bias and damage to the United States’ scientific enterprise. However, there were several recent media reports of border entry issues for Chinese graduate students and academic researchers who are green card-holders and even American citizens. This event brings together Jill Murphy, deputy assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI, and the leadership of the FBI’s Houston field office for a dialogue with members of the academic and Asian American communities. It will examine gaps between national science and technology policy and its implementation. It will also explore the possibility of establishing a regular communication channel between the academic and Asian American communities with FBI field offices. Register to join the forum in person: https://bit.ly/4aFwvuK . Register to join the forum via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3wjg759 . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/05/31 A Discussion on the History of Discrimination Against Asian Americans2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/06/06 A Dialogue Between Academic/AAPI Communities with The FBI2024/06/20 U.S.-China Relations: Untangling Campaign Rhetoric & Understanding Policy – Teachers Workshop2024/06/20-22 Social Equity Leadership ConferenceVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. MOCA Forum: A Discussion on the History of Discrimination Against Asian Americans WHAT: A Discussion on the History of Discrimination Against Asian Americans WHEN: May 31, 2024, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm ET WHERE: 215 Centre Street, New York, NY HOST: Museum of Chinese in America MODERATOR: Scott Wong. Reporter, NBC News SPEAKERS: · Christopher P. Lu, U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform · Mark Takano, Member, U.S. House of Representatives DESCRIPTION: From the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese incarceration to recent hate crimes, a discussion on the history of discrimination against Asian Americans. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3yG2ltY 3. WHIAANHPI Celebrates 25th Anniversary On June 7, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 13125 establishing a White House Initiative and presidential advisory commission dedicated to improving the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Over the course of 25 years and five presidential administrations, the size and scope of these entities have evolved. But the full story of how they came to be has rarely been told. On May 17, 2024, The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) posted a documentary video titled "Lasting Legacies - The White House Initiative on AA and NHPIs Turns 25” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9nw4TL80yI (10:29) 4. Two New Pandas Coming to Washington DC According to multiple media reports, months after the nation’s capital bid an emotional farewell to its giant pandas, the National Zoo is expecting a renewed surge in panda-mania with the announcement that two more of the furry black-and-white icons will be coming to Washington DC.A fresh agreement had been struck with the Chinese government, and a pair of adult pandas would be arriving from China by the end of the year. The incoming pair are Bao Li and Qing Bao. Both are two years old.Pandas have been a symbol of U.S.-China friendship since Beijing sent a pair to the National Zoo in 1972, ahead of the normalization of bilateral relations. Later, Beijing loaned pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs. Back View PDF May 31, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Academics, elected officials, and civil rights groups across the country are raising concerns about the nomination of Casey Arrowood to be US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. July 29, 2022 Sign the campaign to oppose Arrowood's nomination The White House announced the nomination of Mr. Casey Arrowood to be US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee on July 29, 2022. The Senate Judiciary Committee logged the nomination as PN2444 on August 1, 2022. Academics, elected officials, civil rights groups, and community organizations across the country have raised grave concerns about this nomination - It will further erode public trust in our judicial system and increase the chilling effect on U.S. science and technology. Mr. Arrowood was the lead prosecutor of University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu , an internationally-renown nanotechnology expert and the first academic to go to trial under the now-defunct “ China Initiative. ” Court testimonies and documents show that Professor Hu was subject to a two-year Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigation started by a Google search , not a criminal predicate. Professor Hu was fired by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville based on misleading and false information provided by the government. When the false allegation that Professor Hu spied for China could not be supported by facts and evidence, he was pressed to spy on China for the U.S. government. After Professor Hu refused, Mr. Arrowood mounted a wire fraud case against Professor Hu. The jury deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared. On June 17, 2021, three members of the House Judiciary Committee, Reps. Ted Lieu, Mondaire Jones, and Pramila Jayapal, referred the case to the Inspector General at the Department of Justice for review out of concerns of alleged misconduct of the FBI in Professor Hu’s case. Mr. Arrowood’s wrongful prosecution of Professor Hu betrayed the public trust and confidence we all place in our judicial system. According to a media report , a member of the all-white jury entered the 2021 trial assuming that the government handled the case with honesty and integrity. At the end of the mistrial, she concluded publicly that it was “the most ridiculous case” and “if this is who is protecting America, we’ve got problems.” Instead of reviewing his weak case and acting in the interests of justice, Mr. Arrowood pursued a retrial of Professor Hu. In the order to acquit Professor Hu of all charges in the indictment, Judge Thomas Varlan ruled that the government's evidence, even if given in the light most favorable to the government, would be clearly insufficient for a rational jury to convict Professor Hu of the crimes alleged. Despite the judge's ruling, the unjust prosecution forever changed the lives of Professor Hu and his family. To this day, Professor Hu describes that period as "the darkest time of [his] life" as he and his family endured financial instability, traumas, family separation, and a long battle for justice. The nomination of Mr. Arrowood is an affront to the Asian American, immigrant, and scientific communities. It opens a new wound when we still need to heal from years of prosecution and targeting of Asian Americans and immigrants during and before the "China Initiative." Our communities continue to work towards justice and ensuring substantive reforms to end the targeting and profiling of Asian Americans and immigrants. Mr. Arrowood demonstrated his poor judgment, wasted valuable taxpayers’ dollars, failed to uphold justice and fairness, and eroded public trust. His wrongful prosecution of Professor Hu, not once but twice, is deplorable and an embarrassment to our nation. In an exclusive interview with Tennessee Lookout on August 11, 2022, Professor Hu called for President Joe Biden to withdraw the nomination of Mr. Arrowood. “My case was a case of wrongful prosecution, and I believe (if Arrowood is confirmed) similar things will happen again and will damage long term the U.S. (government’s) reputation,” Professor Hu said. “If you do something wrong, you should have consequences. Instead, (Arrowood) is getting rewarded. It is very unfair. I do not think this is a reasonable nomination.” On August 20, 2022, Professor Hu and his family wrote to the White House requesting President Biden to rescind the nomination of Mr. Arrowood. Professor Hu cited four explanations for his objection: As the leading prosecutor, Mr. Arrowood should have stopped this wrongful investigation and never brought this case forward for prosecution. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Arrowood himself did not understand the law that he was prosecuting. This wrongful prosecution created a strong chilling effect among the Chinese American community. This nomination has harmed the reputation of the U.S. government. APA Justice , Asian American Scholar Forum , Tennessee Chinese American Alliance , and United Chinese Americans launched this nationwide campaign to support Professor Hu and oppose the nomination of Mr. Arrowood. We give voice to Asian Americans and immigrants, the scientific and academic community, and to the impacted persons and their families. We call for the White House to withdraw the nomination, and the Senate Judiciary Committee to take no action on the nomination before a thporugh investigation and a hearing have been completed. We will continue to collect organizational and individual co-signers until there is an end to the nomination of Mr. Arrowood. Please help spread the word if you have already signed on and fill out the form here if you have not yet done so: https://bit.ly/OpposeArrowoodNomination Please help spread the word about this campaign widely. We also encourage organizations and individuals to send their own letters directly to the White House and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Email contact@apajustice.org if you have any questions or comments. Note : Organizers of the campaign retain the right to decide on the final co-signers to the letters. Please sign on to the campaign here: https://bit.ly/OpposeArrowoodNomination 2022/11/10 Committee of 100: Committee of 100 Expresses Concerns Over Mr. Casey Arrowood Being Nominated to Serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. http://bit.ly/3EBDpEy 2022/11/06 Knox News: 'I want him voted down': Professor wrongly accused of spying fights prosecutor's promotion. https://bit.ly/3UDuYgZ 2022/09/06 Coalition letter to President Biden requesting the withdrawal of the nomination of Casey Arrowood. https://bit.ly/3KTWGTm 2022/09/06 Coalition letter to Senate Judiciary Committee requesting no action on the nomination of Casey Arrowood before thorough review. https://bit.ly/3KSy79l 2022/09/02 Department of Justice: Response to June 17, 2021, Request for Investigation. https://bit.ly/3rISqgJ 2022/08/31 Anming Hu letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting rejection of Arrowood nomination. https://bit.ly/3RezeT6 2022/08/24 APA Justice Newsletter: Special Edition on the Campaign to Oppose the Nomination of Mr. Casey Arrowood. https://bit.ly/3ckMgPI 2022/08/22 Draft letter to President Biden to withdraw the nomination of Casey Arrowood. https://bit.ly/3T7yeRN 2022/08/20 Anming Hu letter to the White House requesting withdrawal of Arrowood nomination. https://bit.ly/3wizTum 2022/08/31 Tennessee Lookout: Asian American groups urge rejection of nominee for U.S. Attorney in Tennessee’s Eastern District . https://bit.ly/3CIVj7T 2022/08/11 Tennessee Lookout: Falsely accused University of Tennessee professor: Biden should rescind U.S. Attorney nomination. https://bit.ly/3C1YiYv Academics, elected officials, and civil rights groups across the country are raising concerns about the nomination of Casey Arrowood to be US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Previous Next Campaign to Oppose The Nomination of Casey Arrowood

Newsletter - #37 Letters To Biden And Raskin; GAO Report And Civil Rights Alert; And Lots More #37 Letters To Biden And Raskin; GAO Report And Civil Rights Alert; And Lots More Back View PDF January 7, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #321 4/7 Meeting; SwAA/AASF Updates; Bill to Ban Chinese Students; Nature Op-Ed; Lawsuits+ #321 4/7 Meeting; SwAA/AASF Updates; Bill to Ban Chinese Students; Nature Op-Ed; Lawsuits+ In This Issue #321 · 2025/04/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Introduction to Stand with Asian Americans · Updates from the Asian American Scholar Forum · Bill to Ban All Chinese Students Introduced in Congress · Nature : Trump 2.0: An Assault on Science Anywhere is an Assault on Science Everywhere · Recent Court Rulings Against Trump's Executive Actions · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/04/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 7, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates by Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), invited and confirmed speakers are: · Mark Takano (Invited), First Vice Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Member, U.S. House of Representatives · Erwin Chemerinsky , Dean, Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley · Cindy Tsai , Interim President, Committee of 100 · X. Edward Guo , President, Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering (AAASE) 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 . *****The March 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting summary is posted at https://bit.ly/4iOexLD . Past monthly meeting summaries are posted at https://bit.ly/4hyOV4i .We thank the following speakers for their remarks and update reports: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · Jessica Chen Weiss , Founding Faculty Director of the Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs (ACF), SAIS, Johns Hopkins University · Michelle Lee , President and General Counsel, and Brian Pang , Chief Operating Officer and Head of Partnerships, Stand with Asian Americans · Clay Zhu , Co-Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance 华美维权同盟 (CALDA) Introduction to Stand with Asian Americans Michelle Lee serves as the President and General Counsel of Stand with Asian Americans (SwAA), while Brian Pang is the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Partnerships.During the APA Justice monthly meeting on March 3, 2025, Michelle and Brian introduced SwAA – a nonprofit launched in 2021 to empower Asian Americans in asserting their civil rights and liberties. The organization focuses on actively combating workplace discrimination by providing legal representation and strategic litigation against employment injustices. SwAA aims to drive systemic change and ensure accountability through legal action, education, and community support. Mike Roberts is SwAA’s new Legal Director. SwAA was founded in response to rising anti-Asian discrimination, particularly after the 2021 Atlanta Spa shootings. It published an open letter in the Wall Street Journal titled “Enough.” The letter went viral, signed by over 9,000 leaders in business, entertainment, sports, and government, including former Presidents of the United States. SwAA’s leadership have all experienced discrimination at work and in their businesses; they have all taken action and obtained favorable outcomes. The organization initially engaged in broad advocacy efforts, including anti-hate initiatives, civic empowerment, and corporate activism. Over time, recognizing the limited resources and lack of dedicated support for workplace discrimination cases, SwAA refined its mission in 2023 to concentrate on employment and economic justice. SwAA combats workplace discrimination through three main pillars: · Legal Representation – Building a legal team to strategically select and litigate cases that expose and challenge workplace discrimination. · Community and Education – Providing resources such as know-your-rights workshops, social media awareness campaigns, and a monthly invite-only support group for those experiencing discrimination. · Policy and Advocacy – Partnering with civil rights organizations, law schools, and legal clinics to advocate for legislative and policy reforms at state and federal levels. Despite its impact, SwAA faces challenges in securing funding. Traditional corporate and government sponsors often lack awareness of the importance of workplace discrimination efforts for Asian Americans. To operate effectively, SwAA estimates an annual budget of $1 million and seeks support from donors, partners, and community networks. SwAA encourages individuals to report workplace discrimination through its online portal, participate in its programs, and share its mission within their networks. The organization remains committed to advocating for Asian Americans in employment across all industries, including government, academia, and private sectors. For support or involvement, SwAA can be reached at · https://standwithasianamericans.com/ · hello@standwithasianamericans.com · (415)-234-0710, and · Social media platforms: Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn Michelle and Brian’s presentation is available here: https://bit.ly/4iKZgL0 Updates from the Asian American Scholar Forum During the APA Justice monthly meeting on March 3, 2025, Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), provided an update on AASF’s key activities and legislative monitoring efforts. AASF will host its annual multi-day conference at Stanford University in July, culminating on July 26 with the recognition of Nobel laureates and distinguished researchers. This event, often referred to as the "Science Oscars" for Asian Americans, aims to celebrate contributions to American science and foster community engagement. AASF remains committed to empowering scholars through networking and recognition, ensuring a lasting impact across administrations. AASF will also host a virtual town hall to discuss pressing legislative issues affecting the scholar community in 2025. AASF is actively monitoring legislative developments that could impact Asian American scholars, including the Deterrent Act, which may require reporting of all foreign gifts, and the potential reinstatement of the China Initiative, which has been criticized for racial profiling. The organization is also concerned about the reintroduction of the CCP Act, which could disproportionately target academics with ties to China under national security scrutiny. Another area of concern is the Alien Enemies Act, which could lead to unfair targeting of Chinese American scientists, raising fears of history repeating itself. AASF has supported the Korematsu Bill package to acknowledge and prevent injustices similar to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. AASF remains vigilant against legislation that could promote racial profiling and discrimination under the guise of national security. AASF is expanding its support initiatives for scholars by launching naturalization clinics to assist with U.S. citizenship applications, thereby providing greater legal protections. It will also offer "Know Your Rights" sessions with attorneys on legal matters, including employment and criminal law. Recognizing the mental health challenges faced by scholars due to political and professional pressures, AASF is increasing its resources to support mental well-being. AASF also celebrated a major legal victory in the case of Yin v. Diaz, which helped prevent discriminatory policies from spreading nationwide. Through these efforts, AASF aims to provide scholars with legal, institutional, and emotional support to navigate an uncertain landscape while advocating for a fair and inclusive academic environment.In addition to its legislative and legal advocacy, AASF is committed to fostering long-term resilience within the academic and scientific communities. By strengthening partnerships with organizations such as APA Justice, Stop AAPI Hate, and national legal teams, AASF seeks to amplify collective efforts against discriminatory policies and practices. It continues to emphasize the importance of representation, community engagement, and policy reform to safeguard the rights and contributions of Asian American scholars. Looking ahead, AASF remains dedicated to ensuring that academic talent is nurtured and protected, reinforcing the U.S.'s competitive edge in science and technology while upholding principles of fairness and inclusivity. Bill to Ban All Chinese Students Introduced in Congress According to AP News and other media reports, on March 14, 2025, a group of six House Republicans led by Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) introduced legislation aimed at banning all Chinese nationals from studying in the United States under the pretext of "national security" concerns.The bill, H.R. 2147 , also known as the "Stop CCP Visas Act," seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit Chinese students and exchange visitors from obtaining U.S. visas. The proposed Bill would block all Chinese citizens from getting any of three main types of student visas issued by the U.S. – Vocational, Exchange Visitors and Academic Student visas.On March 18, 2025, the Committee of 100 issued the following statement: "America has always thrived by welcoming the brightest minds from around the world. Shutting the door on Chinese students doesn’t just betray our values—it weakens our leadership in science, technology, and innovation,” said Gary Locke , Committee of 100 Chair and former U.S. Ambassador to China. 'The Stop CCP Visas Act is not just exclusionary but self-defeating. We must stand for opportunity, not fear, and ensure that talent and progress continue to flourish in our nation.' "Suggesting that every Chinese student regardless of their background, intentions, or beliefs is a national security threat is not only inaccurate but also fuels xenophobia, discrimination, and hostility toward an entire group of people – including Chinese Americans here in the U.S. Chinese and Chinese American students have long contributed to America’s scientific, technological, and economic progress, and such rhetoric undermines their ability to learn, collaborate, and thrive in an environment free from suspicion and prejudice. Committee of 100 calls on all our nation’s leaders to uphold the American values of fairness, openness, and equal opportunity. America’s strength comes from welcoming diverse talent from all around the world." Related statements and media reports:2025/03/19 NBC News : Chinese students slam GOP bill that would ban them from U.S. schools, say it's ‘new Chinese Exclusion Act’ 2025/03/18 South China Morning Post : Distinguished Chinese-Americans condemn visa veto aimed at students from China 2025/03/18 Committee of 100 Condemns Proposed Bill H.R. 2147 Banning Chinese Student Visas 2025/03/14 Asian American Scholar Forum Cautions Harm to Talent Pipeline By Bill Banning Chinese Student Visas 2025/03/13 Advancing Justice | AAJC Rejects Racist Proposed Bill to Block Issuance of Student Visas to Chinese Nationals Nature : Trump 2.0: An Assault on Science Anywhere is an Assault on Science Everywhere According to an opinion published by Nature on February 25, 2025, US President Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to science and to international institutions. The global research community must take a stand against these attacks.In his first month in office, Trump has initiated policies that severely undermine scientific research and international collaboration. Despite calls from the scientific community to strengthen the nation’s legacy in research, his administration has instead implemented sweeping funding cuts, frozen research programs, and imposed restrictive policies that threaten academic freedom. Key federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), face drastic budget reductions and staff layoffs, creating uncertainty for researchers and stalling critical public health and environmental initiatives.Internationally, the administration’s withdrawal from global agreements and aid programs has far-reaching consequences. Trump has slashed funding for climate change initiatives, abandoned the Paris Agreement, and signaled an exit from the World Health Organization (WHO), jeopardizing global health efforts. USAID, a crucial source of international aid, has been severely impacted, leaving millions without essential medical and humanitarian support. These actions not only harm global development but also diminish the United States’ leadership in science and diplomacy. In response, scientific organizations and researchers are speaking out against these measures, emphasizing the need to protect academic freedom and research integrity. Legal challenges may overturn some decisions, but the broader trend signals a systematic effort to suppress independent, evidence-based policymaking. Nature calls on the global scientific community to take a stand, support affected researchers, and defend the role of science in shaping public policy. The erosion of scientific progress in the U.S. threatens both national and global prosperity, making collective opposition essential. Recent Court Rulings Against Trump's Executive Actions As of March 23, 2025, the number of lawsuits against President Donald Trump 's executive actions reported by the Just Security Litigation Tracker has grown to 135 with two closed cases.Some of the recent major rulings and related developments: · Birthright Citizenship . At least three courts have issued orders blocking Trump’s attack on birthright citizenship. According to Vox on March 22, 2025, in a brief asking the Supreme Court to narrow these court orders, the Trump administration claims that the word “jurisdiction” actually means “allegiance.” So someone is not a citizen if they do not owe “ primary allegiance to the United States rather than to an ‘alien power .’” · Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and Mass Deportations. On March 22, 2025, the Washington Post reported that James E. Boasberg , chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, expressed doubts about the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime power, to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, while also grilling a government attorney about whether officials had disregarded his order not to do so. “Why was this proclamation essentially signed in the dark?” Judge Boasberg said of Trump’s executive order. “Then these people rushed onto planes. It seems to me the only reason to do that is if you know it’s a problem and you want to get them out of the country.” CNN reported that Trump downplayed his involvement in invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, saying that he had not signed the proclamation. “I don’t know when it was signed, because I didn’t sign it,” Trump told reporters on March 21. However, the proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act appears in the Federal Register with Trump’s signature. · Attempt to Deport Indian Postdoctoral Fellow . According to NPR on March 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles for the Eastern District of Virginia has blocked immigration officials from deporting a Georgetown University professor and postdoctoral scholar. Badar Khan Suri , an Indian national, is the latest scholar to be detained or deported by the Trump administration for their support for Palestinian rights or for criticizing Israel for the war in Gaza. Just like the high-profile arrest of Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil , Suri is being accused by Department of Homeland Security officials of spreading Hamas propaganda. "Ripping someone from their home and family, stripping them of their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint is a clear attempt by President Trump to silence dissent," ACLU of Virginia Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney Sophia Gregg said in a statement on Suri's case. "That is patently unconstitutional." · Elon Musk's DOGE Access to Social Security Temporarily Blocked . AP News reported that on March 20, 2025, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland temporarily blocked Elon Musk ’s DOGE from Social Security systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling their work there a “fishing expedition.” The order also requires the team to delete any personally identifiable data in their possession. According to the Washington Post on March 2025, more than a dozen judges have said in more than a dozen cases — and in three major rulings this past week alone — a federal judge has ruled that the administration either has violated the law or has probably done so. The total works out to one such finding about every four days. The cases in which a judge has reached such a ruling span Trump’s efforts to freeze federal funding, fire federal workers, restrict diversity efforts, overturn birthright citizenship, and, most recently, limit transgender rights and deport certain immigrants without legal review. NBC News and multiple media reported that Trump signed an executive order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education on March 20, 2025. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar 2026/03/26 Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within2026/03/26 ACLU Virtual Town Hall: Protect People, Not Power2025/03/30 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/04/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/15 China Connections: A Conversation with Emily Feng2025/04/24-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2025/04/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/05/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/05/11 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. USCET Is Hiring Interns The U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET) is seeking Program and Communications Interns to join its dynamic team. Interns will provide communication and programmatic support to the Program Associate, Managing Director, and Executive Director, contributing to the implementation of its ongoing programs, social media content, and development of new initiatives addressing critical issues in U.S.-China relations. The deadline to submit applications is March 28, 2025. For more information, visit https://uscet.org/internships/ 3. APIAVote Is Hiring Summer Interns APIAVote is looking for undergraduate students or recent graduates who can demonstrate that they seek to gain hands-on experience in grassroots community development within a national organization. This internship program will also provide hands-on experience and training on how to organize and implement voter activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process. The internship will have a $3,500 stipend for 10 weeks from June 9 to August 15 hybrid in-person and online. Apply here: https://bit.ly/4hUee0xin # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org .-person and online. Back View PDF March 24, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #223 12/4 Meeting; China Initiative/Section 702; Call for WH Apology; Student Exchanges; + #223 12/4 Meeting; China Initiative/Section 702; Call for WH Apology; Student Exchanges; + In This Issue #223 · 2023/12/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · No More "China Initiative" or Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance · Call for a White House Statement of Apology on the Chinese Exclusion Act · NYT: Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics? · News and Activities for the Communities 2023/12/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, December 4, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Matt Jones , Partner, WilmerHale LLP. Matt represents Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 , a naturalized U.S, citizen and founder of the University of Management and Technology in Arlington, Virginia. Matt spoke about Dr. Chen's case at the November 2022 APA Justice monthly meeting . He will give us an update on the latest development. · Michael Bloch , Partner, Bloch and White LLP. Michael represents Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , an ethnic Tibetan from China who served in Afghanistan as a U.S. marine and later joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) as an officer. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Angwang was arrested in September 2020, charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government under the now-defunct "China Initiative." Michael will give us an update on Angwang's case. A Q&A and discussion session will follow the reports by Matt Jones and Michael Bloch. Confirmed discussants include: · Bethany Li , Legal Director, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) · Paula Madison 罗笑娜, Retired, NBCUniversal Executive; Entrepreneur; Journalist · Brian Sun 孙自华, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP · Helen Zia 谢汉兰, Activist, Author, and Former Journalist Brian Sun was part of the legal team representing Dr. Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in the criminal trial in 2000. Brian later represented Dr. Lee and won a settlement in a civil lawsuit when Dr. Lee sued the government under the Privacy Act in 2006. Helen Zia co-authored with Dr. Lee and published a book titled " My Country Versus Me " in 2002.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 No More "China Initiative" or Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance 1. No More "China Initiative" - Sign-on Letter There is a recent proposal in the US House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies (CJS) to reinstate the "China Initiative." The "China Initiative" was launched under the Trump Administration on November 1, 2018. It led to the racial profiling and unjust prosecution of U.S.-based Chinese American and immigrant scholars, scientists and researchers. It upended the careers and lives of many, as well as reports such as this Proceedings of National Academy of Science report showing that it created a chilling effect on Asian Americans deterring many from engaging in ordinary activities, like traveling or corresponding with loved ones, for fear of being wrongfully targeted. The "China Initiative" officially ended under the Biden Administration on February 23, 2022. On March 23, 2023, Science described how The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted its own “China initiative” that has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers. Plainly put, it is unacceptable for Congress to bring it back.A coalition letter has been prepared to urge Congress to oppose bringing the "China Initiative" back from the dead. Like-minded organizations are urged to sign on by December 7, 2023. APA Justice is a co-signer of the coalition letter.For more information and support, contact Gisela Perez Kusakawa at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org , Joanna Derman at jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org , or Kenny Nguyen at knguyen@stopaapihate.org . Read the open letter to Congress: https://bit.ly/3uCGBgx . Read about the "China Initiative:" https://bit.ly/2ZC12up 2. No More Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance On November 28, 2023, a national coalition of 92 civil rights and racial justice organizations sent a letter to all 535 members of Congress, opposing reauthorizing of FISA Section 702 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024. APA Justice is a co-signer of the letter. "Reporting indicates certain Congressional leaders are pushing not only to briefly extend this spying power to provide more time for Congress to debate how it should be reformed, but are further considering reauthorizing legislation, likely for a longer period, from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). Not only was this legislation not included in either NDAA passed by the House or Senate, it has yet to even be introduced or its legislative text published," the letter said. In addition, · Public outlines of the HPSCI legislation reveal that it would serve to expand surveillance of people in the United States in several alarming ways, from targeting immigrants to reviving provisions of the PATRIOT Act that expired years ago. · It would fail to address alarming threats to civil rights, like the government’s purchase of massive amounts of data about American communities without court orders, while depriving members of Congress the opportunity to meaningfully address these threats. · The HPSCI bill would reauthorize Section 702 without in any way addressing the vast majority of the government’s abuses of the authority — abuses that are actively undermining civil rights. In conclusion, Section 702 must not be reauthorized without a meaningful opportunity for members of Congress to reform the authority and other related warrantless surveillance practices. Including in must-pass legislation any extension would sell out the communities that have been most often wrongfully targeted by these agencies and warrantless spying powers generally. Adding legislation to reauthorize Section 702 during conference that has not been debated by either House or Senate Judiciary Committee or either chamber would amount to a profound procedural and substantive failure. Stop AAPI Hate urges like-minded organizations and individuals to amplify the coalition letter by making use of a Social Media Toolkit with sample language and graphics.For more information, contact Andy Wong at andywong@caasf.org . Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/410Sf0Y . Read the WIRED report on this topic: https://bit.ly/3uBqJLj . Concerned individuals may also send their opposition of warrantless surveillance to their Congressional members here: https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R . Call for a White House Statement of Apology on the Chinese Exclusion Act On December 17, 2023, it will be the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This date holds great significance for the Chinese and Asian Pacific American communities across the country, as it marks the end of a dark era of discrimination and injustice. For more than two generations, the Chinese Exclusion Act tore apart families, denied the Chinese their citizenship and thus their voting rights, and subjected them to discrimination, hate, riots, and even murder. The Chinese community in America, as a result, suffered greatly, and the scars of this legislation continue to be felt to this day. In 2022, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt , the White House issued a well-received presidential proclamation apologizing for the harm caused to Japanese Americans. This gesture of remorse came 34 years after the US Congress passed a law in 1988 to apologize and provide reparations to the Japanese American community. United Chinese Americans (UCA) has organized an open letter to President Joe Biden, calling for the White House to issue a statement of apology on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Like-minded individuals and organizations are urged to sign on to the letter. APA Justice co-signed the letter.Read and sign on to the UCA letter: https://bit.ly/3T5jxRG NYT: Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics? According to the New York Times on November 28, 2023, at a college fair organized by the United States Embassy, the students and their parents hovered over rows of booths advertising American universities. As a mascot of a bald eagle worked the crowd, they posed eagerly for photos.But beneath the festive atmosphere thrummed a note of anxiety. Did America still want Chinese students? And were Chinese students sure they wanted to go to America?Students have been traveling between China and the United States for generations, propelled by ambition, curiosity and a belief that their time abroad could help them better their and their countries’ futures. The first Chinese student to graduate from an American university, Yung Wing , arrived at Yale in 1850 and later helped send 120 more students to America.For the last three years, the number of Chinese students in the United States has fallen. The number of American students in China, meanwhile, plummeted during the pandemic to a mere 350 as of this year compared to more than 11,000 in 2019.Both Beijing and Washington have acknowledged the importance of restoring exchanges. During his trip to San Francisco this month, China’s leader, Xi Jinping , declared that China was “ready to invite” 50,000 Americans to study in China over the next five years. The American ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns , has insisted that the United States welcomes Chinese students. But the official rhetoric belies obstacles that both governments have continued to erect, driven by the same nationalism and concerns about national security that have derailed other parts of the relationship. Chinese propaganda regularly depicts the United States as dangerously crime-ridden, and many Chinese are also worried by increased reports of visa denials or border interrogations in the U.S. upon arrival. For Americans, the appeal of visiting China has dimmed under Mr. Xi, an authoritarian leader who has stoked anti-foreign sentiment. The U.S. government has also prohibited some American students from studying there, and some language-learning programs that it funds have moved from mainland China to Taiwan. Scholarly collaborations at all levels have been eroded by the geopolitical tensions. Chinese university students are still a robust presence in the United States, with nearly 290,000 in the 2022-23 school year. But many Chinese are concerned about programs like the Justice Department’s now-scrapped China Initiative, which critics said discriminated against scientists of Chinese descent.Other students have had visas revoked or denied under a Trump-era order known as Proclamation 10043 , upheld by the Biden administration, that bans students from certain Chinese universities from graduate study in the United States. Washington says those universities — the list is not public — have ties to China’s military.By making Chinese students feel unwelcome, the United States is hurting one of its historic strengths. The flow of Americans to China has always been much smaller. But Washington recognized the importance of increasing it. In 2010, President Barack Obama launched an initiative to send 100,000 American students to China over five years, who the State Department said would be “the next generation of American experts on China.”The Biden administration has also not reinstated the Fulbright program in China, which President Donald J. Trump suspended. Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/47VlAvQ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/12/02 A Virtual Fireside Chat 2023/12/03 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/04 APA Justice December 2023 monthly meeting 2023/12/05 The Role of Chinese Students in America2023/12/06 1882 Foundation Lecture and Reception: We are Americans 2023/12/10 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/12 Community Briefing on Section 702 Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. A Growing Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus On November 28, 2023, the Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPI Caucus) hosted a stakeholder listening session ahead of the 60-day Virginia state legislative session starting on January 10, 2024. State Delegate Kathy Tran serves as the Chair of VAAPI Caucus. State Senator Ghazala Hashmi is Vice Chair. The 2024 VAAPI Caucus has 8 members - 3 state senators and 5 state delegates. 3. UCA Virtual Fireside Chat - Journey to Public Service WHAT: Webinar on "A Virtual Fireside Chat with Representatives Ya Liu, Lily Qi and Chao Wu" WHEN: Saturday, December 2, 2023, 7:00 pm ET/04:00 pm PTDESCRIPTION: https://bit.ly/3sPpEPDHOST : United Chinese Americans (UCA)MODERATOR: Haipei Shue , President of UCA SPEAKERS: · Ya Liu, Member, North Carolina House of Representatives · Lily Qi, Member, Maryland House of Delegates · Chao Wu, Member, Maryland House of Delegates REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3N5JY5W 4. The Serica Initiative Continues; The China Project Ends On November 7, 2023, The China Project (formerly SupChina) announced its shutdown due to many accusations in both the U.S. and China of working for nefarious purposes for the government of the other. Launched in 2016 with the aim of informing the world about China with a breadth and depth that general interest news organizations cannot devote to one country. It has incurred enormous legal costs and made it increasingly difficult to attract investors, advertisers, and sponsors. On November 29, 2023, The Serica Initiative , The China Project’s New York-based sister nonprofit organization, announced that it will carry forward the mission to both advocating for greater Asian American inclusion and advancing positive social impact in U.S.-China relations. Back View PDF December 2, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #178 4/17 Roundtable Highlights; Students Denied Visas; A Crisis of Trust; Community News #178 4/17 Roundtable Highlights; Students Denied Visas; A Crisis of Trust; Community News In This Issue #178 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Media Alert Network Chinese Students Still Denied Visas Under Trump Immigration Order NYT Opinion: America, China and a Crisis of Trust Activities and News for the Communities 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Media Alert Network Asian American and immigrant communities are in turbulent times again, facing enormous cross-cutting challenges, including but not limited to: Legalizing discrimination at the state and federal levels Return of the Red Scare and McCarthyism Warrantless surveillance Mini "China Initiative" conducted by the National Institutes of Health Cross-border profiling, interrogation, harassment, and denial of entry Continuing fallout from the now-defunct "China Initiative" Collateral damage from the deteriorating U.S.-China relations Anti-Asian hate and violence On April 17, 2023, the Inaugural Roundtable continued the conversation to survey the landscape and established the purpose and functions of a national media alert network and strike teams to (a) assertively address immediate xenophobic challenges to our freedoms and (b) longer-term proactive actions to ensure fairness and justice for all, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and immigrant communities. As moderator, Jeremy Wu outlined the ground rules, logistics, and the purpose and goals of a dynamic process to start the Roundtable. Paula Madison , adviser and affectionately called the "conductor of the symphony," opened with remarks about her fear and concern of Texas Senate Bill 147 that would cease the constitutional rights of Chinese and other nationalities to own land in the states of Texas. It reminded her of the Chinese exclusion Act, but it did not appear in national media.As a U.S. citizen born in Jamaica, raised in Harlem, and her maternal grandfather was a Hakka from Southern China, Paula became a very successful media journalist and editor, executive, and businesswoman. Paula straddles both cultures and races. She brings to the Roundtable her perspectives of how and why the AAPI communities can better make use of the news media and similar institutions for us to tell our stories effectively, for us to assertively create our own narrative, and for us to proactively challenge the untruths that are told about us.The concept of a Roundtable is to bring together national and local community leaders to regularly and frequently have conversations with various media to build a trustworthy relationship so that we are seen as American citizens and residents who contribute to the American society, not to be targeted or discriminated. The second prong is to develop local, regional, and national strike teams to appear in print media, television, and digital platforms and speak with knowledge and conviction about the AAPI communities and matters. About 100 organizations and individuals spoke or participated in the Roundtable. A written summary is being prepared at this time. Town Hall Meeting on Media Training and Strike Teams On April 16, 2023, Paula Madison spoke at Town Hall Meeting #6 with Texas State Representative Gene Wu , leading the discussions and providing guidance for media training and strike teams with Florida AAPI leaders in short time. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/41qzNyh (1:24:26) Discriminatory Land Bills in Florida and Texas 2023/04/22 WE WON'T GO BACK! Statewide Civil Rights Protest WHAT : Protest against the Texas Legislature quietly taking away the CIVIL RIGHTS that our communities have fought so hard to earn WHEN : Saturday, April 22, 2023, 12 pm ET WHERE: Antioch Park, 554 Clay St, Houston, TX 77002 DESCRIPTIOON: Join members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, local elected officials, and community leaders for a march against efforts to turn back the clock on decades of progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion & roll back civil rights of minority communities across the State of Texas. Meet at Antioch Park (554 Clay) and march to Hermann Square at City Hall. Choose your transportation (rail, bus, carpool, Uber, walk, bike, park and walk, etc.) and bring your signs, and march safely and legally along sidewalks, obeying traffic signs, etc., to reach City Hall for a free speech rally.2023/04/20 Herald-Tribune : 'Terrified': Chinese protesters tell Florida lawmakers bill threatens their 'American dream' . There were tears. There were yells. There were more than 100 people who signed up to testify against a bill they say will discriminate against Florida’s Chinese community. Most of them, a mix of Chinese Americans and visa and green card holders, came from around the state to protest at the Capitol Wednesday, driving, bussing and even flying in. Echo King , from China herself and an Orlando immigration attorney, says such public demonstrations within her community are rare. It’s a testament, she said, to how worried they are over the legislation. 2023/04/20 Florida Phoenix : Chinese-Americans fear hate crimes and discrimination as FL legislation heads for final vote . Zheng Dauble says she has lived in the United States for 25 years and loves the country, but recently, when she was shopping with her 10-year-old boy, she heard someone yelling at her: “Go back to China.” “I never meet this person,” she says. “The only reason is because I am Asian.”¶ Zheng Dauble was one of dozens of Chinese-Americans who came to the state Capitol this week to testify against a legislative proposal (HB 1355) that would ban the sale of agriculture land and property within 20 miles of military bases and other critical infrastructure facilities to interests tied to the Chinese government and six other “countries of concern.”¶ The Chinese-Americans who signed up to speak against the measure said it could lead to more hate crimes and discrimination against their community. “I’m 8 years old,” said Manman Chen . “I want to ask a question: Did Chinese people do something bad to Florida? Why does the government not allow them to purchase property. I only get punishment when I do something wrong.”2023/04/19 AsAmNews : Florida moving to ban Chinese from owning land . A coalition of Asian American groups rallied outside the Florida state capitol today to oppose bills that would place restrictions on Chinese buying land in the state.¶ The proposal which has already passed the state senate unanimously is now moving its way through the assembly where it has already won the support of the Appropriations Committee, reports Florida Politics.¶ The protest held outside the House State Affairs Committee this morning declared the bills discriminatory and compared it to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Alien Land Laws of 1913, 1920 and 1923.¶ “These two bills, revived out of the coffins of the notorious “Alien Land Laws” and “Chinese Exclusion Act” in American history are unconstitutional and pose significant threats to the livelihoods of the AAPI community,” said the coalition in a statement.¶ It compared SB264 and HB1355 to “what has happened during World War II to Japanese Americans and at the time of the McCarthyism.” ¶ The coalition said the legislators failed to remember that many immigrants fled China to get away from communism. They suggested the bills will fuel more anti-Asian hate and lead to more violence against Asian Americans.2023/04/19 KERA News : Bills aimed at foreign nationals reminiscent of US' racist past, critics say . A bill headed to the Texas Senate floor would bar citizens from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia — and businesses with ties to those countries — from buying property in Texas. Senate Bill 147 is just one of several bills filed this legislative session aimed at immigrants and foreign nationals. And that has members of these communities worried.¶ Lily Trieu , executive director of Asian Texans for Justice, says bills aimed at Chinese nationals, or any nationality for that matter, are discriminatory and could cause irreversible harm. “Here's the reality. The reality is the average Texan cannot look at an Asian American and know without a doubt whether they're Chinese or Korean or Vietnamese or Japanese, etc.,” Trieu said.¶ Trieu’s concerned about what could happen if this bill ultimately becomes law. Even if it doesn’t, she and others in the Asian American community believe the damage has already been done.2023/04/18 Spectrum News 13 : Asian-American group rallies against bill regulating foreign control of land . An Orlando group is making their way to Tallahassee to protest House Bill 1355, which would prohibit foreign countries, specifically China, from purchasing agricultural land.¶ The Orlando Chinese Professionals Association is opposing the bill, stating it is harmful to their community and the Florida economy. Echo King , an immigration lawyer who immigrated from China 20 years ago, said the bill is discriminatory and could result in more hate crimes against Asians,¶ "I’ve helped hundreds of immigrants become U.S. citizens. I know their story. They are real, they are nice people, and they all contribute to this country," said King. King expressed concern that good businesses and people could be penalized for the actions of bad actors, and she hopes that by speaking out, her voice and those in her community will be heard. "We think it’s extremely discriminatory. It’ll affect all Asian communities," said King.2023/04/18 Press Release: NAEH Media Group Announces The Coming Public Protest Against The Florida SB264/HB 1355 On April 19, 2023 . On April 19, 2023, a public protest is set to take place in Tallahassee against the Florida SB 264/HB 1355, a bill that has caused widespread concern and outrage among Floridians.¶ The bill targets Chinese residents in the state, singling them out for exclusion and depriving them of their property rights. Representatives of Floridian chambers and business organizations, as well as Florida residents from all walks of life, are expected to participate in the protest.¶ The event is likely to be a significant demonstration of opposition to the bill and a powerful statement against discrimination and xenophobia. 3. CALDA Plans of Legal Action.Clay Zhu , Founder of Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), spoke during the Roundtable on its single role to sue the Government for its systemic discrimination against Chinese Americans. CALDA is currently working on two issues.¶ The first is the alien land bills that have been discussed in Texas, Florida, and South Carolina. A legal team is being assembled. A lawsuit will be filled as soon the bills are passed, seeking permanent injunctions against these bills.¶ The second is related to the "Chinese Initiative," specifically a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Chinese American scientists affected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as reported by the Science Magazine . A survey questionnaire has been to the affected professors to get a better understanding of the possible plaintiffs, claims, and damages.¶ CALDA has also started a lawsuit in Washington DC based on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which is expected to provide behind-the-scene information from the Department of Justice and in need of media attention and legal actions. 4. Asian American Journalists Association Media Institute. According to the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the media needs more diverse sources and stories. AAJA Media Institute coaches underrepresented voices to tell their stories and share their expertise with the media. Since the inaugural workshop in 2014, AAJA Media Institute alumni have gone on to appear on local and national television, including C-SPAN, MSNBC and NBC’s Today Show. They have published op-eds. They have been featured as thought leaders and expert sources in major news publications. Chinese Students Still Denied Visas Under Trump Immigration Order According to a report by Forbes on April 11, 2023, U.S. consular officers are still denying visas for Chinese graduate students based on the Chinese university they attended. The Biden administration has continued the denials under a proclamation issued by Donald Trump in May 2020. Research and experience have shown the proclamation is costly to the United States and those affected by the student visa denials. The proclamation has upended the lives of Tian Su and her longtime partner John Murray . Tian is a fifth-year Ph.D. student focusing on artificial intelligence in transportation. She had been in America since 2018. After not returning to the country for several years, Tian decided to visit family in China and renew her visa. She left the United States on March 2, 2023. Shortly after, the U.S. embassy in Beijing denied her visa back to the United States. She cannot return to complete her Ph.D. The stated reason for the denial was presidential proclamation 10043 (PP10043) on the “Suspension of Entry as Nonimmigrants of Certain Students and Researchers from the People’s Republic of China.” The proclamation does not apply to undergraduate students. The proclamation denies a visa to someone who studied at a particular university whether or not any negative information exists about the individual. To put the proclamation in perspective: If another country had a similar policy, it might deny visas to Americans who studied at U.S. universities that “support” a strategy or actions the foreign government finds objectionable or that received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. More than 900 U.S. universities received DOD funding in 2006, according to a 2007 report, but U.S. students attending those universities rarely have a connection to the U.S. military.In 2021, U.S. consular officers refused 1,964 visas for Chinese nationals due to the presidential proclamation, according to the State Department. Statistics are not yet available for FY 2022 or FY 2023, but any number would underestimate the proclamation’s impact since students and researchers who expect to be refused a visa would be unlikely to apply in the first place.A university official said the Trump administration hoped to punish Chinese institutions, even though it is clear the primary impact is on individual students and researchers. The official said one scholar denied a visa under the policy earned a Ph.D. from a U.S. university and returned to China to teach, but was denied a visa back to the United States because his master’s degree was from the Harbin Institute of Technology. That school is listed as “very high risk/top secret” on the Australia-based China Defense Universities Tracker , a source the U.S. government has used to deny visas.John Murray believes Tian may have been refused a visa to return to America because she attended Beihang University, which, it appears, is also on the list of schools the State Department uses to ban students and researchers under the proclamation.On June 27, 2022, a lawsuit Baryshnikov v. Mayorkas (2:22-cv-02140) was filed in the District Court of the Central District of Illinois. Led by a professor of Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a group of students affected by the PP10043 ban, the lawsuit challenges the U.S. Government's continuing efforts to ban the entry of Chinese nationals who seek to study at U.S. universities. On March 20, 2023, the Committee of Concerned Scientist (CCS) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden , expressing concerns about Chinese American researchers being profiled, harassed, and interrogated without just cause at the border. It included the case of Hong Qi , a visiting scholar of mathematical sciences at Louisiana State University and lecturer at Queen Mary University, London. She was denied re-entry to the U.S. and separated from her 6-year old son in Louisiana. Read more about PP10043 at https://bit.ly/41s9Luu NYT Opinion: America, China and a Crisis of Trust According to an opinion by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times on April 14, 2023, relations between the United States and China have soured so badly, so quickly, and have so reduced our points of contact that we’re now like two giant gorillas looking at each other through a pinhole. Nothing good will come from this. The smallest misstep by either side could ignite a U.S.-China war that would make Ukraine look like a neighborhood dust-up.That’s one of the many reasons Thomas Friedman found it helpful to be back in Beijing and to be able to observe China again through a larger aperture than a pinhole. Attending the China Development Forum — Beijing’s very useful annual gathering of local and global business leaders, senior Chinese officials, retired diplomats and a few local and Western journalists — reminded him of some powerful old truths and exposed him to some eye-popping new realities about what’s really eating away at U.S.-China relations.The new, new thing Thomas Friedman found has a lot to do with the increasingly important role that trust, and its absence, plays in international relations, now that so many goods and services that the United States and China sell to one another are digital, and therefore dual use — meaning they can be both a weapon and a tool. Just when trust has become more important than ever between the U.S. and China, it also has become scarcer than ever. There’s something of a competition today between Democrats and Republicans over who can speak most harshly about China. Truth be told, both countries have so demonized the other of late that it is easy to forget how much we have in common as people. Thomas Friedman cannot think of any major nation after the United States with more of a Protestant work ethic and naturally capitalist population than China.China has built formidable weight and strength since opening to the world in the 1970s, and even since Covid hit in 2019. China’s Communist Party government has a stronger grip than ever on its society, thanks to its police state surveillance and digital tracking systems: Facial recognition cameras are everywhere. The party crushes any challenge to its rule or to President Xi Jinping . These days, it is extremely difficult for a visiting columnist to get anyone — a senior official or a Starbucks barista — to speak on the record. It was not that way a decade ago.That said, one should have no illusions: The Communist Party’s hold is also a product of all the hard work and savings of the Chinese people, which have enabled the party and the state to build world-class infrastructure and public goods that make life for China’s middle and lower classes steadily better.Beijing and Shanghai, in particular, have become very livable cities, with the air pollution largely erased and lots of new, walkable green spaces. Shanghai had recently built 55 new parks, bringing its total to 406, and had plans for nearly 600 more.Some 900 cities and towns in China are now served by high-speed rail, which makes travel to even remote communities incredibly cheap, easy and comfortable. In the last 23 years America has built exactly one sort-of-high-speed rail line, the Acela, serving 15 stops between Washington, D.C., and Boston. Think about that: 900 to 15.Thomas Friedman did not argue that high-speed trains are better than freedom, but to explain that China’s stability is a product of both an increasingly pervasive police state and a government that has steadily raised standards of living. It’s a regime that takes both absolute control and relentless nation-building seriously.For an American to fly from New York’s Kennedy Airport into Beijing Capital International Airport today is to fly from an overcrowded bus terminal to a Disney-like Tomorrowland. It makes Thomas Friedman weep for all the time we have wasted these past eight years talking about a faux nation builder named Donald Trump .What exactly are America and China fighting about?A lot of people hesitated when Thomas Friedman asked. Indeed, many would answer with some version of “I’m not sure, I just know that it’s THEIR fault.” He is pretty sure he would get the same answer in Washington. The best part of Thomas Friedman's trip was uncovering the real answer to that question and why it stumps so many people. It’s because the real answer is so much deeper and more complex than just the usual one-word response — “Taiwan” — or the usual three-word response — “autocracy versus democracy.”In modern times, China, like America, has never had to deal with a true economic and military peer with which it was also totally intertwined through trade and investment.This is a byproduct of our new technological ecosystem in which more and more devices and services that we both use and trade are driven by microchips and software, and connected through data centers in the cloud and high-speed internet. When so many more products or services became digitized and connected, so many more things became “dual use.” That is, technologies that can easily be converted from civilian tools to military weapons, or vice versa.So today, the country or countries that can make the fastest, most powerful and most energy efficient microchips can make the biggest A.I. computers and dominate in economics and military affairs.Thomas Friedman has no problem saying that he would like to live in a world where the Chinese people are thriving, alongside all others. He does not buy the argument that we are destined for war. He believes that we are doomed to compete with each other, doomed to cooperate with each other and doomed to find some way to balance the two. Otherwise we are both going to have a very bad 21st century.China’s Communist Party is now convinced that America wants to bring it down, which some U.S. politicians are actually no longer shy about suggesting. So, Beijing is ready to crawl into bed with Putin, a war criminal, if that is what it takes to keep the Americans at bay.Americans are now worried that Communist China, which got rich by taking advantage of a global market shaped by American rules, will use its newfound market power to unilaterally change those rules entirely to its advantage. So we’ve decided to focus our waning strength vis-à-vis Beijing on ensuring the Chinese will always be a decade behind us on microchips.If it is not the goal of U.S. foreign policy to topple the Communist regime in China, the United States needs to make that crystal clear, because Thomas Friedman found a lot more people than ever before in Beijing think otherwise.The notion that China can economically collapse and America still thrive is utter fantasy. And the notion that the Europeans will always be with us in such an endeavor, given the size of China’s market, may also be fanciful. As for China, it will never realize its full potential — in a hyper-connected, digitized, deep, dual-use, semiconductor-powered world — unless it understands that establishing and maintaining trust is now the single most important competitive advantage any country or company can have. And Beijing is failing in that endeavor. Read more about the New York Times opinion: https://bit.ly/3UX2OiI Activities and News for the Communities 1. Nomination Hearing of Julie Su as Secretary of Labor On April 20, 2023, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Julie Su as the next Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, Julie Su will be the first Asian American to serve in the Cabinet at the secretary level. The Senate committee is expected to vote next week on whether to advance Su’s confirmation to a vote in the full Senate.The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus issued a statement endorsing Acting Secretary Su for the position of Labor Secretary and sent a letter to President Biden urging her nomination, The Asian American Scholar Forum sent a letter of support to the Senate Committee. 2. Managing United States–China University Relations and Risks According to an article by Science on April 20, 2023, the intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China is clouding the outlook for cross-border academic exchange and collaboration in science and technology. Technological competition is a principal focus of this rivalry, and pressures are building in both countries to erect higher barriers to academic research collaborations and to restrict the flow of students and scholars between the two countries. A major challenge for US universities is how to manage these pressures while preserving open scientific research, open intellectual exchange, and the free flow of ideas and people. New federal regulations designed to strengthen research security on US university campuses are now being introduced. Yet federal policies, no matter how well crafted, cannot be a substitute for actions by universities themselves. The article shares an approach developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to make clear the lines that should not be crossed and the principles that should govern academic relations with China. Read the Science article: https://bit.ly/3UXqXWn Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF April 22, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #377 2/26 Webinar on Global Competition; USCET Update; Frank Wu; AAPI United in Twin Cities #377 2/26 Webinar on Global Competition; USCET Update; Frank Wu; AAPI United in Twin Cities In This Issue #377 · 02/26 Webinar: Global Competition for Talent & International Students · Rosie Levine: USCET Update · Frank Wu: “The Past is Not Even Past” · Frank Wu Kicks Off Equity Pulse Webinar Series · AAPIs United in the Twin Cities: Help Ourselves and Others · News and Activities for the Communities 02/26 Webinar: Global Competition for Talent & International Students During the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 2, 2026, Rosie Levine 卢晓玫 , Executive Director of US-China Education Trust (USCET), highlighted USCET’s ongoing collaborative webinar series with APA Justice and C100, which examines how U.S.-China relations affect Asian American communities. The first session in October featured Governor Gary Locke 骆家辉 and Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch 张之香 and attracted over 800 registrations. The second webinar of this series will be held on February 26, 2026, starting at 8:00 pm ET. It will focus on global competition for talent and international students. As geopolitical competition intensifies between the United States and China, the flow of talent and students across borders has become a critical flashpoint. International students – particularly those from China – have enriched American universities, driven innovation, and strengthened people-to-people ties. Yet today, visa restrictions, security concerns, and shifting immigration policies are reshaping the landscape. At the same time, China and other nations are competing aggressively to attract global talent, transforming higher education into an arena of strategic competition. Chinese American students and scholars increasingly find themselves caught in the middle – facing heightened scrutiny, profiling, and questions about their loyalty. This webinar will examine how the U.S.-China relationship is affecting international student mobility, university partnerships, and the global competition for talent. What are the implications of competition for American universities, research ecosystems, and soft power? How are students and scholars navigating new restrictions and uncertainties? How can policies balance openness and U.S. competitiveness? Distinguished speakers and moderator for the webinar are: · Dr. Fanta Aw (speaker), Executive Director and CEO of Association of International Educators (NAFSA) · Dr. Steven Chu 朱棣文 (speaker), William R. Kenan Jr. Professor, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and of Energy Science and Engineering; former U.S. Secretary of Energy · Professor Margaret K. Lewis 陸梅吉 (moderator), Seton Hall University School of Law Register to attend the webinar today: https://bit.ly/1-15email Rosie Levine: USCET Update During the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 2, 2026, Rosie Levine 卢晓玫 also provided an update on USCET, a DC-based nonprofit housed at George Washington University and founded over 25 years ago by Ambassador J ulia Chang Bloch 张之香 . USCET focuses on U.S.-China relations in higher education while highlighting the contributions of Asian Americans to both the United States and bilateral engagement. Rosie highlighted concerning declines in student exchanges: Chinese students in the U.S. are down roughly one-third from pre-pandemic levels, and fewer than 2,000 Americans are currently studying in China, a steep drop from 15,000 a decade ago. She emphasized that this trend threatens nuanced understanding of China and could have significant implications for U.S. policy, innovation, and global competitiveness. In response, USCET has established a senior expert working group to develop recommendations for boosting American student engagement in China. The group has convened academics, policymakers, and diplomatic leaders, including the U.S. Ambassador to China, and will release a report in the coming months. Rosie expressed cautious optimism that upcoming U.S.-China summits may create opportunities to strengthen education policy and international exchange. Frank Wu: “The Past is Not Even Past” During the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 2, 2026, Frank Wu 吴华扬 , President of Queens College, City University of New York, provided historical context for current civil rights challenges facing Asian American communities, emphasizing that recent developments—such as the China Initiative and renewed alien land laws—are not new phenomena but part of a recurring pattern. He described the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype, noting that Asian Americans are repeatedly portrayed as outsiders or potential threats tied to foreign governments. While acknowledging that the China Initiative has been defeated for now, he cautioned that such outcomes are never permanent, stating that in a democracy there are no lasting victories. Frank illustrated this continuity through historical examples, including the scapegoating of Chinese communities during the San Francisco bubonic plague 125 years ago, ongoing threats to birthright citizenship first secured by Chinese Americans well more than a century ago, and the legacy of Japanese American incarceration during World War II. He stressed that these issues are not merely historical, citing contemporary discussions about the possible return of internment-style policies in the event of conflict with China. He underscored this point by quoting William Faulkner that “the past is never dead. It's not even past.” Turning to his first core point, Frank emphasized the importance of sustained civic engagement. He argued that engagement must be ongoing and institutional, not limited to moments of crisis. He highlighted the value of regular organizing structures—such as standing coalitions, nonprofits, and recurring convenings—and praised the consistency of the APA Justice monthly call as an example of how communities can build experience, infrastructure, and readiness over time. Frank’s second point focused on relationship-building and coalition work. He stressed the need to cultivate allies across racial and political lines, pointing to the role of non–Asian American elected officials such as Rep. Al Green in opposing alien land laws in certain jurisdictions. He emphasized that effective civil rights advocacy requires showing up for others and maintaining principled relationships, even when disagreements exist on other policy issues. He shared his article published by The Guardian in 2023: ‘Can we move?’ Chinese residents are fearful over new US laws banning property ownership . Finally, Frank highlighted the importance of allowing multiple strategies within a broader civil rights ecosystem. He encouraged bipartisan engagement, work at both grassroots and national levels, and acceptance of internal differences while maintaining unity on core issues such as opposing discriminatory land laws and surveillance abuses. He concluded by encouraging participants to involve others in their networks—including those less politically engaged—and reiterated his appreciation for the ongoing work of APA Justice and its members. Frank Wu Kicks Off Equity Pulse Webinar Series On February 3, 2026, Frank Wu 吴华扬 ’s iconic voice opened the inaugural Equity Pulse webinar with the words, “Hello. Good afternoon. It is great to be here, and I’m so honored to be the first speaker in this wonderful series.” The moment marked the launch of the Committee of 100’s new webinar series, following an introduction by Cindy Tsai 蔡欣玲 , Executive Vice President and General Counsel of C100, who welcomed audiences to the conversation. Frank traced the “perpetual foreigner syndrome” from its historical roots to its modern consequences for Asian Americans. He described how Chinese immigrants were legally cast as temporary sojourners rather than future citizens—excluded through laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, barred from naturalization, and portrayed as inherently disloyal. Even U.S.-born children were challenged until birthright citizenship was affirmed by the Supreme Court in United States v. Wong Kim Ark . Frank emphasized that these policies were not passive exclusions but active efforts to deny belonging, despite repeated legal challenges by Chinese American communities determined to remain in the United States. He then connected this history to modern manifestations of the same mindset: the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II; the murder of Vincent Chin amid economic scapegoating in Detroit; the surge of anti-Asian violence during COVID; and more recent policies such as the “China Initiative” and proposed alien land laws that cast suspicion on Asian Americans as potential spies. Frank stressed that these harms are not abstract. Careers were destroyed, families traumatized, and lives lost—all driven by the assumption that Asian Americans are “not really from here.” As he noted, “ It’s not an academic theory. It has actual consequences of people being hurt. ” Turning to advocacy, Frank argued that resisting the perpetual foreigner syndrome requires sustained civic engagement and coalition-building—before crises erupt, not after. To illustrate the difficulty of this work, he shared a personal story about his 90-year-old father, a daily mall walker in suburban Washington, D.C. His father observed three distinct groups of older Chinese Americans walking the same mall: recent immigrants from mainland China; immigrants who lived in Taiwan before coming to the U.S. decades ago; and Taiwanese Americans who strongly identify with Taiwan. Though they recognize one another, they do not interact. Frank noted that to outsiders, these distinctions are invisible: “ To everyone else in the mall, they just see three groups of older Chinese people—and they can’t tell the difference. ” The story underscored how internal divisions can weaken collective action, even when communities share the same vulnerabilities. Frank concluded that progress requires embracing multiple strategies—grassroots activism, legal advocacy, quiet institutional work, and bipartisan engagement—modeled in part on the diversity of approaches within Jewish American organizations. He emphasized that solidarity across racial and ethnic lines is essential, citing alliances with African American leaders opposing racial profiling and discriminatory land laws. The goal, he said, is not assimilation or silence, but belonging: “ We want to be accepted as equals while honoring our heritage. ” Frank closed on a personal note, reflecting that his own rise to become the first Asian American president of Queens College was made possible not only by individual merit, but by collective advocacy that insisted Asian Americans be seen as fully American—without having to prove it again and again. Watch the video of Frank’s Equity Impulse talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F-P8m_Fgms (46:13) Read the report by Northwest Asian Weekly : https://bit.ly/4ankeNg AAPIs United in the Twin Cities: Help Ourselves and Others According to APIAVote, since December 2025, Minneapolis–St. Paul has been the site of the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in U.S. history. Over 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents have been deployed to the Twin Cities. More than 3,400 arrests have been made. The Twin Cities is home to approximately 95,000–100,000 Hmong residents, the largest urban Hmong population in the country, and the largest Karen refugee community in the U.S. We are witnessing an aggressive campaign to detain and deport Southeast Asian refugee and immigrant communities (Hmong, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Lao, Karen). South Asian community members are also being detained at unprecedented rates. AANHPI-led organizations are on the ground responding: legal defense, food assistance, know-your-rights education, emergency support. They speak the languages, understand the cultural context, and are trusted by the community. Visit https://aapiunited.net/ for more information and how you can help. Here is the structural challenge: Only 0.13% of philanthropic dollars in the Twin Cities, 13 cents of every $100, go to AANHPI causes and organizations. Most AANHPI community organizations operate with fewer than five staff and budgets under $500,000. APIAVote reported that the AAPIP Twin Cities Rapid Response Fund was launched on February 5, 2026. Visit the website to learn how the fund works and how your gift supports organizations providing · Urgent, basic needs : Organizations providing immediate support such as food, housing stabilization, transportation, health care access, and other essential services. · Legal support and protection : Organizations offering legal defense, due process support, rights education, and navigation assistance, particularly for individuals and families facing deportation orders. · Offering wrap-around and adaptive support : Organizations delivering holistic services such as know-your-rights education, mental health and wellness support, community safety planning, and other emerging or unmet needs as conditions evolve. · Working collaboratively within community ecosystems : Organizations that coordinate with partners and informal networks to ensure services are responsive and culturally appropriate, recognizing that deep collaboration during this moment is needed. On January 28, 2026, the Sikh Coalition and more than 40 partner organizations sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon urging the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice to investigate the recent killings of American citizens by federal immigration officers, and to more broadly work to ensure some oversight of immigration enforcement activities in the United States. Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/3ZKwyCg News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/02/12 New York Regional Convening and Listening Session 2026/02/17 Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative "Personal Marketing and Mentorship" 2026/02/26 Global Competition for Talent & International Students 2026/03/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF February 10, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Kevin Wang Former Adjunct Professor of Chinese Language and Culture New College of Florida The New College of Florida has fired Kevin Wang, a Chinese language professor, under Florida state law SB 846, which restricts public universities from hiring individuals from designated "countries of concern." Wang, who has sought asylum in the U.S. after facing political repression in China, had been teaching for nearly two years before his dismissal on March 12, 2025. His termination letter stated that his firing was not due to misconduct but was based on the law, which prohibits state universities from working with individuals domiciled in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria unless approved by the board of governors. Wang expressed disappointment, stating he fled persecution in China only to encounter similar restrictions in Florida. Wang’s firing comes amid broader efforts by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to reshape state universities by implementing right-wing policies and hiring ideologically aligned faculty. The New College of Florida, traditionally a liberal arts institution, has been at the center of these efforts, recently reinstating a course on “wokeness” and hosting controversial speakers like Steve Sailer, who has been described as a white supremacist. Wang, preparing to leave Florida while continuing his asylum bid, criticized the law’s impact on academic freedom, warning that such policies contradict the U.S.'s democratic values. References and Links 2025/04/13 MSN: Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond 2025/04/13 NPR: As U.S.-China tensions rise academics are caught in the crosshairs 2025/04/12 WUSF/NPR: Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond 2025/03/31 Inside Higher Ed: Report: New College of Florida Fires Chinese Adjunct, Citing Regulations 2025/03/31 BREAKING: Asian American Scholar Forum Alarmed by Termination of New College of Florida Professor Under Florida’s SB 846 2025/03/29 Guardian: Florida college fires Chinese professor under state’s ‘countries of concern’ law 2025/03/28 Tampa Bay News: New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida law Previous Item Next Item

During the first APA Justice monthly meeting of 2023, Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, reviewed the accomplishments of 2022, highlighted by the end of the "China Initiative" and Sherry Chen's historic settlement. January 9, 2023 During the first APA Justice monthly meeting of 2023, Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, reviewed the accomplishments of 2022 which was highlighted by the end of the "China Initiative" and Sherry Chen's historic settlement after 10 years of fighting for justice. "Despite all of these wins, we know the work continues to ensure that we are engaging with our partners, the Administration across federal agencies, and my colleagues at Congress; to ensure that our communities are not facing anti-Asian discrimination and racial profiling. To that end, CAPAC will continue to prioritize calling out blatantly xenophobic anti-China rhetoric and pushing back on policies that unfairly target Chinese American communities, which we unfortunately are expecting to see much more in the year ahead," Rep. Chu said. The APA Justice Task Force was formed in 2015 in response to Rep. Chu's call for a platform to connect elected officials with concerned organizations and individuals. It is dedicated to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLxSG7jNbco Subscribe to the APA Justice YouTube Channel and watch additional APA Justice videos. During the first APA Justice monthly meeting of 2023, Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, reviewed the accomplishments of 2022, highlighted by the end of the "China Initiative" and Sherry Chen's historic settlement. Previous Next Rep. Judy Chu's New Year Greetings and 2022 Review

1. Bridging Nations: People-to-people Exchange in U.S.-China Relations 2025-2026 Global Tensions Local Dimensions Thursday, October 16, 2025 From the ping-pong diplomacy that preceded formal diplomatic ties in the 1970’s to the robust educational exchanges that flourished in the reform era in the 1990’s, people-to-people connections have provided continuity during periods of political tension in the U.S.-China relationship. Yet in today's environment of strategic competition, people-to-people engagements, such as academic partnerships, student exchanges, business networks, and diaspora community ties, are increasingly restricted in the name of national security. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, whose families and networks often span both countries, increasingly find themselves in the crosshairs. This webinar will focus on the past, present, and future of people-to-people ties between the United States and China, as well as the implications for AAPI communities and U.S. policy. At a time of strained U.S.-China ties, and a concurrent rise in incidents of profiling and violence directed toward the AAPI community in the United States, this discussion will explore how U.S. foreign policy intersects with domestic policy and rights. About the Co-Hosts C100 is a nonpartisan leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, science, and the arts. Founded in 1990 by I.M. Pei 貝聿銘 and other distinguished leaders, C100 works to advance the full participation of Chinese Americans in U.S. society and to foster constructive dialogue between the United States and Greater China. As Cindy noted, global interactions have direct consequences for AAPI communities at home. USCET , founded in 1998 by Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 , is a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit dedicated to promoting mutual understanding between the United States and China through education and exchange. USCET strengthens American Studies in China, supports professional development for educators, and creates dialogue among students, scholars, and policymakers. Rosie noted that USCET’s first-ever public statement was issued to express concern over proposed restrictions on international student visas. APA Justice , advocate of over 10 years for fairness, equity, and justice for Asian Americans and beyond, is also a co-host of this series. Event Recap: Commitee of 100 U.S.-China Education Trust 20251016 JointWebinar1.jpg 20251016 Webinar1.jpg Previous Item Next Item

Newsletter - #334 6/2 Monthly Meeting; Influence of Hate & Extremism; CAPAC Concerns in U.S. Revoking Visas for Chinese Students; Wu Chien-Shiung #334 6/2 Monthly Meeting; Influence of Hate & Extremism; CAPAC Concerns in U.S. Revoking Visas for Chinese Students; Wu Chien-Shiung In This Issue #334 · 2025/06/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Influence of Hate and Extremism Grow; Attacked Asian Professor Speaks Out · CAPAC Expressed Concerns in the U.S. Revoking Visas for Chinese Students · Chinese Students at Harvard Cancel Flights, Scramble for Legal Help After Trump Ban · U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Plans for Expanded Social Media Screening · Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Harvard Foreign Student Ban Amid Escalating Clash · Wu Chien-Shiung: The Chinese-American Physicist Who Changed Science But Was Denied the Nobel · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/06/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, June 2, 2025 , starting at 1:55 pm ET . In addition to updates by Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), invited speakers are: · Judy Chu , Member, U.S. House of Representative · Aki Maehara , Professor, Historian, East Los Angeles College · Ya Liu , Member, North Carolina House of Representatives · Juanita Brent , Member, Ohio House of Representative · Christina Ku and Gerald Ohn, Co-Founders, Asian American Civil Rights League · Brian Sun , Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright · Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 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 . Influence of Hate and Extremism Grow Despite Numbers Decline; Attacked Asian Professor Speaks Out The Associated Press recently reported that the number of hate and extremist groups in the United States slightly declined in 2024, but not because their influence is waning—in fact, the opposite may be true. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), whose annual Year in Hate and Extremism report was released Thursday, many white nationalist, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-government ideologies have become increasingly mainstream, infiltrating politics, education, and public discourse. The SPLC counted 1,371 hate and extremist groups in 2024, down 5% from the previous year. Of these, 533 were active hate groups, a continued decline from the 1,021 peak in 2018. But researchers cautioned against reading this as progress. “The trends have slightly sort of gone up and down but let’s just say generally, since our tracking, have increased,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “And that’s not just on a total numbers level but also on a per capita.” One reason for the drop, the SPLC says, is that extremist views are being adopted more widely, reducing the need for formal group structures. These include calls for bans on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, opposition to LGBTQ+ visibility, and the rise in book bans. Anti-government groups rose to 838, with many believing the federal government is “tyrannical.” The SPLC also noted a rise in male supremacist hate groups, growing from nine to 16 in 2024. These groups promote strict gender roles and misogyny. Their emergence coincides with Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the first woman of color to win a major party’s presidential nomination. “We saw intense vilification, the claiming of demonization of Harris,” Rivas said, adding that far-right online spaces falsely portrayed women as unqualified to lead. The report’s release coincided with the public appearance of Aki Maehara , a 71-year-old Japanese American professor at East Los Angeles College who survived a violent hate crime in April. Maehara held a press conference on May 22 at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles to speak publicly about this violent incident he experienced, which is being investigated as a possible hate crime. On April 29, while riding his electric bicycle home in Montebello, Maehara was struck from behind by a car. The driver reportedly shouted anti-Asian slurs, including “Go back to Ch—k-land,” before fleeing the scene. Maehara sustained multiple injuries, including a concussion, fractured cheekbone, neck injury, and extensive bruising. “I am wanting to add my voice to efforts to address fascist, racist violence,” Maehara said during this press conference. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to assist with Maehara's medical expenses and recovery, raising over $82,000 as of May 27. A change.org page was also set up with the title “Demand Justice for Professor Aki Maehara: Fully Investigate This Hate Crime.” Despite being injured, Maehara has returned to teaching his course on racism in the U.S. and is considering donating part of the nearly money raised for his recovery to other victims of hate violence. “All of your support, concern and care has helped to speed up my healing,” he told supporters. Watch the full YouTube interview with Professor Maehara: Decolonizing Academia: An interview with Professor Aki Maehara, Historian, Activist In this interview, Maehara shared his experiences growing up in East LA, intergenerational trauma, Vietnam and more. CAPAC Expressed Concerns in the U.S. Revoking Visas for Chinese Students In response to Secretary Rubio saying that the U.S. will “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a statement pressing concerns: “The wholesale revocation of student visas based on national origin — and without an investigation — is xenophobic and wrong. “Turning these students away —many of whom simply wish to learn in a free and democratic society — is not just shortsighted but a betrayal of our values.” According to New York Times , Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the students who will have their visas canceled include people with ties to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in “critical fields.” He added that the State Department was revising visa criteria to “enhance scrutiny” of all future applications from China, including Hong Kong. The move was certain to send ripples of anxiety across university campuses in the United States. China is the country of origin for the second-largest group of international students in the United States. Chinese Students at Harvard Cancel Trips, Scramble for Legal Help After Trump Ban According to Reuters , Chinese students at Harvard University were left reeling on Friday after the Trump administration blocked the school from enrolling international students, triggering panic, canceled flights, and widespread legal uncertainty. The administration’s order—citing allegations that Harvard had coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), among other claims—would force current foreign students to transfer to other institutions or risk losing their legal status. The policy could potentially be expanded to include other universities as well. Zhang , a 24-year-old PhD student in physics, said the Chinese student community felt particularly vulnerable. “I think the Chinese community definitely feels like a more targeted entity compared to other groups,” he said. Fearing escalation, friends even advised him to avoid staying at his apartment in case of immigration enforcement action. “They think it’s possible that an ICE agent can take you from your apartment,” he said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. The uncertainty caused immediate disruptions. Zhang Kaiqi , a 21-year-old master’s student in public health, had packed his bags for a flight back to China when the order hit. “I was sad and irritated. For a moment I thought it was fake news,” he said. He canceled the flight—losing both money and a summer internship with a U.S. NGO in China. Many students were especially concerned about losing visa-linked internships vital for future graduate school applications. Others scrambled for legal advice. Two Chinese students said they were added to WhatsApp groups where panicked peers shared updates and legal tips. One transcript showed a lawyer advising students not to travel domestically or leave the country until official school guidance was issued. A federal judge issued a two-week restraining order, temporarily freezing the ban. The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the action, warning it would damage the U.S.’s international credibility and pledging to protect the rights of Chinese students abroad. “It will only damage the image and international credibility of the United States,” the ministry said. Some Chinese families are now reconsidering the U.S. as an education destination. “It’s likely to be a final nudge toward other destinations,” said Pippa Ebel, an education consultant based in Guangzhou. Incoming Harvard master’s student Zhao , 23, said she may defer or transfer if the situation doesn’t improve. “It’s really disturbed my life plans. I had planned to apply for my U.S. visa in early June, and now I’m not sure what to do,” she said. U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Plans for Expanded Social Media Screening According to Politico , Associated Press , NPR , and others, the U.S. State Department has temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students, signaling a further tightening of the Trump administration’s approach toward international students. The pause, which does not affect applicants with already scheduled interviews, comes as the government prepares to implement more stringent screening of applicants' social media activity. According to a diplomatic cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press, consular sections have been instructed not to add "any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity" until new guidance on expanded vetting is issued. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce defended the move during a Tuesday briefing, saying, “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise.” The suspension, first reported by Politico , adds to a growing list of measures targeting foreign students. Just last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, a decision that was swiftly challenged in court and is now temporarily blocked. Earlier this year, the administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students, prompting legal battles and widespread concern. Critics argue these measures risk disrupting academic plans and damaging U.S. higher education institutions that rely heavily on international students for both diversity and revenue. Many foreign students pay full tuition, helping universities offset declining federal funding. An anonymous U.S. official told the Associated Press that the current halt is temporary, but uncertainty looms. “This kind of broad suspension without clarity creates a chilling effect on applicants and institutions alike,” the official noted. With the summer and fall terms approaching, the prolonged visa delays could significantly impact enrollment and campus life across the country. Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Harvard Foreign Student Ban Amid Escalating Clash According to Associated Press , CNN , Reuters , New York Times , and others, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from barring Harvard University from enrolling international students—a move the university called unconstitutional retaliation for resisting federal demands. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily halted the policy, which threatened to strip Harvard of its ability to host international students, who make up roughly a quarter of its student body. In its lawsuit, Harvard argued that the administration’s actions violated the First Amendment and would have an “immediate and devastating effect,” warning that the measure could force thousands of students to transfer or lose legal immigration status while damaging the university’s global standing. “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard,” the school said in its filing. A New York Times report sheds light on the escalating conflict between Harvard and the Trump administration. According to the report, the conflict escalated after the Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, demanded extensive data on international students, including coursework, disciplinary records, and even video footage of student protests. While Harvard provided data it was legally required to share, it pushed back on the broader demands, calling them vague, politically motivated, and beyond the scope of federal law. The administration accused Harvard of fostering an unsafe campus environment and alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party—claims the university firmly denied. Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers condemned the government’s actions on X (formerly Twitter), calling them “madness” that risks alienating future global leaders. This confrontation reflects a broader campaign by the Trump administration to reshape the U.S. higher education, with elite universities accused of promoting "woke" ideologies, tolerating antisemitism, and resisting conservative values. Multiple federal agencies—including the Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—have launched investigations into Harvard, focusing on admissions practices, compliance with the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, and foreign funding disclosures. Harvard’s legal team contends that universities have a constitutionally protected right to manage their academic communities free from government interference, citing case law that protects not just students and faculty, but institutions themselves. Wu Chien-Shiung: The Chinese-American Physicist Who Changed Science But Was Denied the Nobel In May, during AAPI Heritage Month, the South China Morning Post published a feature story on Wu Chien-Shiung , the legendary Chinese American physicist whose groundbreaking work helped shape modern science—despite a lifetime of discrimination and under-recognition. Born in 1912 in a small village near Shanghai, Wu rose to become one of the most influential experimental physicists of the 20th century. Known as the "Queen of Physics," she played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, helping solve complex problems in uranium enrichment. Her expertise was so well regarded that when Enrico Fermi encountered a technical obstacle, the advice he received was simply: “Ask Miss Wu.” Yet, despite her pivotal contributions, Wu was excluded from the 1957 Nobel Prize awarded to Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang for their theory of parity violation—an idea her meticulous experiments had confirmed. Many scientists and historians have since argued that Wu deserved a share of that honor, if not a Nobel Prize of her own. As an Asian woman in a white male-dominated field, Wu endured systemic discrimination throughout her career. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover even referred to her as “he” in vetting documents, reflecting both racial and gender bias. She was routinely paid less than her male counterparts and had to fight for basic professional respect. Still, she persisted. Later in her life, Wu became a fierce advocate for women in science. “The traditional role of wife and mother and dedicated scientist are compatible,” she once declared, challenging both cultural and institutional barriers. She urged young girls to pursue science and questioned the belief that physics was only for men. Beyond her scientific achievements, Wu also played a quiet diplomatic role. She advised against Taiwan’s nuclear weapons ambitions and helped foster China’s scientific development during a time of strained U.S.-China relations. Though she was omitted from the recent film Oppenheimer and denied the Nobel recognition she deserved, Wu Chien-Shiung’s legacy has only grown. She has been honored with a U.S. postage stamp and a towering statue in her hometown. Wu passed away in 1997, but today she is remembered as one of the greatest experimental physicists of her era—a pioneer whose brilliance and resilience continue to inspire new generations. News and Activities for the Communities APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/05/29 U.S. v. Wen Ho Lee - 25 Years Later2025/06/01 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/06/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/06/03 The Second Annual State of the Science Address2025/06/15 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/06/15-18 2025 Applied Statistics Symposium2025/06/16-24 Discover China 2025: Summer Youth Exchange to the Greater Bay Area2025/06/29-30 2025 ICSA China ConferenceVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF May 29, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #383 3/24 Webinar on Mass Surveillance; Timeline Visualization; Sign On; Museum Update; + #383 3/24 Webinar on Mass Surveillance; Timeline Visualization; Sign On; Museum Update; + In This Issue #383 · 03/24 Webinar: Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know · Timeline Visualization of U.S. Mass Surveillance · Action Alert: Sign On to Coalition Letter on FISA Section 702 Reauthorization · Politico : Federal Judges Across the Country Blame ICE and DOJ Leadership · Update from National APA Museum Commission · News and Activities for the Communities 03/24 Webinar: Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know WHAT : Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know WHEN : March 24, 2026, 7:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar CO - HOSTS: APA Justice, Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian American Scholar Forum, Committee of 100 Moderator : Michael German , Retired Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice Speakers: · Kaohly Her , Mayor, St. Paul, Minnesota · Saira Hussain , Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation · Xiaoxing Xi , Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics, Temple University · John Yang , President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC DESCRIPTION : Masked, heavily armed federal agents are roaming through American neighborhoods aggressively targeting anyone they feel does not belong, often using race and ethnicity as a factor to determine who is selected for arrest, detention, and deportation. News reports indicate that Immigration agents are using advanced technological tools and electronic surveillance authorities to create and exploit vast intelligence databases to further the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. Adding urgency to these concerns, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — one of the government's most powerful surveillance tools — is set to expire on April 20, 2026, and the outcome of its reauthorization will have profound implications for the civil liberties of all Americans. This lawless approach to immigration enforcement has a direct effect on AAPI communities. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies have long treated Asian Americans unfairly as a suspect community. Our earliest immigration laws, like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, singled them out for disparate treatment based on their race and national origin, and the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, last used to intern Japanese Americans during World War II. The webinar will provide an update of the current situation, and explain how this immigration crackdown is fueled by technological innovations and electronic surveillance powers originally developed to protect Americans from foreign terrorists, now turned inward to target Americans. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3N5BbEy ***** On March 10, 2026, U.S. Representative Grace Meng 孟昭文 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led a virtual press conference with the Minnesota State Asian Pacific Caucus and Minnesota-based community organizations to highlight the devastating impacts of the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Asian communities. CAPAC Chair Meng was joined by Minnesota State Representative Ethan Cha , Chair of the Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus; Minnesota State Representative Liz Lee , Secretary of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators; Xay Yang , Executive Director of Transforming Generations; Quyen Đình , Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Chhaya Chhoum , Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN); and ThaoMee Xiong , Executive Director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders. Watch a video of the virtual press conference here: https://bit.ly/4lu1VeM Timeline Visualization of U.S. Mass Surveillance As Congress prepares to decide the fate of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before its April 20, 2026 expiration, APA Justice has published a comprehensive interactive timeline tracing the history of warrantless surveillance in the United States — and the AAPI community's place within it. We thank Madeleine Gable , Communications Associate, for its development. The timeline, available at https://bit.ly/MassSurveillanceTimeline , tells a sobering story that stretches across more than five decades. The Foundation: From Katz to FISA The modern legal framework for surveillance began with the Supreme Court's landmark 1967 Katz v. United States decision, which redefined what constitutes a "search" under the Fourth Amendment. A decade later, the Watergate scandal — and the revelation that President Richard Nixon had abused intelligence powers for political purposes — led directly to the enactment of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978, which was intended to place judicial oversight over national security surveillance for the first time. After 9/11: The Surveillance State Expands The September 11 attacks fundamentally transformed the scope of government surveillance. Months afterward, President George W. Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct warrantless surveillance of international phone calls and emails involving people inside the United States — a dramatic departure from FISA's framework. Congress later codified this expansion through the Protect America Act of 2007 and then the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which established Section 702 as a permanent legal authority. Though nominally targeting non-U.S. persons abroad, Section 702 has become, in practice, a significant source of warrantless access to Americans' communications — a fact dramatically confirmed by Edward Snowden 's disclosures in 2013. In 2024, Congress again re-authorized Section 702, and expanded the government's power to use the data collected through 702 for vetting immigrants and non-US citizens traveling to the US. The AAPI Community in the Crosshairs The timeline makes clear that the AAPI community has never been a bystander in this history — it has been a target. The 1999 case of Dr. Wen Ho Lee 李文和 , a Los Alamos scientist falsely accused of spying for China, foreshadowed a pattern of racial profiling under national security authorities that would intensify in the years ahead. In 2015, APA Justice was founded specifically in response to a wave of prosecutions of innocent Chinese Americans accused of espionage — cases that were subsequently dismissed without explanation or apology. In 2017, Temple University Professor Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 filed a civil rights lawsuit challenging the government's use of FISA and the FBI's targeting of Asian American scientists — a case that sits at the heart of the surveillance reform debate today. That same year, APA Justice launched its FISA Watch website, and a coalition of Asian American organizations urged Congress to reform Section 702 before its expiration. A Pattern of Reauthorization Without Reform Despite persistent advocacy, Congress has repeatedly reauthorized Section 702 without meaningful reform. In April 2024, the House passed a two-year extension while narrowly rejecting — by a 212-212 tie — a warrant requirement that civil liberties advocates consider essential. The resulting Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA) extended Section 702 only until April 20, 2026. FBI Director Kash Patel abruptly shut down the Office of Internal Auditing in May 2025 — a watchdog agency created specifically to oversee Section 702 compliance. The 2026 Reauthorization: A Critical Moment — Now with an AI Dimension With the April 20, 2026 deadline now weeks away, the stakes could not be higher — and a troubling new dimension has emerged. Section 702's reach has expanded well beyond its original purpose, and the same surveillance infrastructure is now being deployed in service of the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda — turning tools built to monitor foreign terrorists inward against American communities. What is new and alarming in this reauthorization cycle is the intersection of Section 702 with artificial intelligence (AI). See below for a coalition letter being organized at this time. Watch the timeline visualization at https://bit.ly/MassSurveillanceTimeline in 2D or 3D. Action Alert: Sign On to Coalition Letter on FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Stop AAPI Hate, and the Asian American Scholars Forum are urging community partners and allies to sign on to an important coalition letter calling for meaningful reform of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as it expires on April 20, 2026. Section 702 was enacted in 2008 to authorize intelligence agencies to collect communications from non-U.S. persons located outside the United States without a warrant. Over the past 15 years, however, it has undergone significant mission creep and has become a substantial source of warrantless access to the communications of American citizens — raising serious concerns about government surveillance overreach. Asian Americans and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities are likely overrepresented in data collected under Section 702, increasing the risk that these communities will be subjected to "backdoor searches" that further infringe on their privacy. This is not an abstract concern — it reflects a persistent legacy of racial profiling and discrimination against these communities in the name of national security, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to the post-9/11 surveillance dragnet. Congress should not reauthorize Section 702 without first requiring the government to obtain a warrant before searching for Americans in Section 702 data, along with other critical reforms. The coalition letter addresses the alarming intersection of Section 702 and artificial intelligence. It responds directly to recent reporting by the New York Times that the Department of Defense is requiring AI companies it contracts with to allow their technology to enable mass domestic surveillance through the use and analysis of commercial bulk data on Americans — including geolocation and web browsing data. The letter urges lawmakers not to reauthorize FISA Section 702 without closing the data broker loophole and enacting other substantive reforms. The FISA 702 reform coalition urge all community organizations and allies to review and sign on to this letter as soon as possible: https://bit.ly/3P3l0rV . The reauthorization of Section 702 without adequate reform would leave AAPI communities — and all Americans — vulnerable to the same unchecked surveillance powers that are already being used to fuel the Trump administration's mass deportation crackdown. The time to act is now. Deadline to sign on to the letter is Close of Business, Friday, March 13, 2026. Please reach out to Joanna YangQing Derman at jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org or Dennis Jing at djing@advancingjustice-aajc.org if you have any questions about the letter to Congress or sign on form. Politico : Federal Judges Across the Country Blame ICE and DOJ Leadership According to Politico on March 10, 2026, a striking pattern has emerged in federal courtrooms across the country: judges who are furious over missed deadlines, defied court orders, and stonewalling in immigration cases are going out of their way to distinguish between the Justice Department's front-line attorneys and the political leadership directing them — and they are placing the blame squarely on the latter. The Trump administration's mass deportation push has triggered a deluge of emergency lawsuits from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees, overwhelming court dockets and exposing a chaotic and often lawless enforcement operation. DOJ line attorneys have been thrust into courtrooms without adequate information, sometimes unable to reach their ICE counterparts, and asked to defend detention practices that judges have overwhelmingly ruled illegal. Some have resigned or been fired, further straining already understaffed offices. The frustration on the bench has been pointed and public. U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz , a George W. Bush appointee in Minnesota, wrote in a recent opinion that his colleagues had been "extraordinarily patient with the government attorneys, recognizing that they have been put in an impossible position" — placing blame instead on an administration that sent thousands of ICE agents to Minnesota "without making any provision for handling the hundreds of lawsuits that were sure to follow." In New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz was equally direct after the Justice Department acknowledged dozens of court order violations: "The main problem is on ICE's side of the line. In response to the Court's order as to going-forward compliance measures, nothing came back from ICE. Nothing about how it might improve its internal processes. Or its training. Or its supervision. … No commitment to do anything at all. And no statement of 'regret.'" The pattern is consistent across jurisdictions. In West Virginia, a Clinton appointee praised DOJ line attorneys as "responsive and professional" while noting that "the problem lies in the attorneys' clients, federal government actors, who have offered no evidence that they have seen or even care about the legal rulings of this district." In Pennsylvania, a judge ruling on an unrelated matter similarly took care to exempt front-line DOJ staff from his criticism of administration leadership. For the AAPI community, this matters. The same ICE enforcement machine that is flouting court orders nationwide is the one that has been racially profiling Asian Americans, conducting warrantless surveillance, and threatening to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. The judiciary is pushing back — but as these cases make clear, the courts can only do so much when the administration treats judicial oversight as an obstacle rather than a constraint. Read the Politico report: https://politi.co/4b5dUfb Update from National APA Museum Commission During the March 2 APA Justice monthly meeting, Co-Chair Chiling Tong 董继玲 and Executive Director Krystal Ka'ai gave a joint presentation about the bipartisan, congressionally appointed Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. The commission, created through legislation authored by CAPAC Chairwoman Grace Meng 孟昭文 , is charged with delivering a comprehensive plan of action to the U.S. Congress and the President that will lay the groundwork for Congressional authorization of a national museum dedicated to honoring the achievements, progress, and lasting impact of Asian Pacific Americans. The Commission is currently accepting public comments through June 30, 2026 that can be submitted online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfftgwX_3tTV-RLfvL2pkD8-Msc5n98xoNe5R6EHWclpcXX6w/viewform . Learn more about the Commission and sign up for one of their upcoming listening sessions at https://nationalapamuseum.org/ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/03/17 Equity Pulse: Is Your Citizenship at Stake? 2026/03/24 Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know 2026/03/25 The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype: New Data on Asian American Experiences 2026/04/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/04/08 Perspectives on Careers in Arts and Entertainment 2026/04/14 Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Anla ChengVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. AAUC Town Hall: In Challenging Times, Our Voices Matter WHAT : In Challenging Times, Our Voices Matter WHEN : March 19, 2026, 1:00 pm ET WHERE : Online Town Hall HOST: Asian American Unity Coalition DESCRIPTION : Many Asian Americans are feeling the weight of today’s global conflicts, especially with the war in Iran. The news is painful and the uncertainty is real, leaving us searching for clarity and a sense of grounding. At moments like this, it becomes even more important to remember who we are as a community and the role we have played and continue to play in shaping America’s values, resilience, and moral leadership. REGISTRATION: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pEMGKU_qQMCxjFNlwkatDw#/registration # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF March 12, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter