Newsletter - #288 US Rep. Grace Meng Remarks; TX Rep Gene Wu on Vigilance; Exclusion Legacy; C100 Update #288 US Rep. Grace Meng Remarks; TX Rep Gene Wu on Vigilance; Exclusion Legacy; C100 Update In This Issue #288 · Congresswoman Grace Meng Remarks at APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Texas Rep. Gene Wu Urges Community Vigilance, Solidarity, and Action · The Legacy of Exclusion, Racism, and Xenophobia · C100 Updates AAPI Curriculum Research Project · News and Activities for the Communities Congresswoman Grace Meng Remarks at APA Justice Monthly Meeting Congresswoman Grace Meng gave remarks during the APA Justice monthly meeting on October 7, 2024. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term representing New York's Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State. Grace serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where she is New York's senior member and is the Vice Ranking Member. During the monthly meeting, Congresswoman Meng delivered a heartfelt message, beginning by expressing gratitude for the invitation and recognition of her fellow colleagues. She gave special praise to Texas State Representative Gene Wu for his leadership and advocacy for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during these challenging times. Congresswoman Meng also highlighted the critical role of Chair Judy Chu , Senator Mazie Hirono , and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), who have been working tirelessly to combat discriminatory legislation. Congresswoman Meng voiced her concern over the intensifying anti-China rhetoric in Congress. She specifically mentioned the recent attempt by House Republicans to pass a bill that could reinstate the China Initiative, which unfairly targeted individuals of Chinese descent under the guise of national security. While the bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, Congresswoman Meng emphasized that such efforts continue to harm the AAPI community. In response, Congresswoman Meng and CAPAC urged Congressional leadership to remove language that would restart the China Initiative from the final government spending bill for 2025. She commended organizations like the Asian American Scholar Forum, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and APA Justice for their advocacy during “China Week” and beyond, and gave a special mention to Casey Lee for her contributions. Congresswoman Meng also raised alarm about Project 2025, a Republican policy roadmap that includes reinstating the China Initiative and ending family-based immigration, a move that would disproportionately impact Asian American communities. Project 2025 also calls for cutting funding to vital programs like food assistance and healthcare, directly affecting vulnerable populations, including the 4.5 million AAPI Medicaid recipients. It also targets reductions in the H1B visa program, which would harm skilled workers, many of whom are from AAPI communities. Congresswoman Meng stressed that these issues are not about party politics but about safeguarding the future and well-being of our community. Despite these challenges, Congresswoman Meng remains committed to fighting discriminatory policies and advancing progressive initiatives. One such initiative is the creation of the National Museum of Asian Pacific American History in Washington DC. The first legislation to establish the museum as part of the Smithsonian Institution was passed in 2022, and Congresswoman Meng is excited to continue working on this project. The museum will preserve and celebrate the rich histories and cultures of Asian Pacific Americans. In closing, Congresswoman Meng reflected on the hardships the AAPI community has faced, particularly during the pandemic, and urged continued unity and collaboration to address the challenges ahead.We thank Congresswoman Meng for her leadership and public service. Watch her talk at https://bit.ly/3Ysvaof (8:08). A summary of the October 7 monthly meeting is being finalized at this time. Texas Rep. Gene Wu Urges Community Vigilance, Solidarity, and Action Texas State Representative Gene Wu reminded the community of the necessity for vigilance, solidarity, and action in the face of rising anti-Asian sentiments and discriminatory legislation during the APA Justice monthly meeting on October 7, 2024. Gene serves the constituents of District 137 in the Texas House and is also an attorney in private practice. A dedicated advocate for the Asian Pacific American community in Texas and across the nation, Gene is committed to raising awareness and fostering dialogue about the pressing issues facing Asian Americans today. He regularly hosts town hall meetings and travels nationwide to engage with communities and promote understanding.Gene began his remarks by expressing profound gratitude to Congresswoman Grace Meng for her unwavering leadership in advocating for the Asian American community. He underscored the urgent need for awareness regarding the rising anti-Asian sentiment and legislation that disproportionately impacts Chinese Americans. This acknowledgment of the broader context of discrimination serves as a foundation for his call to action.Highlighting his recent travels to states like Tennessee and Florida, Gene shared his experiences engaging with Asian American communities and raising awareness about these critical issues. In Tennessee, for instance, a law was initially enacted that barred all immigrants from purchasing land but was later amended to specifically target Chinese individuals. This shift exemplifies a troubling trend across the United States, where anti-Chinese and anti-Asian measures are increasingly pervasive. Gene noted that there are currently 24 states with some form of anti-Asian land law legislation, with 13 of these states imposing restrictions explicitly against Chinese individuals. He traced this alarming trend back to historical patterns of discrimination, recalling how anti-Asian sentiments have roots that extend to the 1850s when waves of Chinese and Japanese immigrants faced similar oppressive laws.Drawing parallels between past and present discrimination, Gene recounted how laws from the late 19th and early 20th centuries specifically targeted Asian communities. Often justified under the guise of national security, these laws include the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act and other discriminatory measures against Japanese immigrants. He highlighted that such practices were not only legislated but also deeply embedded in societal attitudes toward Asian Americans. Gene cautioned that many within the community might dismiss these discriminatory practices as benign, believing they only affect specific groups like those from mainland China. He emphasized that this perspective is fundamentally flawed, as it sets a dangerous precedent where discrimination can escalate unchecked.Reflecting on significant historical moments when anti-Asian sentiments were codified into law, Gene recalled restrictions placed on Chinese women in the 1870s aimed at controlling population growth and the anti-alien laws passed in California in the early 1900s. He stressed that many of these laws remained in effect until the mid-20th century, highlighting a long-standing legacy of dehumanization and discrimination against Asian communities in America. Gene pointed out that the modern narrative of suspicion and fear directed at Chinese Americans is not a new phenomenon but rather a continuation of historical patterns of vilification and scapegoating. He called attention to the inflammatory rhetoric from prominent political figures, including Donald Trump and JD Vance , who portray Chinese Americans as threats to national security. Such rhetoric perpetuates a cycle of fear and distrust that not only harms Chinese Americans but also has broader implications for all Asian communities. Gene warned that this kind of vilification can lead to severe consequences, drawing parallels to the injustices faced by Japanese Americans during World War II when many were forcibly relocated to internment camps despite being U.S. citizens. Challenging the notion that only certain Asian groups are targeted by discrimination, Gene asserted that all Asian Americans are perceived as potential threats in a climate of suspicion. He urged the community to acknowledge this shared vulnerability and the necessity for solidarity among Asian Americans of all backgrounds. The historical context of discrimination serves as a crucial reminder that complacency can lead to dire repercussions. Gene called for heightened awareness and activism within the Asian American community, emphasizing that understanding the history of discrimination is vital to effectively combating the resurgence of these harmful ideologies.Gene also addressed the recent surge in anti-Asian violence that escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene asserted that the violence and discrimination faced by Asian Americans, irrespective of their specific ethnic backgrounds, underscores the urgency of collectively addressing these pressing issues. He emphasized that current societal attitudes toward Asian Americans are not isolated incidents but rather part of a broader historical narrative of discrimination that demands attention and action. In conclusion, Gene issued a rallying call for the Asian American community to awaken from complacency and recognize the challenges that lie ahead. He implored individuals to confront the systemic nature of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans, urging them to advocate for themselves and their communities. The resurgence of old hate signals that the struggles faced by Asian Americans in the past are far from over. It is crucial for everyone, especially the Asian American community, to unite in combating these threats. Gene's message serves as a vital reminder of the necessity for vigilance, solidarity, and action in the face of rising anti-Asian sentiments and discriminatory legislation.We thank Texas Rep. Wu for his leadership and public service. A video of his talk will be made available soon, along with a summary of the October 7 monthly meeting that is being finalized at this time. On October 18, 2024, the Houston Chronicle highlighted Texas State Representative Gene Wu and raised this question, "Asian Americans are Texas' fastest growing population. How ill that impact the elections?" In the upcoming 2024 Texas elections, the rapidly growing Asian American population is becoming an increasingly significant voting bloc. Both Democrats and Republicans are working to engage this diverse community, which has historically been under-represented in political outreach. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) now make up 4% of the Texas electorate, with substantial growth across multiple counties. While this group has leaned Democratic in recent years, there is significant diversity within the community, with variations in political preferences across ethnic groups. Both parties see the potential for the AAPI vote to be decisive in close races, but challenges such as language barriers and underinvestment in outreach persist. As Texas continues to grow and diversify, the AAPI electorate could play a crucial role in shaping the state's political landscape.Read the Houston Chronicle report: https://bit.ly/3A99Pqv The Legacy of Exclusion, Racism, and Xenophobia The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 stands as a glaring reminder of our nation’s darker history. As the first federal immigration law aimed at excluding a specific ethnic group based on race and nationality, it arose from a climate of anti-Chinese sentiment during the late 19th century. Chinese immigrants, who primarily sought work in mining and railroad construction, were scapegoated as “parasites,” blamed for taking jobs from white workers and undermining the societal norm of a “Country of White Men.” Other Asian groups, such as Japanese and South Asian immigrants, also faced restrictive measures later on.The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Chinese Exclusion Case of 1889 (Chae Chan Ping v. United States) upheld the federal government’s authority to restrict immigration, validating laws, even in ways that targeted specific racial or national groups. This created a precedent for ongoing anti-Chinese and broader anti-Asian sentiment, which persisted for decades and laid the groundwork for racially exclusionary immigration policies.Subsequent legislation, such as the Immigration Act of 1924, further codified these racial preferences, establishing quotas that favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely restricting those from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943 during World War II, largely to strengthen ties with China as an ally. However, even then, the Magnuson Act limited immigration of Chinese persons to a mere 105 individuals annually, offering little more than a symbolic gesture toward equality.The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 marked a significant turning point, abolishing the national origins quota system and prioritizing immigrants based on family reunification and skills rather than race or national origin. In 2011, Rep. Judy Chu , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced a resolution expressing regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act. This initiative united various organizations under the 1882 Project , which included Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Committee of 100, Japanese American Citizens League, the National Council of Chinese Americans, and OCA, serving on the Steering Committee. It led to a remarkable moment in 2021 and 2022 when both the Senate and the House unanimously passed the resolution to acknowledge historical injustices. Read about the 1882 Project: https://bit.ly/3j7StPa The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a report titled " The Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act on the Economic Development of the Western U.S." in October 2024. The paper investigates the economic consequences of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. The Act reduced the number of Chinese workers of all skill levels residing in the U.S. It also reduced the labor supply and the quality of jobs held by white and U.S.-born workers, the intended beneficiaries of the Act, and reduced manufacturing output. The results suggest that the Chinese Exclusion Act slowed economic growth in western states until at least 1940. Read the NBER report: https://bit.ly/405zbjy According to Reason on the NBER report October 7, 2024, one of the main rationales for the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act was to benefit white workers, who were supposedly victimized by competition from the Chinese. The NBER study shows that it did not achieve that goal. Mass deportations of immigrants destroy more jobs for native-born citizens than they create. The Chinese Exclusion Act benefited "local" white miners competing with Chinese miners. But such effects were outweighed by the much larger number of white workers who benefited from Chinese migration, including the associated job opportunities it created. The economy is not a zero-sum game, and the interests of workers from different ethnic and racial groups are more mutually reinforcing than conflicting. Read the Reason report: https://bit.ly/4f9v7TU C100 Updates AAPI Curriculum Research Project On October 17, 2024, the Committee of 100 (C100) announced an update to its ongoing AAPI Curriculum Research Project, which tracks state legislation and local education standards that require or encourage the teaching of AAPI history in K-12 schools. Launched in 2022, this project is updated annually. New to this year's update is an interactive map that provides summaries of legislations and education standards related to AAPI or ethnic studies for each state, along with the name and full text of each statue.“For almost two centuries, the AAPI community has made significant contributions to the U.S., yet Asian Americans are still battling the stereotype of being perpetual foreigners,” said Cindy Tsai , Interim President of C100. “Public schools play a crucial role in shaping informed citizens. However, in many states, schools don’t teach students about the contributions of Asian Americans, even though Asian American history is American history. If children aren’t taught this, how can they grow into citizens who understand the experiences and challenges faced by all Americans?” According to the C100, as of October 3, 2024: · 12 states have statutes that require AAPI studies curriculum · 4 states are considering recently introduced bills that would require AAPI studies curriculum · 15 states have academic standards that require AAPI studies · 22 states have statutes that require ethnic studies curriculum · 3 states are considering recently introduced bills that would require ethnic studies curriculum · 33 states have academic standards that require ethnic studies · 8 states have no statutes, recently introduced bills, or academic standards that require or make optional AAPI studies or ethnic studies curriculum For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4fd9EcO News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2024/10/22 Engage with AAAS: 2024 U.S. Elections2024/10/24 Why Do Legislators Brawl? Lawmaking, Fist Fighting and Messaging in Taiwan 2024/10/25-27 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the American Studies Network2024/10/26 Common Ground and Banquet2024/10/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/03 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/06 Asian American Women in Media and Music2024/11/10 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/12 Threats to International Engagement and Academic Freedom2024/11/14 An Advice and Networking Event (Financial Services, Investing and Consulting)Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. NOTE: Because the regular scheduled day falls on the eve of Election Day, we have moved the next APA Justice monthly meeting to Monday, November 18, 2024. 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 . 2. USCET Internships The U.S.-China Education Trust is seeking intern(s) for Spring 2025 to support its communications and programs. Undergraduate juniors, seniors, and graduate students are welcome to apply. The internships offer an opportunity to gain experience in the nonprofit sector and develop expertise in the field of US-China relations. The interns work a hybrid and flexible part-time schedule to accommodate their student schedules. The position includes a stipend or academic credit. Send in your applications by November 8, 2024, 11:59PM ET. For more information, contact https://bit.ly/3Nz4Tyi 3. APA Justice Newsletter Web Page Moved to New Website As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletter webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters . Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF October 21, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #176 4/17 Roundtable; Red Scare/McCarthyism; Texas; ISSCO Videos/Photos; Non-Random Surveys #176 4/17 Roundtable; Red Scare/McCarthyism; Texas; ISSCO Videos/Photos; Non-Random Surveys In This Issue #176 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Alert Network Fight Back the Return of the Red Scare and McCarthyism Chinese Americans Fight for Their Place in Texas Online Videos and Photos of the ISSCO 30th Anniversary Conference "Inference Using Non-Random Samples? Stop Right There!" 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Alert Network WHEN: Monday, April 17, 2023, 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT WHAT: Online Roundtable DESCRIPTION: Inaugural roundtable to establish the purpose and functions of a national media alert network and strike teams to assertively address immediate xenophobic challenges to our freedoms and longer-term proactive actions to ensure fairness and justice for all, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and immigrant communities. REGISTRATION: This is an event by invitation only to guests and official representative(s) of AAPI organizations. Members at the Roundtable will be sent a panelist link. Others please register at http://bit.ly/3KvlMI8 Fight Back the Return of the Red Scare and McCarthyism According to a report by the Los Angeles Times on April 9, 2023, the far-rightring site Daily Caller, co-founded by Fox News showman Tucker Carlson , published a hit piece devoid of damning facts, heavy on innuendo and liberally sprinkled with the words "alleged" and "allegedly," that painted former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Walter Wang as dangerous stooges of the Chinese Communist Party. Walter Wang, a Taiwanese immigrant, is chief executive of Los Angeles-based pipe manufacturer JM Eagle and a longtime American citizen.Wang 's friends and close business associates know better than to believe the story, "but the people who are not close to me and don't know me well are going to think of me now in a negative light. It could really hurt my reputation." The Garcetti piece also lit into Dominic Ng , Chief Executive of Pasadena-based East West Bank. And previous Daily Caller stories have taken aim at Frank Wu , the president of Queen's College, City University of New York, and Asian Americans involved with the mainstream news outlet the China Project. As tensions rise between the governments of the United States and China, the Daily Caller has leaned into narratives with a similar theme: Chinese and Taiwanese Americans with any connections to China are probably up to some unAmerican activities."If every Chinese American in a photo with any Chinese official is suspect, you're talking about every successful Chinese person," said Frank Wu, "this is about whether or not you have an Asian face."Wu himself became a target of accusations by the Daily Caller last December. That story went after an English language news site called the China Project. No solid facts underpin the innuendo. The article named Wu and other ethnic Asians who sit on the China Project's advisory board. They "appear to belong," the Daily Caller said, to a group called the Committee of 100. Wu says he is in fact a proud members of the committee, which was founded by architect I.M. Pei and cellist Yo-Yo Ma and comprises prominent Chinese Americans who work together to address political, cultural and economic issues between the U.S. and China.Wu, Ng, and Wang see the articles as part of a poisonous campaign to smear political opponents, an approach that pairs McCarthy-era Red Scare tactics with anti-Asian racism.At the same time, all three say they enjoy powerful positions that protect them to some extent from the worst forms of racism.Asian Americans in general have been known to keep a low profile in politics, but it is time to speak up. "We can't just be talking among ourselves in the Asian community, the outreach has to be broader. I'm worrying about being the silent majority," Ng said."We have to fight this," said Wang, who is contemplating a lawsuit. "If we don't fight it, who will?" Read the Los Angeles Times report: http://bit.ly/3GqwM8I Chinese Americans Fight for Their Place in Texas According to a report by the Texas Tribune on April 3, 2023, a mid-January Twitter post by Governor Greg Abbott alerted Chinese Americans across Texas that their rights might be trampled as state lawmakers rushed to burnish their geopolitical credentials.On January 15, the Republican governor told his 1 million followers he was ready to sign into law Texas Senate Bill 147 that would ban “citizens, governments & entities” of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from purchasing land in the state, in effect blocking some immigrants from becoming homeowners.The bill restricting land ownership was followed by kindred proposals to ban international college students from those same countries and to cut off Texans’ access to TikTok and another social media platform that’s become crucial for the Chinese diaspora living in the state to communicate with family in China.As the Legislature’s work has ramped up, the political headwinds have drafted Chinese Americans into defending their foothold in a state where many have lived for decades, and where Asian Americans have reliably made up the fastest-growing segment of population for years. They’ve grown fearful of a legislative culture that could feed challenges to the rights of Asian Texans, as well as Texans from the other targeted countries. “You can target foreign governments, you can target [the] foreign Chinese Communist Party, but you have to separate that from the individuals that are already in this country and protected by the Constitution,” said Hugh Li , president of the Austin Chinese-American Network and a naturalized citizen of 18 years. “This is our land too. This is our home too. So for the Texas Legislature to want to pass these kinds of bills targeting us and strip away our rights, it’s just not right.”More recently, House Bill 2206 was introduced to ban social media platforms “developed or provided” by entities in the four countries. The social media bill echoes federal efforts to scrutinize popular platforms like TikTok and WeChat over security concerns related to China’s access to Americans' data.The proposals have left it to Chinese Americans to delineate for lawmakers that their lives in Texas exist far apart from geopolitical considerations. At a House hearing in March, a contingent of Chinese Americans waited more than six hours to testify against the legislation that would ban social media platforms, detailing how they rely on WeChat to stay in touch with family. They held up screenshots of video chats between grandparents and grandchildren. One Texan grew emotional as they described how the bill would sever the “bridge for emotional connection” for many Chinese Americans.WeChat is used by 1.3 billion people every month. In China, the platform is reportedly heavily censored and serves as an instrument for mass government surveillance. In households across the state, however, Chinese Americans primarily rely on the messaging and calling tools available through WeChat to connect with family members and friends back in China, where the use of the app is ubiquitous and where other social media or messaging platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are banned.In 58 pages of testimony submitted in writing to the committee, Texans described WeChat as an “indispensable lifeline connecting us to our families, friends, and culture.” Some described how the use of WeChat in the U.S. has grown into an important tool for businesses connecting with supplies overseas. It was crucial for Chinese restaurants fighting to stay afloat at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s used by day cares to send notifications to parents and by community groups to distribute news, notifications and even weather warnings that otherwise would not be translated from English. The app even serves as a platform for Bible studies among Chinese-speaking churches.Others raised claims of unconstitutionality and questioned why Chinese Americans would be targeted in what they described as an affront to their First Amendment and equal protection rights. Federal courts blocked the Trump administration’s 2020 efforts to block TikTok and WeChat in the United States through executive orders, though the effort has more recently gained bipartisan support in Congress, where national security concerns have reverberated among lawmakers from both parties. Some described how the use of WeChat in the U.S. has grown into an important tool for businesses connecting with supplies overseas. It was crucial for Chinese restaurants fighting to stay afloat at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s used by day cares to send notifications to parents and by community groups to distribute news, notifications and even weather warnings that otherwise would not be translated from English. The app even serves as a platform for Bible studies among Chinese-speaking churches.Others raised claims of unconstitutionality and questioned why Chinese Americans would be targeted in what they described as an affront to their First Amendment and equal protection rights. Federal courts blocked the Trump administration’s 2020 efforts to block TikTok and WeChat in the United States through executive orders, though the effort has more recently gained bipartisan support in Congress, where national security concerns have reverberated among lawmakers from both parties. “It’s just a reminder that the place of immigrants in this country and this state is so tenuous, and it can all be taken away so easily,” she said.Read the Texas Tribune report: http://bit.ly/40RvbRi Online Videos and Photos of the ISSCO 30th Anniversary Conference ISSCO, the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas, was established in 1992. On November 11-12, 2022, ISSCO convened its 30th Anniversary Conference in San Francisco.Five videos from the plenary sessions of the conference are online: Keynote by Mae Ngai and Welcome (1:22:08). Introduction: Lok SIU; Welcome: Raka RAY, LIN Rupeng, LI Minghuan, WANG Gungwu, and Ling-chi WANG; Keynote: Mae M. NGAI Racial Profiling and Discrimination against Chinese American Scientists and Engineers (1:39:06). Speakers: Sherry CHEN, Xiaoxing XI, Gang CHEN, and Jeremy S. WU; Moderator: Lillian K. SING The Pandemic and Anti-Asian Violence in the U.S. (1:30:43). Welcome: Lok SIU; Speakers: Russell JEUNG, John WALSH, and Cynthia CHOI, Moderator: Henry DER Changing US-China Relations and Their Impact on Chinese in the U.S. and Elsewhere (1:27:43). Speakers: Julie TANG, Gordon CHANG, K.J. NOH, and George KOO; Moderator: Don TOW; Concluding remarks: Lok SIU ISSCO Founders Roundtable (54:24). Moderator: Madeline HSU; Slideshow by: Wei LI; Speakers: Ling-chi WANG, Karen HARRIS, Emmanuel MA MUNG, and Teresita ANG SEE An album of photos from the conference is available here: https://bit.ly/3mj3py2 . If you would like to use the photos for any purpose, please contact the photographer Joyce Xi at joyceyxi11@gmail.com . Joyce can also provide higher-resolution files. "Inference Using Non-Random Samples? Stop Right There!" Surveys are commonly used to measure the current state of affairs or the opinions of a group of people. One of the most significant scientific innovations at the end of the nineteenth century is the introduction of probability-based or random sampling. According to the Significance Magazine in October 2021 ,"statistical inference is a powerful concept. Among other things, it allows us to infer information about a population based on a sample of data from that population. To make appropriate inferences from sample to population, certain pre-conditions need to be met. One of these pre-conditions is that data come from a random sample." Incredibly, a small random sample of say 1,000 individuals would allow statistical inference to be made about the Chinese American population of about 5.5 million within some margin of measurable sampling error.However, random surveys can be costly, laborious, and difficult to conduct. Non-random surveys are also conducted, but the scope of inference is limited to the survey respondents. The temptation to go beyond this boundary is strong. The Significance article observes that inferential statistics should not be used in non-random studies. "However, in many cases, they are. A lack of awareness of the need for random sampling among researchers leads them to go through the motions... Even when researchers themselves do know this, they can find themselves compelled to perform inference by ignorant referees.""in short, if we do not start with a random sample, turning what we have into one is challenging or even impossible. In such cases, we should accept the hard truth that statistical inference is not possible. We must simply report what the data show - and refuse to push them statistically further," the Significance article concludes.In a separate article by Nature in December 2021 which examined the estimates of first-dose COVID-19 vaccine uptake in US adults from 9 January to 19 May 2021, it was shown "how a survey of 250,000 respondents can produce an estimate of the population mean that is no more accurate than an estimate from a simple random sample of size 10. Our central message is that data quality matters more than data quantity, and that compensating the former with the latter is a mathematically provable losing proposition." Next time you see the release of a survey and its results, you may want to look deeper into how the inferences are made on the respondents only or an entire population. 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 10, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #240 3/4 Meeting; "China Initiative"; Alien Land Laws; US-China STA Extended; Climate Bill #240 3/4 Meeting; "China Initiative"; Alien Land Laws; US-China STA Extended; Climate Bill In This Issue #240 · 2023/03/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Relaunching "China Initiative" Stopped · Alien Land Laws: Reports by USDA Equity Commission and Advancing Justice | Atlanta · US-China Science and Technology Agreement Extended Another 6 Month · Justice Is Global and Rollout of US-China Climate Cooperation Bill · News and Activities for the Communities 2023/03/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The March APA Justice monthly meeting was held via Zoom on Monday, March 4, 2024. Invited speakers for the meeting were: · Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology · Nisha Ramachandran, Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · X. Edward Guo, President, Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering (AAASE); Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Medical Sciences, Columbia University · Cindy Tsai, Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100 · Thông Phan, Senior Policy Associate, Advancing Justice – Atlanta · Steven Kivelson, Professor of Physics, Stanford University; Peter Michelson , Former Senior Associate Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Physics, Stanford University Kei Koizumi , Principal Deputy Director for OSTP, led the Q&A discussion. Cole Donovan , Assistant Director for Research Security and Infrastructure at OSTP, also attended the meeting.A summary for the meeting is being prepared at this time. 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 . AAU Letter to OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar On February 14, 2024, the White House OSTP announced the release of two memoranda aimed at supporting a secure and fair research ecosystem in the United States: 1. On Policy Regarding Use of Common Disclosure Forms , OSTP outlines guidelines on the use of common disclosure forms for federal agencies to use when evaluating proposals. These will help the government identify conflicts of commitment and potential duplication with the work of foreign governments. 2. On Guidelines for Federal Research Agencies Regarding Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs , the OSTP guidance provides a definition of foreign talent recruitment programs, guidelines for federal employees regarding foreign talent recruitment programs, and guidelines for individuals involved in malign foreign talent recruitment programs in federal projects. During the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing on February 15, 2024, a letter from the Association of American Universities (AAU) to OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar was submitted for record: https://bit.ly/49qi2CV . AAU, along with several other higher education associations and research organizations, expressed concerns about the delay on the release of final research security program requirements or an update to the research community on the status of finalizing the requirements. Relaunching "China Initiative" Stopped During the March 4 monthly meeting, Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), reported that the language to relaunch the "China Initiative" was removed from the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act (H.R. 5893) which funds the Departments of Commerce, Justice and other science-related programs.In January , CAPAC Chair Judy Chu joined Vice Chair Grace Meng and Executive Member Senator Mazie Hirono in leading a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson , Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer , Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the matter.On March 6, 2024, CAPAC released a press statement on the formal stoppage of reinstating the China Initiative, a Trump-era program created in 2018 that purported to combat espionage but in effect targeted and profiled those of Chinese descent. Read the CAPAC press statement: https://bit.ly/43g5zzy On March 7, 2024, The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) issued a statement, citing that “[i]t is a win for Asian American scholars, especially, to see the removal of the ‘China Initiative’ language." AASF and partnering organizations previously led nearly 50 organizations in opposing the reinstatement, detailing the “chilling effect” a return of the Initiative would have on Asian Americans scholars. Read the AASF statement: https://bit.ly/3wSMxDn Earlier on February 22, 2024, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) published a position statement opposing the in-instatement of the "China Initiative." Read the ASBMB position statement: https://bit.ly/3TfeDS6 Nature Reports on Why the US Border Remains "A Place of Terror" for Chinese Researchers According to a comprehensive report by Nature on February 26, 2024, the US border remains "a place of terror" for Chinese researchers. Two years after the end of the controversial "China Initiative," academics describe being treated like spies, a loss of talent, and a chilling atmosphere that is stifling science. The report cited a Survey of Chinese Espionage in the United States Since 2000 conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2023 that identified 224 allegations of Chinese espionage against the United States since 2000, as well as the tracking of the 162 defendants in known China Initiative cases compiled by MIT Technology Review . The report covers the experiences and testimonials of · An unnamed engineer of Chinese descent, who was detained and interrogated, said border agents "are treating us like spies,” · Gang Chen, Professor of Mechanical Engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), · Jenny Lee, Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Practice at the University of Arizona, · George Karniadakis, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Engineering at Brown University, · Gabriela S. Schlau-Cohen Professor of Chemistry at MIT, · Yu Xie, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, · Kai Li, Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University and Vice President of Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), · Steven Chu, Professor of Physics at Stanford University and former US Secretary of Energy, · Yiguang Ju, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, · Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director of AASF. Read the Nature report: https://go.nature.com/49Tv5Nn Republic Sentinel: Reports on Government Institutional Racism: A National Security Threat According to The Republic Sentinel on February 26, 2024, House and Senate GOP efforts to revive a racist Trump era program, known as the "China Initiative," targeting people of Chinese heritage are morally repugnant and endanger our national security.It would be over two months after the release of the MIT Technology Review report before the Biden administration would allegedly end the "China Initiative." The author uses the word "allegedly" because absent an independent audit of FBI cases and Department of Justice's National Security Division (NSD) records, the public has no way of knowing whether NSD and FBI have, in fact, stopped systematically targeting Chinese American STEM specialists for surveillance, including travel surveillance between the U.S. and China. In May 2022, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a report that stated outright that Chinese government intelligence services did not prioritize the targeting of Chinese Americans for espionage or technology theft purposes.The language suggests that the assessment in question was completed prior to February 2022, when the end of the "China Initiative" was announced. What we do not know is 1. how much earlier than February 2022, and 2. how wide the distribution of the assessment was within the U.S. government. Both of these questions matter because they go to the heart of whether such an assessment existed before November 2018 (the start of the "China Initiative"), between then and the end of the Trump administration in January 2021, or whether the assessment was only conducted and circulated in the year prior to the alleged end of the "China Initiative." If this assessment was on the books during the Trump administration, it means DoJ officials deliberately ignored an intelligence assessment stating that Chinese intelligence was not systematically targeting Chinese Americans for recruitment--and that any presumption that they were had no factual basis.Read the Republic Sentinel report: https://bit.ly/3uV8zVd Chinese Chipmaker Cleared in US Criminal Trade Secrets Case According to Bloomberg and other media reports, a Chinese chipmaker was cleared of economic espionage and other criminal charges in a setback for a US Justice Department crackdown on intellectual property theft by China under the now-defunct "China Initiative" ( Case 3:18-cr-00465 ).More than five years after the Commerce Department blacklisted Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co. as a threat to national security, US District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco found the company not guilty following a non-jury trial. Her ruling may temper the Biden administration’s pursuit of aggressive prosecutions to protect American technology.Chesney concluded that US prosecutors failed to prove that the Chinese state-sponsored company misappropriated proprietary data from Micron Technology, America’s largest memory-chip maker, that allegedly passed through Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) in a manufacturing deal with Fujian Jinhua.Read the Bloomberg report: https://bit.ly/3Tf3MHL Alien Land Laws: Reports by USDA Equity Commission and Advancing Justice | Atlanta On February 22, 2024, the USDA Equity Commission submitted its final report to Secretary of Agriculture in response to Presidential Executive Order 13985 On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.On Page 52 of the report, The Equity Commission recommends that USDA should support policies that lead to pathways to access citizenship and family reunification, particularly about the Right to Access Agricultural Land. The report said, "Historical racism and discrimination have led to exclusionary laws that restrict immigrants from owning U.S. properties. The 1879 Oregon constitution specified that 'no Chinaman may own property.' In 1913, in response to anti-immigrant forces, California passed the Alien Land Law to ban Asian immigrants from purchasing properties including farmlands. Subsequent laws extended the ban to include U.S. born children of immigrants and restrict land leases. Fifteen more states followed with similar alien land laws. It wasn’t until after World War II that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down these laws as unconstitutional. "Today, fueled by anti-immigration sentiments, several states are considering alien land legislation to prohibit foreign nationals from certain Asian, Central American, and Middle Eastern countries from purchasing agricultural lands, under the guise of national security protection. Thirteen states have already passed legislations to prohibit Chinese foreign nationals from owning agricultural land or lands within certain distance of a U.S. military installation. Since their arrival, immigrants of color have been perceived as perpetual foreigners. These state proposals would put specifically some communities, specifically Chinese, under unfair, discriminatory scrutiny and suspicion again." Yvonne Lee , who retired from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, serves on the USDA Equity Commission. Read the USDA Equity Commission report: https://bit.ly/4ceyXKE Modern-Day Alien Land Laws' Resurgence Throughout The South According to Advancing Justice | Atlanta, over the years, Georgia has benefited from welcoming businesses and newcomers from around the world. However, in 2023, the Peach State joined 32 other states that introduced 81 bills to restrict land ownership of target persons and entities from certain non- U.S. countries. All of these bills target people from China, though a number also targeted individuals from other nations such as Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Given these law’s historical connection to racist and xenophobic property restriction laws of the early 20th century, we refer to these restrictive laws as “alien land laws.” Not only do they reprise racist laws of the past, but they contribute to the current anti-Asian fervor stemming from COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions. From a legal standpoint, they violate the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and Equal Protection Clause under the 14th Amendment. Georgia remains one of a few states in the South that still has the opportunity to decide against implementing a discriminatory and harmful land law that could lead to unintended legal and economic consequences. The Advancing Justice | Atlanta report examines the history of anti-Chinese legislation in the U.S., and compares provisions across states to present a case for policymakers and stakeholders on why the policy has no place in Georgia.During the APA Justice Monthly Meeting on March 4, 2024, Thông Phan, Senior Policy Associate, Advancing Justice - Atlanta, gave an update on Georgia State Senate Bill 420 and Georgia State House Bill 1093 . Read the report: https://bit.ly/3Ik2iW8 US-China Science and Technology Agreement Extended 6 Months According to Voice of America on March 7, 2024, the United States and China agreed to extend a science and technology agreement (STA) for another six months. “The short-term six-month extension keeps the agreement in force while we continue negotiations,” a State Department spokesperson said.The STA was originally signed in 1979 by then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter and then-PRC leader Deng Xiaoping .The agreement has been renewed about every five years since its inception, with the most recent 5-year extension occurring in 2018. Last August, it received a 6-month extension as officials from the two countries undertook negotiations to amend and strengthen the terms.Read the Voice of America report: https://bit.ly/3Pm3SuD Justice Is Global and Rollout of US-China Climate Cooperation Bill During the APA Justice Monthly Meeting on February 5, 2024, Sandy Shan, Executive Director of Justice is Global, introduced its mission of organizing everyday people to advocate for policy changes promoting an equitable and sustainable future. It has focused on challenging narratives that blame China for economic and social issues in the US, recognizing the connection between such narratives and anti-Asian racism.Sandy used a 4-slide presentation in her talk: https://bit.ly/4byMnRe . She was joined and supported by her colleague Valentina Dallona .Sandy focuses on building narratives around US-China cooperation, particularly regarding climate change. Through deep canvassing, they engage communities susceptible to anti-China rhetoric, shifting conversations towards cooperation. They conducted successful discussions in rural Wisconsin, leading to increased support for US-China cooperation on climate issues. Sandy emphasizes the urgency of climate action and the vital role of cooperation between the US and China. She highlights the historic contributions of AAPI communities to scientific collaboration, framing US-China cooperation as crucial for protecting AAPI communities and fostering innovation. She outlines proposed legislation focusing on climate finance, trade, and technology sharing with China. Sandy invites support for their efforts, including messaging, garnering organizational and congressional support, and hosting community events. They provide links for individuals interested in getting involved and express readiness to collaborate.Read the summary of the February 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting at: https://bit.ly/3TzGVqr . Watch Sandy's talk and the February monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/49okkmc (57:00) News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/03/24 Committee of Concerned Scientists Annual Meeting 2024/03/25 Committee of 100: Asian American Career Ceiling Challenges in Broadcast News2024/04/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/04/19 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2024/05/02 AAGEN 2024 Executive Leadership Workshop2024/05/05 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. Back View PDF March 14, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #181 Heritage Month; Alien Land Bills; C100 Conference; Monica Bertagnolli; Fulbright; + #181 Heritage Month; Alien Land Bills; C100 Conference; Monica Bertagnolli; Fulbright; + In This Issue #181 May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills in Florida and Texas Committee of 100 Annual Conference Who is Monica Bertagnolli, Biden's pick to lead NIH? Want to Improve US-China Relations? Bring back Fulbright Program, Advocates Say Activities and News for the Communities May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month Asian Pacific American Heritage Month originated in June 1977 when Representatives Frank Horton (New York) and Norman Y. Mineta (California) called for the establishment of Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. Hawaii senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both bills passed, and in 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed the resolution. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush expanded the celebration from a week to a month. It became the AANHPI Heritage Month under President Joe Biden . May was selected as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to commemorate the arrival in May 1843 of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States and the role of Chinese laborers in the completion of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.2023/04/28 White House: A Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023 2023/05/01 Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus: CAPAC Members and House Democratic Leader Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023/05/01 National Academy of Public Administration: AAPI Heritage Month Spotlight - Pursuing a More Perfect Union and an Equitable Society by Jeremy Wu On May 1, 2023, CNN updated a story about the terms such as Asian American. APA. APIDA. AAPI. and AANHPI to describe this population of more than 24 million people with roots in East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Hawaii, Samoa, Guam, Fiji, Tonga, Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and other Pacific islands. It comprises scores of ethnic groups with distinct histories, cuisines, languages and cultures. It includes recent immigrants, those who have been in the US for generations and those who have endured centuries of colonization.The US government currently defines Asian Americans as those “having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent.” It uses the separate category of “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander” to describe those “having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.”Read the CNN report: https://cnn.it/3NX7eo6 Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills in Florida and Texas According to an opinion by the Los Angeles Times on May 3, 2023, while our country celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature are busy resurrecting a long-dead form of anti-Asian discrimination. The Florida Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 264 in April, and on May 3, the Florida House rushed to pass its twin, House Bill 1355, purportedly to prohibit the Chinese government from buying real estate in Florida. By targeting “any member of the People’s Republic of China,” the bill could also wreak havoc on the lives of ordinary people.On May 9, 2023, multiple media including Axios reported that Gov. DeSantis signed legislation that prevents certain foreign nationals from China and six other countries from purchasing what the state deems sensitive American land. It becomes effective on July 1, 2023. DeSantis also signed off on two other bills: one restricting government desktops or servers from downloading TikTok, an app owned by a Chinese company; and another prohibiting Florida colleges and universities from engaging in a partnership with schools overseas without governmental approval. Also on May 9, 2023, United Chinese Americans (UCA) issued a statement calling for national action against the discriminatory law that "among other things, prohibits Chinese nationals from acquiring real property in the state based solely on race, ethnicity and country of origin, ostensibly in the name of national security." According to the statement, UCA will work with Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) and others to challenge this misguided Florida law and see to it that it is struck down by the Federal court or repealed by the people of Florida. UCA calls on Americans in all walks of life, corporations, civic organizations and faith-based groups, to condemn this act of blatant discrimination. A video titled " A Dark Day in America " (4:09) including statements by Haipei Shue, UCA President, and Anders Fung , Member of Millbrae City Council, was posted by Ding Ding TV.Also on the same day, CALDA issued a statement that the Florida bill may seem to be limited to real estate transactions, but in fact it regards the Chinese people as a threat to the national security of the United States and a target for isolation by the whole society. Despite some last minute changes, the bill still contains undisguised racial discrimination. These provisions mainly target ordinary people and various companies in several countries, prohibiting or restricting their basic rights to directly or indirectly purchase real estate. These provisions violate the US Constitution's prohibition of racial discrimination, and also conflict with the basic values of American society such as equality, tolerance and diversity.Once this discriminatory law is established, it will undoubtedly set off a wave of hatred against Chinese and even all Asians, and no one can be alone. States such as Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia are actively promoting bills similar to those in Florida.CALDA announced immediate legal action to overturn this discriminatory bill. It expects to file a lawsuit in Florida court in about a week, and a court injunction preventing the law from taking effect before the end of this month. CALDA has already begun assembling a team of attorneys and contacting potential plaintiff representatives. It will also work with all like-minded groups, including FAAJA and UCA, to stem this latest anti-Chinese wave. Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition (TMAC) and Civil Rights Town Hall on 2023/05/13 According to Houston Style Magazine on May 9, 2023, the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition, with the support of Congressman Al Green , is organizing a Civil Rights Town Hall on May 13th, 2023, at 1 pm at FountainLife Center, located at 14083 S. Main St. Houston, TX 77035. The event will bring together a diverse group of community leaders and organizations, including Congressman Al Green, Rep. Gene Wu , Rep. Ron Reynolds , Bishop James Dixon (NAACP, Houston Branch), Wea Lee (International Trade Center), Judson Robinson (Houston Area Urban League), Dr. Steven Pei (United Chinese Americans), Nabila Mansoor (Rise AAPI), Niloufar Hafizi (Emgage Texas), Dawn Lin (Asian Real Estate Association of America), Gary Nakamura (Japanese American Citizens League, Houston), Claude Cummings, Jr. (Communications Workers of America), Kenneth Li (Asian American Business Council), Eileen Huang (United Association of Chinese Alumni), Dr. Sergio Lira (Greater Houston LULAC 4967), Dr. Pretta VanDible Stallworth , Hua Gu (Sino Professionals Association), Guowei Gu (Shandong Fellowship Association of Southern USA), Baohua Yang (Henan Fellowship Association of Southern USA), Liang Han (Southern Jiangsu Association USA), Yizhu Liao (Hunan Club of Houston), Kathy Xu (Texas Northeast Chinese Association), Casey Kang (Korean American Chamber of Commerce), Terrance Koontz (Texas Organizing Project), Ruth Kravetz (Community Voices for Public Education), Lani Cabral Pasao (People Caring for the Community), Stephen Yoe (Myanmar Chamber of Commerce), Harry Sun (Chinese Chamber of Commerce), H.C. Chang (OCA Greater Houston), William White (CAIR Houston) and many others. The participation of these organizations highlights the broad support for the event and the urgent need to stand against the harmful actions that threaten the rights and opportunities of communities of color.The primary objective of the town hall is to unite multicultural organizations and individuals against the racist and xenophobic Senate Bill 147 and the state takeover of the HISD school board. These actions are detrimental to communities of color: SB 147 threatens the right to property ownership, and the HISD takeover imperils access to quality education and equal opportunities.Read the Houston Style Magazine report: https://bit.ly/3nLxkzV Committee of 100 Annual Conference On May 5, 2023, Jeremy Wu , Founder of APA Justice and Member of the Committee of 100, delivered opening remarks to set the context on Turbulent Times for Chinese Americans. The presentations with and without script are posted at https://bit.ly/3NSmYZx . Eight categories of challenges are identified to be of top concerns to the Chinese American and scientific communities. 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 2023/05/07 Los Angeles Post: Focusing on Challenges Faced by Chinese Americans in Turbulent Times, Committee of 100’s 2023 Annual Meeting Concludes in Silicon Valley 2023/05/07 South China Morning Post: Asian-Americans should prepare for more hate, committee warns 2023/05/06 South China Morning Post: Asian-Americans face numerous hurdles to win greater acceptance and influence, experts say Who is Monica Bertagnolli, Biden's pick to lead NIH? According to Science on April 27, 2023, Monica Bertagnolli never had the luxury of easing into her new job as head of the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).Several weeks after taking over the largest component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in October 2022, the then–63-year-old surgical oncologist was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Early in April, she unveiled a plan to implement President Joe Biden ’s signature Cancer Moonshot initiative. And Biden is expected to cap Bertagnolli’s whirlwind first 7 months in Washington, D.C., by nominating her to become the 17th director of NIH, the federal government’s crown jewel of biomedical research.The previous NIH Director, Francis Collins , stepped down in December 2021. If confirmed by the Senate, Bertagnolli would be only the second woman to lead NIH, following Bernadine Healy , who stepped down in 1993.Once nominated, her first hurdle will be a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee . Bertagnolli has never testified before Congress (and leading NCI doesn’t require Senate confirmation). The HELP panel is chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders (I–VT).On March 23, 2023, Science published an investigative report titled PALL OF SUSPICION - The National Institutes of Health’s “China initiative” has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers and an editorial titled Eroding Trust and Collaboration . "Given the information available in the public domain, the scientific community could easily conclude that this is a xenophobic program to harm Chinese scientists and cut off international scientific cooperation. The federal government needs to figure out a way to let the NIH and the institutions reassure the community that this is all worth it," the editorial concluded.Read the Science report at https://bit.ly/3oWH1eY and its editorial at https://bit.ly/3z24z40 Want to Improve US-China Relations? Bring back Fulbright Program, Advocates Say According to the South China Morning Post on April 28, 2023, as tensions between Washington and Beijing keep rising, a loose alliance of former officials, politicians and ordinary US citizens are pushing to restore one of America’s oldest and most prestigious connections to China that observers hail as unmatched in its potential to put the relationship back on track.The Fulbright China program, which for over four decades sent American scholars to the country and brought their Chinese counterparts to the US, was cancelled in 2020 by an executive order from then-president Donald Trump over Beijing’s imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong. President Joe Biden has extended the order twice.Opposition came thick and fast from within and outside the Fulbright community. Seton Hall University professor Margaret Lewis , for example, likened the decision to “shooting ourselves in the foot”, and an alumni-led petition to restore the program garnered more than 700 signatures in two days.“Appalled” by the cancellation, Colleen O’Connor and fellow alumni formed a group of 100 volunteers called the Protect Fulbright China Coalition to push for its restoration. On March 29, 2023 Representatives Rick Larsen of Washington, Don Beyer of Virginia and Judy Chu of California reintroduced the Restoring Fulbright Exchanges bill .Under the Nationalist government in 1947, China was the first country to sign a Fulbright agreement with the US, though the program was paused after the Communist Party came into power in 1949. Since restoring operations after the two countries normalized relations in 1979, the US sent more than 3,500 Americans to China under the program and received more than 1,500 Chinese in the US. Proponents describe its impact as profound.The Fulbright China program counts among its alumni Kevin Nealer , a former member of president Barack Obama’s Intelligence Advisory Board; Scott Kennedy , senior adviser in Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; John Pomfret , The Washington Post’s former Beijing bureau chief; and legions of academics.As of last October, there were fewer than 400 American students in the country – a sharp contrast from 2018, when China was hosting more than 11,000.There are organizations in the Biden administration, particularly in intelligence and law enforcement, “who are opposing restoring the Fulbright on national security grounds”, said Dennis Wilder , a research fellow at the Initiative for US-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, while noting these concerns were not necessarily shared by the White House. Neither the Trump nor Biden administration spelled out what the concerns with the program were.Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/3ngzvLl News and Activities for the Communities 1. Victims of Mass Shooting in Allen, Texas According to multiple media reports, eight people including four Asian Americans were killed, and at least seven others were injured in a mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas on May 6, 2023.Three of the victims killed in Saturday's shooting belonged to one family. Cindy Cho, 35, and Kyu Cho, 37, and their 3-year-old son, James Cho , were among the victims. Their 6-year-old son, William , was also shot and has been released from the ICU. He is now with his extended family. The Korean American family was visiting the Allen Premium Outlets to exchange clothes William had gotten for his birthday four days prior to the shooting. Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer from India who lived in the Dallas suburb, was among those killed. She was less than a week away from celebrating her 28th birthday. Thatikonda was at the Allen mall with a friend when the shooting took place. Her friend was wounded in the shooting. Her family is now planning to repatriate her remains to India with the help of the Telugu Association of North America. She received a master's degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University in the US in 2020. For the last two years, she was working for a Dallas-based contracting firm on a US work visa.On May 9, 2023, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus issued a statement about the mass shooting. “While investigations into specific motive are ongoing, Allen, Texas, and the surrounding areas have among the highest percentage of Asian Americans outside of the coasts and half of the victims are also of Asian descent. With the shooter’s likely social media presence demonstrating an ugly promotion of neo-Nazism and violent white supremacist ideology, it remains clear Congress and elected officials around the country have a lot more to do to fight extremism here at home and create a safe, welcoming multiracial democracy for us all.“This is the second largest mass shooting in this country this year, but every single day Americans die from gun violence. From going to the mall, going to school, to celebrating Lunar New Year, knocking on the wrong door or driving down the wrong driveway, it is clear that the problem is the guns. We must ban assault weapons now. Letting these weapons of war remain on our streets comes at the cost of American lives.” 2. Turbulence Ahead: Racial & Religious Profiling at the Border and Ports According to Advancing Justice | AAJC on April 20, 2023, 22 years after 9/11, racial and religious profiling is still the harsh reality for many Americans. Last March, three Muslim-American travelers from Minnesota, Texas, and Arizona sued the Department of Homeland Security after they were stopped multiple times by U.S. officials over several years at the border and in international airports. They were interrogated to determine if they were Muslims, if they attended a mosque, and how often they prayed. The distress of these experiences has led one man to stop wearing a kufi and to stop carrying religious texts when he travels internationally to avoid scrutiny. In recent months, there have also been reports of academics and scientists of Chinese descent being stopped, questioned, and harassed by law enforcement upon re-entry into the U.S., creating a chilling effect for many in the community.Profiling people at the border due to their race, ethnicity, or religion is illegal under the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is required to base its enforcement activities solely on credible intelligence and legitimate law enforcement purposes.In recent years, several racial and religious profiling cases have been widely reported and further highlight the problem at the border. Racial and religious profiling has created an environment of fear for communities of color across the country, but there are steps you can take to stand up for yourself.Read the Advancing Justice | AAJC blog at https://bit.ly/3ndt0ZJ 3 . 'Anti-Asian Racism' names the sin of white supremacy in Catholic Church According to the National Catholic Reporter on April 29, 2023, Servite Fr. Joseph Cheah is hopeful that telling Asian American-centered stories will help communities and individuals begin to understand the ways in which racism and white supremacy have shaped history. In his latest book, Anti-Asian Racism: Myths, Stereotypes, and Catholic Social Teaching , Cheah takes a wide and integral view on how Catholic social teaching can inform the way Catholics engage in the work of anti-racism in the context of Asian American communities. Read the National Catholic Reporter interview at https://bit.ly/3ALaV8F 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 . Copyright © 2023 APA Justice, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in or have expressed interest. Our mailing address is: APA Justice P.O. Box 257 McLean, VA 22101-0257 Add us to your address book We do not share, sell, rent or trade any of your information with third parties unless you provide explicit consent. Read our Privacy Policy here . Back View PDF May 11, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #97 DOJ Changed Report; Trial Dates; Yale/Princeton/Stanford/SIU News; Happy Thanksgiving #97 DOJ Changed Report; Trial Dates; Yale/Princeton/Stanford/SIU News; Happy Thanksgiving Back View PDF November 22, 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 - #243 Florida Rally Today; AAJC Updates; History in California; Corky Lee; Mexico Brief; + #243 Florida Rally Today; AAJC Updates; History in California; Corky Lee; Mexico Brief; + In This Issue #243 · Rally Today: Florida Professors and Advocates Demand Board of Governors Address SB 846 · Advancing Justice | AAJC Updates from March APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Humanity in Confronting History in California · Fifty Years of Photographic Justice: Corky Lee’s Asian America · Mexico Files Amicus Brief; Chinese Crossing Southern Border · News and Activities for the Communities Rally Today: Florida Professors and Advocates Demand Board of Governors Address SB 846 On March 26, 2024, professors, students, and advocates will host a rally before the Florida Board of Governors meeting at the University of Florida. Asian American scholars and local and national community members will gather to demand that the Florida Board of Governors address their concerns with SB 846, which restricts Florida’s public colleges and universities from hiring graduate students and researchers from certain “countries of concern,” including China and Iran. The legislation, which took effect on July 1, 2023, further restricts Florida’s public colleges and universities from participating in partnerships or agreements with individuals or entities from these countries. It has raised concerns on academic freedom and impacts on the Asian American community not just in Florida but nationwide. The law has created confusion and a chilling effect on researchers, and could lead to broader harms on scientific innovation and the pipeline of scientific leadership in Florida and the U.S. At this rally, students and professors will share personal stories about the negative impact of the legislation on themselves, peers, and their local community, as well as the fearful environment that it has fostered especially at a time of increased anti-Asian hate and violence. National representatives are flying in from across the country to support local community members and to voice that what is happening in Florida could have a rippling effect across the country. Vincent Wang , Co-Organizer of APA Justice, will speak at the rally, which will be held at Reitz Union, North Lawn, University of Florida Gainesville Campus, on March 26, 2024, starting at 12 noon ET. The "We Belong" Yellow Whistles will be distributed during the rally. Please join.Read the media advisory: https://bit.ly/3PEyOq9 Breaking News: Academics challenge Florida law restricting research exchanges from prohibited countries like China According to AP on March 26, 2024, two graduate students from China whose studies were put on hold, and a professor who says he is unable to recruit research assistants, sued Florida education officials, trying to stop enforcement of a new state law which limits research exchanges between state universities and academics from seven prohibited countries.The law is discriminatory, unconstitutional and reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which instituted a 10-year ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the United States, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami. The new law also usurps the power of the federal government, which has exclusive authority over immigration, national security and foreign affairs, the lawsuit said.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3PEfkCd Advancing Justice | AAJC Updates from March APA Justice Monthly Meeting During the APA Justice monthly meeting on March 4, 2024, Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC, reported that the House cancelled a much anticipated vote on Section 702, the circumstances around which are highly problematic. The key takeaways include: 1. The House Intelligence Committee, led by Chairman Mike Turner , reneged on a pre-negotiated deal to move FISA reauthorization and reform to the House floor; 2. The House Judiciary Committee, which has primary jurisdiction over Section 702, submitted amendments to the base bill and testified in favor of their amendments while the House Intelligence Committee failed to even appear. Chair Turner and other House Intelligence Committee members also cryptically hinted at a so-called destabilizing foreign military capability that they heavily implied was related to Section 702, but it was later identified to be completely unrelated. Chair Turner undermined national security and wrongfully created national panic. It was clearly designed to scare members ahead of the plan to vote on Section 702, which was ultimately taken down. The White House and members of Congress and Civil Society have all been appalled at this behavior and issued statements to that effect. But in terms of next steps, Advancing Justice | AAJC will, in coalition with other AAPI organizations, prepare to defend against any efforts to jam Section 702 reauthorization into any imminent must-pass legislation. To that end, Joanna learned that 702 reauthorization is not in the first minibus and will continue to stay vigilant and monitor. Joanna deferred to Thông Phan to report on the state alien land laws. Advancing Justice | AAJC is tracking land-law-related language in the national security supplemental. It appears that a narrowly tailored version of the Rounds amendment was ultimately dropped, and the national security supplemental at the time of reporting looks to be less harmful.A summary for the meeting is being prepared at this time. 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 . Humanity in Confronting History in California According to AP , in May 2021, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe had issued a formal apology for Antioch’s mistreatment of early Chinese immigrants, including the torching of Chinatown and driving out its residents, which has been documented by local newspapers and historians. Thorpe’s actions led to major cities like San Jose, Los Angeles and San Francisco passing similar resolutions.The 2021 apology has also led to local residents and historians delving deeper into the past and working to establish a Chinatown Historic District, complete with murals and museum exhibits highlighting the history and accomplishments of the community in Antioch.Before getting involved with the Antioch Historical Society and becoming committee chair for its Chinese History Project, Hans Ho said he had no idea a Chinatown once existed there. Chinese people were undoubtedly treated as second-class citizens, said Ho, who emigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s. He was also one of the representatives from the Chinese American community to receive Thorpe’s apology, an act that moved him to tears.Chinese laborers were among the early population in Antioch, which was named in 1851. They likely numbered just under 100, said Lucy Meinhardt , an Antioch Historical Society Museum board member. They worked in farms, canneries and mines. They helped build river levees and established a Chinatown where the city’s downtown now stands. Today, the city of more than 111,000 is 25% white while Asians make up 12%. Hispanic and Black residents are 35% and 20% of the population, respectively. Even creating a space for some materials related to Chinese residents at the Antioch Historical Society Museum has gotten pushback. “(One board member) said that they wanted this to be an ‘American’ museum,” said Dwayne Eubanks , a past president of the historical society, who is African American. “I took umbrage to that.” He held up a picture of his father in his Army uniform and told the man: “This is an American.”On March 16, 2024, Eubanks, Meinhardt and Ho all attended the May We Gather event in Antioch, which organizers described as the first national memorial service and pilgrimage in response to anti-Asian violence. Attendees, including the three local residents, walked meditatively with Buddhist monks, nuns and lay leaders, around the city block where Antioch’s Chinatown stood 150 years ago.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/49elUGm According to NBC News on March 6, 2024, In 1939, the Dongs, a Chinese American family in Coronado, California, found themselves unable to rent a house amid racially restrictive housing laws that favored white buyers and renters. Emma and Gus Thompson , a Black entrepreneurial couple in town, allowed the family to rent and eventually buy their Coronado property when nobody else would. Now, to thank the Thompsons for helping them get a toehold in American society, the Dongs are donating $5 million to Black college students using proceeds from the sale of the house. “It may enable some kids to go and flourish in college that might not have been able to otherwise,” Janice Dong , 86, said about the plan to sell the family home they later purchased, as well as an adjacent property. The Dong family will also work to have San Diego State University’s Black Resource Center named after Emma and Gus, who was born into slavery in Kentucky. Lloyd Dong Jr. , 81, said the Thompsons gave their family a start with the land, and it is time for them to do the same for others. “Without them, we would not have the education and everything else,” Lloyd Dong Jr. said. The Dong family’s roots in California date back to the late 19th century. Lloyd Dong Sr. was a farmer in the Central Valley before he moved to Coronado to become a gardener. In 1939, Gus and Emma Thompson gave the Dong family a place to stay, a promise to sell them the land and a chance to build a better life. It was a time in Coronado, a resort city known for its opulent hotel and white sand beaches on the San Diego Bay peninsula, when people living on the margins of society found it difficult to live within city limits. Racially restrictive housing covenants prohibited immigrants and people of color from renting and buying in Coronado.The Dong and Thompson families were on the same side of history. They were people trying to make it in a land that didn’t see them as full citizens. It wasn’t abnormal then to have marginalized individuals living together and supporting one another.Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3vAdCL7 Fifty Years of Photographic Justice: Corky Lee’s Asian America Corky Lee 李扬国 (1947-2021), known also as "Asian American Photographer Laureate," was a Chinese American activist, community organizer, and photojournalist. He called himself an "ABC from NYC ... wielding a camera to slay injustices against APAs." Corky documented Asian American and Pacific Islander communities for fifty years, breaking the stereotype of Asian Americans as docile, passive, and, above all, foreign to this country. A selection of the best photographs from his vast collection will be officially released on April 9, 2024. It covers his start in New York’s Chinatown in the 1970s to his coverage of diverse Asian American communities across the country until his untimely passing in 2021. Read about the book: https://www.corkylee.org/about-1 . The link also provides information about a national book tour starting at the Chinese American Museum in Washington DC on April 11, and including New York events at the Asia Society on April 18 and Chinatown on May 4, as well as stops at Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. For more information, contact Tina Wang , National Book Tour Coordinator, at wangxintian0928@gmail.com . Mexico Files Amicus Brief; Chinese Crossing Southern Border According to CNN on March 21, 2024, Mexico is warning a federal US court in a friend-of-the-court brief that if its judges permit a controversial Texas immigration law known as SB 4 to take effect, the two nations would experience “substantial tension” that would have far-reaching consequences for US-Mexico relations.“Enforcement of SB 4 would inappropriately burden the uniform and predictable sovereign-to-sovereign relations between Mexico and the United States, by criminalizing the unauthorized entry of noncitizens into Texas from outside the county and creating diverging removal requirements between and among individual states and the national government,” they wrote in the brief. “Enforcement of SB 4 would also interfere with Mexico’s right to determine its own policies regarding entry into its territory, undermine U.S.-Mexico collaboration on a legal migration framework and border management, and hinder U.S.-Mexico trade,” the attorneys told the court.Mexico said it was backing the law’s challengers, which include the Biden administration. Its attorneys argued in the brief that the law – if allowed to take effect – “will be applied in a discriminatory manner.”Mexico’s 11 consulates in Texas have been ordered to provide protection and guidance and have made legal support available for any Mexican nationals across the state who “starts to have a problem,” under the new law, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said.Read the CNN report: https://cnn.it/497YaDR . According to a 60 Minutes report on February 4, 2024, about 37,000 Chinese nationals trying to escape repressive politics and a bleak economy, headed to the U.S. via the southern border in 2023. This is about 1.5% of the total of 2.5 million. It is an increase from 323 in 2021.According to the South China Morning Post on February 15, 2024, from a high of 2.2 million temporary visas granted to Chinese nationals in 2016, only about 160,000 were granted in 2022, a fall of more than 90%. This has led some Chinese citizens to take desperate measures to enter the US for a better life. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/03/26 Rally: Florida Professors and Advocates Demand Board of Governors Address SB 8462024/03/28 CSIS: U,S,-China Scholarly Recoupling: The Path Forward2024/04/02 AA and NHPI Higher Education Leadership Summit2024/04/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/04/17 Racially Profiled for Being A Scientist: A Discussion of the US DOJ's China Initiative2024/04/18 Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic JusticeVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. AA & NHPI Higher Education Leadership Summit WHAT: AA & NHPI Higher Education Leadership Development Summit WHEN: APRIL 2, 2024, 8:30 - 5:15 pm Pacific Time WHERE: UC Berkeley - Martin Luther King, Jr. Building, 2495 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704 HOSTS: White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; U.S. Office of Personnel Management DESCRIPTION: The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is dedicated to advancing educational equity and opportunity for all Americans. In 2024, we are continuing to bring together students, faculty, and administrators from across the country to highlight the critical role that Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs) play in increasing access to higher education and promoting workforce development. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3Vncrco Back View PDF March 26, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #45 Chinese Immigrant Threat; House Hearing; 02/24 Webinar; 03/01 Meeting #45 Chinese Immigrant Threat; House Hearing; 02/24 Webinar; 03/01 Meeting Back View PDF February 22, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #146 Seeking Accountability; Updates on Mingqing Xiao/Franklin Tao; Judge Parker; WH Event #146 Seeking Accountability; Updates on Mingqing Xiao/Franklin Tao; Judge Parker; WH Event Back View PDF September 22, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #201 Florida Injunction; Dr. Yanping Chen; FBI Spy Hunter; United Against Hate; 08/26 March #201 Florida Injunction; Dr. Yanping Chen; FBI Spy Hunter; United Against Hate; 08/26 March In This Issue #201 Federal District Court Refuses to Halt Florida’s Discriminatory Housing Law The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen vs FBI et al An FBI Spy Hunter’s Rise and Fall “United Against Hate” Forum in San Francisco 2023/08/26 March on Washington Federal District Court Refuses to Halt Florida’s Discriminatory Housing Law On August 17, 2023, a federal district court judge refused to preliminarily block Senate Bill (SB) 264, an unconstitutional Florida law banning many Chinese immigrants, including people here as professors, students, employees, and scientists, from buying a home in large swaths of the state. As a result, SB 264 remains in effect. The judge's order denying the preliminary injunction motion is posted here: https://bit.ly/3QHsorA 2023/08/18 Washington Post: Florida judge refuses to halt law restricting Chinese land ownership 2023/08/18 South China Morning Post: US judge declines to block Florida law restricting Chinese from buying property 2023/08/17 AsAmNews: District Court declines to stop Florida Chinese land ban 2023/08/17 National Iranian American Council: NIAC Condemns Florida Court’s Denial of Preliminary Injunction for Alien Land Law (S.B. 264) 1. Press Release by ACLU According to a press release by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Florida District Court ruling addressed the plaintiffs’ request for emergency relief and does not resolve the underlying legal arguments brought in the case. ACLU, ACLU of Florida, DeHeng Law Offices PC, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the law firm Quinn Emanuel are representing four Chinese immigrants who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida, but are prohibited under SB 264 from buying a home, as well as Multi-Choice Realty, a local real estate firm whose business is harmed by the law.“This law is hurting immigrants who are trying to build lives in Florida,” said Jian Song , owner of Multi-Choice Realty LLC. “As a Chinese American who has called Orlando my home for over 20 years, I’ve been extremely worried since this law went into effect.” Under SB 264, people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and whose “domicile,” or permanent home, is in China, are prohibited from purchasing property, including homes, in Florida. The sole exception is narrow: People with non-tourist visas or who have been granted asylum may purchase one residential property under two acres that is not within five miles of any “military installation.” This term is vaguely defined in the law, but there are at least 21 large military bases in Florida, many of them within five miles of cities like Orlando, Miami, and Tampa — putting many major residential and economically-important areas completely off-limits. A similar but less restrictive rule also applies to many immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. But the law singles out people from China for especially draconian restrictions and harsher criminal penalties. “While today’s decision is disheartening, our clients will continue to fight for their rights to equality and fairness on appeal,” said Ashley Gorski , senior staff attorney at ACLU’s National Security Project. “Florida’s law legitimizes and expands housing discrimination, in violation of both the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act.”“Today’s ruling heavily relies on a decision from the Supreme Court in 1923, a time when Asian immigrants were not allowed to become citizens, own land, or vote,” said Clay Zhu , Managing Partner of DeHeng Law Offices PC. “We shall not go back.”In the early 20th century, politicians used similar justifications to pass “alien land laws” in California and more than a dozen other states, prohibiting Chinese and Japanese immigrants from becoming landowners. These racist policies severely restricted economic opportunities for immigrants and exacerbated discrimination against Asian communities in the United States, before eventually being overturned in the courts and by state legislatures. Florida was one of the last states to repeal its “alien land law” in 2018. “Our community will continue to fight against Florida’s unjust and racist law,” said Bethany Li , legal director at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “These types of laws use false stereotypes about Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners and have repeatedly harmed our community — from the Chinese Exclusion Act, to the Japanese Americans’ incarceration during World War II, and the surveillance of South Asians in the post-9/11 period.”“We are disappointed by today’s decision, and believe it fails to account for our clients’ constitutional and statutory rights,” said Derek Shaffer , partner at Quinn Emanuel. “In our view, which the U.S. Government has supported as an amicus, people from China should be no less welcome in Florida than they are elsewhere in the United States and free to participate in the housing market on equal footing with everyone else. Recognizing that this decision decides only our request for a preliminary injunction, we look forward to continuing this litigation and to seeking recourse on appeal.”Read the ACLU press release: https://bit.ly/45p3MIq 2. Statement by CALDA In a statement by the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance, CALDA announced that 历史不容倒退：地区法院未批准禁止令，我们将立即全力上诉 (History Shall Not Regress: District Court Did Not Grant Restraining Order, We Will Appeal Immediately With Full Strength). "We believe the District Court's decision was entirely wrong. We will not stop here, and our legal team will quickly file an appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court in Atlanta in the next few weeks to overturn the district court's decision as soon as possible," the statement said. "CALDA and our civil rights alliance have formulated a response strategy. We will immediately appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court, striving to overturn the ruling of the District Court as soon as possible. Next, we will continue to pursue our lawsuit with unwavering determination.""CALDA firmly believes that the road to rights protection may be difficult, but the door to fairness and justice has never been closed. We have only encountered a temporary setback. The truth must take time to practice and validate, but our belief in the final victory has never wavered! While the struggle against SB264's diabolical law may continue for some time, CALDA and allies are bound to overturn it completely. Our mission is to completely eliminate systematic racial discrimination against the Chinese, and to ensure that the rights and interests of the Chinese are treated fairly and justly."Read the CALDA statement in Chinese: https://bit.ly/3P0zGpd 3. Statement by NAPABA According to a statement on August 17, 2023, the National Asian American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay (APABA Tampa Bay) profoundly disagree with the Florida federal court ruling.After the plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction seeking to bar the enforcement of SB 264, NAPABA and APABA Tampa Bay joined a coalition of partners and submitted an amicus brief in support of the injunction. Notably, the United States, in a Statement of Interest submitted by the U.S. Department of Justice, supported the injunction and advised that SB 264 violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."The Florida statute is a textbook example of invidious discrimination. The plain sweep of SB 264 not only places restrictions on individuals from China and certain other countries, including those lawfully present in the United States, in purchasing property, but it also imposes greater criminal penalties on Chinese buyers than for those from other restricted countries," the statement said."The District Court’s reasoning relies heavily on the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U.S. 197 (1923), which upheld Washington State’s alien land law and barred a Japanese citizen from leasing farmland. In doing so, the District Court endorses an outdated historical legal argument that alien land laws do not violate equal protection because they applied broadly to all aliens ineligible for citizenship. This theory completely disregards the fact that at the time of enactment, Asian immigrants were not eligible to naturalize. Terrace, which has not been directly overturned, noted in 1923 that it was “reasonable” that “eligible aliens are free white persons and persons of African nativity or descent,” and that “the natives of European countries are eligible. Japanese, Chinese and Malays are not.” Resting today’s decision on such discredited case law and reasoning is unacceptable."Despite the setback today, NAPABA’s vigorous advocacy will continue. "At bottom, policymakers are free to address the legitimate national security concerns of the United States, but they may not enact discriminatory laws on the backs of the AANHPI community."Read the NAPABA statement: https://bit.ly/44uwM0F The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen vs FBI et al On August 17, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a Memorandum opinion and Order on the civil case of Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 vs Federal Bureau of Investigation et al.According to the Memorandum Opinion and Order,"In 2017, Fox News Network aired a series of investigative reports about Plaintiff Yanping Chen. The thrust of the stories, principally authored by journalist Catherine Herridge , was that Ms. Chen had concealed her former membership in the Chinese military on her U.S. immigration forms and might have been using a professional school she founded in Virginia to funnel valuable information about the American military to the Chinese government. The reports also contained materials—including photographs and images of internal government documents—that Chen alleges were leaked by government personnel to Herridge and Fox, in violation of the Privacy Act. After extensive discovery and several opinions by this Court, Chen has been unable to identify the source of the alleged leak. She thus issued subpoenas to Herridge and Fox, seeking to compel them to reveal their confidential source or sources. Asserting the First Amendment’s qualified privilege for journalists, and urging the Court to adopt a federal common law newsgathering privilege, Herridge and Fox moved to quash the subpoenas."The Court recognizes both the vital importance of a free press and the critical role that confidential sources play in the work of investigative journalists like Herridge. But applying the binding case law of this Circuit, the Court concludes that Chen’s need for the requested evidence overcomes Herridge’s qualified First Amendment privilege in this case. The identity of Herridge’s source is central to Chen’s claim, and despite exhaustive discovery, Chen has been unable to ferret out his or her identity. The only reasonable option left is for Chen to ask Herridge herself."Read the Memorandum Opinion and Order: https://bit.ly/3YET7XS An FBI Spy Hunter’s Rise and Fall According to AP News and the New York Times , Charles McGonigal , a former high-ranking Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) counterintelligence official pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate sanctions on Russia by going to work, after he retired, for an oligarch he once investigated.As the chief of counterintelligence for the FBI in New York, he was tasked with rooting out foreign efforts to steal vital national security and economic secrets.McGonigal pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to launder money and violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He could face up to five years in prison. Judge Jennifer H. Rearden scheduled his sentencing for December 14. He is one of the highest-ranking FBI agents ever to be convicted of a crime. The case has raised unsettling questions about the FBI’s ability to detect corruption within its ranks. Prosecutors suggested that McGonigal traveled extensively while at the bureau, meeting with foreign officials and businesspeople who, on the surface, had nothing to do with his job. Agents are required to report such contacts and certain financial transactions and to take lie-detector tests, but the bureau relies heavily on the integrity of the people it has placed in positions of trust. 2023/08/16 AP News: Ex-FBI counterintelligence official pleads guilty to conspiracy charge for helping Russian oligarch 2023/08/14 New York Times: Fast Living and Foreign Dealings: An F.B.I. Spy Hunter’s Rise and Fall “United Against Hate” Forum in San Francisco According to a LinkedIn post, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) partnered with U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the second “United Against Hate” forum in San Francisco. The continued goal for these events are to strengthen relationships between government partners and community-based organizations by hosting a space for honest and open dialogue for law enforcement and community advocates.Participants recounted stories of anti-AAPI hate and explained why many victims do not report incidents to law enforcement. They discussed the need for accountability and stronger prevention measures to help the community feel safer. The District Attorney’s Civil Division also shared civil remedies that the community can access to address incidents of anti-AAPI bias and discrimination.Read the TAAF LinkedIn post: https://bit.ly/3P404i9 2023/08/26 March on Washington On August 26, 2023, a 2023 March on Washington will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in 1963, to continue the fight for democracy, social justice and civil rights. Join the King family and the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities at the Lincoln Memorial to honor the past, acknowledge the present and march toward a future of progress and equality. Back View PDF August 18, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #141 Campaign Closing; OSTP Issues Guidance; APA Justice to Meet with AAU; Happy Labor Day! #141 Campaign Closing; OSTP Issues Guidance; APA Justice to Meet with AAU; Happy Labor Day! Back View PDF September 2, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #221 Happy Thanksgiving! Loss of Talents; Shutdown Averted; Secret Surveillance Program; + #221 Happy Thanksgiving! Loss of Talents; Shutdown Averted; Secret Surveillance Program; + In This Issue #221 · Happy Thanksgiving! · How America Lost The Heart of China's Top Talent · Government Shutdown Averted For Now · Secret Surveillance Program Gives Cops Access to US Phone Records · News and Activities for the Communities Happy Thanksgiving! How America Lost The Heart of China's Top Talent According to the Brookings Institution, there is a perception that Chinese talented youth are itching to flock to American shores. However, the reality is quite the opposition: Just this year, India has eclipsed China in sending the most international students to the United States. This is the first time has lost that distinction since 2008.Although Chinese students' enrollment in the United States has rebounded this year, this growth may not reflect the choices of China's top talent.Quality, not quantity, is paramount. A recent report from Tsinghua University, China's leading institution, reveals the trend for China's top talent: Over the past few years, the number of Tsinghua graduates who chose to study in the U.S. plummeted - from 11% in 2018 to a mere 3% in 2021. Many attribute this to the pandemic; however, the proportion of Tsinghua graduates studying in the United Kingdom has not declined at all, and the number choosing to study in Singapore has even risen. American higher education has diminished appeal for China's best and brightest. There is fear and anxiety about what they perceive as "a hostile America" toward China - specifically, the U.S. policies targeting Chinese talent and the broader anti-China rhetoric. Instead they would rather compete to get into the graduate program at Tsinghua or other top Chinese institutions. This sentiment marks a significant change from the 1980s and 1990s. The geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are chilling Chinese students' passion for American education. Trump administration-era policies have been continued by the Biden administration.In other words, souring US-China relations, rising anti-China sentiments, and the concurrent, dramatic increase in anti-Asian hate crimes have inadvertently helped alleviate China's brain drain.The other reason for top students staying in China is the ascendancy of Chinese universities. Some opinion leaders in the U.S. so not fully grasp how American science and technology education and innovation depend on foreign talent, of which Chinese talent is among the largest. They consider Chinese students as threats to U.S. national security based on their incorrect assumptions. Whether the U.S. has permanently lost its charm with regard to China's top talent remains unknown. Whole concerns over intellectual theft are valid, any policy or discourse that weaponizes this concern, and targets groups based on their race, ethnicity, or national origin is fundamentally against American values and interests.Read the Brookings Institution opinion: https://bit.ly/40Jwsus The South China Morning Post reported that only 211 Americans studied in mainland China during the 2021-22 school year, according to the 2023 version of an annual US government-funded study by the Institute of International Education (IIE). In contrast, from 2018 to 2019, there were more than 11,000 American students in the mainland.The same study showed that during the 2022 to 2023 school year, 289,526 Chinese studied in the US, a slight decrease from the 290,086 during the previous school year. Enrolment from India, the second-largest source of foreign students in the US, reached an all-time high of 268,923 in the 2022-23 academic year, an increase of 35 per cent over the previous year.According to the Chinese embassy in Washington, during the past two-plus years, at least 70 Chinese students with legal visas were “interrogated, harassed and deported” by US law enforcement at their port of entry.The State Department issued about 91,000 visas this year to Chinese students, according to Brenda Grewe of the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. Marianne Craven , also of the State Department, said Chinese students were a “priority and valued by US universities”, noting that China is a key country for colleges’ recruitment efforts. U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said getting people-to-people interactions back on track was a “major priority” for him. Continuing a trend from the previous academic year, the number of Chinese pursuing undergraduate studies decreased during 2022-23, to 100,349 – a decrease of 8.4 per cent. Like last year, Chinese graduate students saw a single-digit percentage increase. From 2022-23, the number of graduate students rose by 2.3 per cent to 126,028, accounting for the plurality of the Chinese student population in the US at 43.5 per cent. And like last year, about half of the Chinese students studied maths, computer science, engineering and other “STEM” subjects. Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/3QOdMW0 Government Shutdown Averted For Now According to multiple media reports including CNN , President Joe Biden signed on November 16 the stopgap spending bill into law, averting a shutdown for now and setting up a contentious fight over funding in the new year. The plan is not a full-year spending bill and only extends funding until January 19 for priorities including military construction, veterans’ affairs, transportation, housing and the Energy Department. The rest of the government – anything not covered by the first step – will be funded until February 2.Read the CNN report: https://cnn.it/3G7JsRm Secret Surveillance Program Gives Cops Access to US Phone Records According to WIRED , a secretive government program is allowing federal, state, and local law enforcement to access phone records of Americans who are not suspected of a crime. US senator Ron Wyden wrote a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), challenging the program’s legality. A surveillance program now known as Data Analytical Services, or DAS, has for more than a decade allowed federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to mine the details of Americans’ calls, analyzing the phone records of countless people unsuspected of any crime, including victims. Using a technique known as chain analysis, the program targets not only those in direct phone contact with a criminal suspect but anyone with whom those individuals have been in contact with as well. The DAS program, formerly known as Hemisphere, is run in coordination with the telecom giant AT&T, which captures and conducts analysis of US call records for law enforcement agencies, from local police and sheriffs’ departments to US customs offices and postal inspectors across the country,First disclosed by the New York Times in September 2013 as Hemisphere, the DAS program—renamed in 2013—has since largely flown under the radar. Internal records obtained by the newspaper at the time concerning the program’s secrecy show that law enforcement had long been instructed to never “refer to Hemisphere in any official document.”The collection of call record data under DAS is not wiretapping, which on US soil requires a warrant based on probable cause. Call records stored by AT&T do not include recordings of any conversations. Instead, the records include a variety of identifying information, such as the caller and recipient’s names, phone numbers, and the dates and times they placed calls, for six months or more at a time. Documents released under public records laws show the DAS program has been used to produce location information on criminal suspects and their known associates, a practice deemed unconstitutional without a warrant in 2018. Earlier this month, Wyden and other lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced comprehensive privacy legislation known as the Government Surveillance Reform Act. The bill contains numerous provisions that, if enacted, would patch most if not all of these loopholes, effectively rendering the DAS program, in its current form, explicitly illegal. Read the WIRED report: https://bit.ly/46xYGtG News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/11/26 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/03 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/04 APA Justice monthly meeting 2023/12/10 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meeting2023/12/12 Community Briefing on Section 7022023/12/13 1882 Foundation - Repeal of Chinese Exclusion and Wang Kim Ark2023/12/17 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly town hall meetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Cosmos Club Luncheon Event on US-China Science and Technology Relations On November 16, 2023, the Cosmos Club hosted an in-person luncheon event on "Challenges and Opportunities: Defining US-China Science and Technology Relations." The featured speakers were Rebecca Spyke Keiser , chief of research security strategy and policy at the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Tobin (Toby) Smith , senior vice president for government relations and public policy at the Association of American Universities (AAU). They were engaged in an interactive discussion on the complex relationship between the US and China and its bearings on a plethora of science policy issues. Back View PDF November 22, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter