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Newsletter - #304 Arkansas Lawsuit Update; Meet Judith Teruya+; Legacies of Jimmy Carter; CJR Comment/WP #304 Arkansas Lawsuit Update; Meet Judith Teruya+; Legacies of Jimmy Carter; CJR Comment/WP In This Issue #304 · Latest Development on Arkansas Foreign Ownership Laws · Meet Judith Teruya - New Executive Director of CAPAC · The Legacies of Former President Jimmy Carter · CJR : Trump, the Public, and the Press · News and Activities for the Communities From Governor Gavin Newsom's Office - Get Help Today on LA Fires Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance: · Online at DisasterAssistance.gov · Calling 800-621-3362 · By using the FEMA smart phone application · Assistance is available in over 40 languages · If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Please share with your families, friends, and colleagues in the Los Angeles area. Latest Development on Arkansas Foreign Ownership Laws During the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025, Professor Robert "Bob" S. Chang , Executive Director of Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality at the University of California Irvine School of Law, provided background and updates on the latest development on the Arkansas foreign ownership laws. With over 30 years in the legal academy, Bob has focused on anti-Asian discrimination in law, including alien land laws. He described his growing concern as these laws began to re-emerge in recent years, particularly with Florida’s 2023 law. Collaborating with legal scholars like Rose Cuison Villazor (Rutgers Law School) and Jack Chin (UC Davis Law School), and the law firm Foley Hoag, Bob worked on an amicus brief addressing the historical and discriminatory dimensions of these laws. Bob highlighted parallels between historical and contemporary laws targeting minority groups, emphasizing how national security concerns often serve as a “fig leaf” to justify discriminatory practices. Drawing from his experience advancing Fred Korematsu ’s legacy, he explained that the use of national security as a pretext is a recurring theme in American history. Alien Land Laws and Recent Litigation Bob detailed the recent rise of alien land laws, noting that approximately 20 states are considering or have implemented new versions. He provided specific insights into Arkansas, where two laws were passed in 2023: one restricting agricultural land ownership and the other targeting land associated with data centers. Though framed as addressing “countries of concern” per the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list, evidence suggests these laws primarily target individuals and entities linked to China.Bob joined the Arkansas case after the complaint was filed, working with lead counsel Alexander Jones in the Little Rock office of Kutak Rock, and contributing a historical perspective to demonstrate the broader context and impact of such laws. Also joining in the case as co-counsel is Paul Hoffman , a clinical law professor at UC Irvine, along with several of the students in his civil rights clinic. Legal Strategies and Outcomes Bob discussed the legal strategies used to challenge these laws, including filing motions for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction. He humorously advised against filing such motions around Thanksgiving due to the intense workload, sharing that his team worked through the holiday to secure the preliminary injunction. Ultimately, the judge granted the preliminary injunction but based the decision on statutory claims of federal preemption without reaching the constitutional claims.The federal preemption claims relied on the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), emphasizing that land ownership related to national security is under federal, not state, jurisdiction. While this argument succeeded, Chang warned that changes in federal policy or administration could weaken this approach. Historical Lessons and Federal Advocacy Bob drew historical parallels to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, explaining how discriminatory state laws against Chinese immigrants in the 1870s led to federal legislation. He stressed the importance of proactive advocacy with organizations like APA Justice and engagement with groups like the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) to prevent discriminatory policies at the federal level. Ongoing and Future Litigation Bob highlighted the broader legal battle against alien land laws, noting active cases in multiple states. Arkansas just filed its notice to appeal the preliminary injunction, and similar cases in states like Tennessee and Florida are advancing through the courts. He underscored the importance of building strong coalitions and setting favorable legal precedents, as these cases may ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Conclusion Bob concluded by emphasizing the need for vigilance and collaboration to combat discriminatory laws effectively. He expressed his willingness to engage further with interested parties, both during the Q&A session and offline.A summary of the January 6 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. Meet Judith Teruya - New Executive Director of CAPAC During the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025, Judith Teruya spoke on her first official day as the Executive Director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) under Chairwoman Grace Meng . She acknowledged the longevity and importance of these efforts, stating, "You all have been doing this for a long time through a lot of different circumstances and different issues coming up in the community across the country." Judith introduced herself and highlighted her professional journey, which began in Congresswoman Meng’s office. During her tenure, Judith contributed to significant legislative achievements, including the “COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act”, the passage of the “AANHPI Museum Study Act”, and the creation of a commission to establish a “Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Museum”. Most recently, she served with the “White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI)” under Krystal Ka'ai ’s leadership before transitioning to her current role.Judith honored the legacy of CAPAC Chair Emeritus Judy Chu , acknowledging her transformative leadership over the years. Judith expressed her excitement about continuing CAPAC’s work and building upon its past achievements. Acknowledging the challenging political landscape ahead, she stated, "We know that the next couple of years are going to be a challenge. We know there are some challenging legislative battles that we have ahead of us in the House." Judith also referenced potential difficulties under a second Trump administration, noting, "We know from the first time around some of what we can expect... and so I really look forward to getting to work with you all." She emphasized the critical importance of ensuring that AANHPI communities are protected and actively involved in policymaking, saying, "Our communities must be seen, heard, and considered in the voices of policymaking, and not as an afterthought." Judith concluded by inviting collaboration and encouraging open communication, stating, "Please be in touch... I just look forward to getting to join you all monthly, moving forward.” Judith underscored her commitment to sustained engagement, listening to community concerns, and working together to address key issues impacting AANHPI communities.*****During the monthly meeting on January 6, Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director of Advancing Justice | AAJC, provided a brief update on AAJC's opposition to the reauthorization of the House Select Committee on the CCP. She acknowledged that opposing this reauthorization was an "uphill battle," a reality confirmed by the recent passage of the rules package that reauthorized the Select Committee. Despite this setback, Joanna expressed gratitude to all the groups that joined AAJC's letter of opposition and reaffirmed AAJC's commitment to combating "harmful rhetoric and policies" that could lead to discriminatory backlash against the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community. She concluded by reaffirming further updates and actions in the weeks and months to come.*****During the same meeting, Dr. Kai Li , Vice President of the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), highlighted AASF's efforts and upcoming initiatives, emphasizing its role as a leading voice for the Asian American scholar community. He noted concerns about the potential resurgence of the "Chinese Initiative," stressing its negative impact on civil rights, talent retention, and U.S. competitiveness in global talent. Kai discussed AASF’s ongoing research on talent retention. A previous analysis revealed a significant loss of talent in the U.S., exacerbated by a chilling effect stemming from investigations targeting Asian American scholars. To deepen their understanding, AASF is initiating a new round of data analysis with updated information through 2024, aiming to uncover the primary reasons behind this talent exodus.AASF is also launching a national survey to gather feedback on new policies from scholars of all backgrounds. This effort includes collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to understand reactions among scientists. The survey aims to facilitate closer cooperation with federal agencies and provide insights for policymaking.Kai mentioned discussions with university lobbying offices in Washington, D.C., regarding shared concerns. They include: · Potential taxation of university endowments. · Penalties for universities perceived as misaligned with administration priorities. · Legislative proposals restricting access to educational and economic opportunities for students from specific countries, particularly China. · Issues such as visa revocations at borders and penalizations of individuals based on historical affiliations with entities now on restricted lists. Kai reported that at AASF’s Annual Symposium at Stanford University on July 25-27, 2024, in partnership with the NSF, six Asian American scientists were recognized for their groundbreaking contributions with inaugural Asian American Pioneer Medals. · Nasir Ahmed : Inventor of discrete cosine transform, enabling modern video conferencing. · Raj Reddy : Developer of continuous speech recognition technology. · Teresa Meng : Innovator in Wi-Fi communication. · Frank Chung : Creator of the power amplifier for prolonged phone use. · Hyungsup Choi : Pioneer in semiconductor memory technology. · Dawon Kahng and Simon Sze : Co-inventors of floating gate memory, the fathers of flash memory. Dawon Kahng also invented MOSFET, the fundamental technology for semiconductor chips. Simon Sze published a book considered as the bible for semiconductors devices. A summary of the January 6 monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. The Legacies of Former President Jimmy Carter Dr. Yawei Liu , Senior Advisor of the Carter Center, has been involved with the center for over 25 years. During the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025, Yawei delivered an insightful talk reflecting on the life, values, and contributions of former President Jimmy Carter , emphasizing lesser-known aspects of his legacy.Yawei highlighted President Carter's humility, honesty, and integrity, noting that while his presidency (1977–1981) is often criticized, his post-presidential accomplishments elevated him to one of the most admired former presidents. Yawei emphasized President Carter's refusal to capitalize on his political status, stating, “He would not take a penny” from honorariums or his Nobel Peace Prize earnings, instead directing all proceeds to philanthropic causes. Yawei noted, “His income is his pension, the royalties from his 33 books, and the proceeds from his farm.”President Carter’s modest lifestyle was underscored with examples such as his return to Plains, Georgia, where he lived in a $170,000, three-bedroom home. Yawei remarked, “The house, along with its three-acre compound, is cheaper than the Secret Service Suburban parked outside.” Carter and his wife, Rosalynn , planned to be buried on this property. President Carter's Humanitarian Efforts The Carter Center led a global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, reducing cases from 3.5 million in 1986 to just 11 in recent years. Yawei quoted President Carter’s lifelong wish: “I would like to see all the worms gone before I die,” acknowledging the near success of this effort.President Carter’s 33-year dedication to volunteering a week annually with Habitat for Humanity exemplified his commitment to grassroots humanitarian work. He also lent his reputation to "The Elders," a group of former global leaders mediating conflicts worldwide, significantly enhancing its credibility. Diplomatic Contributions Yawei shed light on President Carter’s underappreciated role in resolving the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula in the early 1990s. His 1994 meeting with Kim Il-sung helped establish a framework for peace, which later administrations attempted to follow.President Carter’s pivotal role in normalizing U.S.-China diplomatic relations in 1979 was another focus. President Carter’s interest in China began in childhood, inspired by letters from his uncle, a merchant marine, and his awareness of Baptist missionary work in the region. His first visit to China in 1949 exposed him to the devastation of the civil war, deepening his understanding of the country’s challenges. Yawei emphasized the lasting benefits of President Carter’s work, noting that normalization turned East Asia into a global economic engine. Yawei concluded by quoting President Carter's 2018 op-ed, where he called for “courageous leadership” to prevent a U.S.-China cold war. President Carter advocated for continued engagement, arguing that policies initiated under President Richard Nixon and solidified during his presidency brought peace and prosperity to East Asia. Rejecting engagement outright, President Carter warned, was “ludicrous and absurd.” Yawei celebrated President Carter’s enduring legacy as a global humanitarian and diplomat, urging future leaders to uphold his principles of humility, service, and a vision for a peaceful, interconnected world.A summary of the January 6 monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. CJR : Trump, the Public, and the Press On January 6, 2025, the Columbia Journalism Review article, "Trump, the Public, and the Press," examines the dynamic between Donald Trump ’s presidency, media coverage, and the influence of billionaire ownership in journalism. It highlights Trump’s combative relationship with the press, noting his ability to bypass traditional media through rhetoric and direct communication. This strategy, combined with his attacks on "fake news," has eroded public trust in journalism. The article discusses the challenges faced by media outlets owned by billionaires like Jeff Bezos ( The Washington Post ) and Patrick Soon-Shiong ( Los Angeles Times ), emphasizing the tightrope they walk between perceived bias, commercial interests, and editorial independence. The piece observes that “the public’s trust in media has plummeted, exacerbated by political polarization and a president who weaponized distrust.” The article also explores the broader implications of billionaire ownership in journalism. It raises concerns about how ownership can shape editorial direction, subtly aligning coverage with owners’ business interests or avoiding topics that could provoke political or financial backlash. “When billionaires own the press, the line between public interest and private interest can blur dangerously,” the article warns. It urges journalists to remain steadfast in their commitment to accountability and truth-telling despite growing external pressures, particularly in an era rife with misinformation and political manipulation. "The truth may not matter to the wealthy owners and CEOs who are treating Trump as much like a pope as a president. But journalists must redouble our efforts to expose every conflict of interest, every lie, and every threat to democracy," the article concludes.The article was authored by Norman Pearlstine . He began his journalism career in the 1960s. He has served as managing editor at the Wall Street Journal ; editor in chief, chief content officer, and vice chairman at Time Inc .; senior adviser at the Carlyle Group; chief content officer at Bloomberg News ; and executive editor of the Los Angeles Times . Read the Columbia Journalism Review article: https://bit.ly/4afy2Jx In a related story on January 9, 2025, New York Magazine reported "It’s Open Season on the Washington Post ." The report delves into the internal struggles and controversies facing The Washington Post as it grapples with leadership changes, financial pressures, and declining morale. Under CEO Will Lewis , the paper has faced layoffs, shrinking subscriptions, and waning confidence in its editorial vision. Interim executive editor Matt Murray has acknowledged “choppy waters ahead” for the publication. Jeff Bezos ’s intervention in rescinding the editorial board’s endorsement of Kamala Harris reportedly led to 250,000 subscription cancellations, further intensifying internal discord. Ann Telnaes , a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who recently left The Post , highlighted frustrations with the changing culture of the newsroom. Telnaes had created a cartoon that was ultimately blocked from publication by the paper's leadership. Reflecting on her departure, Telnaes said, “It’s not just about one cartoon—it’s about the larger issue of whether The Washington Post is still willing to take a stand.” Her departure underscores broader concerns, as one staffer noted that The Post is increasingly seen as “a stepping stone rather than a destination.” These issues have cast a shadow over the Post ’s ability to retain its identity as a journalistic powerhouse.Read the New York Magazine report: https://nym.ag/4gax7vj News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/01/17-03/15 2025 Asian American Stories Video Contest: My Gift to America2025/01/19 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/01/23 Community Reactions to the Trump Administration’s “Day One” Priorities2025/02/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/02/13-15 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting2025/02/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/05 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Erratum George Ping Shan Koo 顧屏山 was born in Changting, China, in 1938. It was incorrectly reported as Hong Kong in APA Justice Newsletter Issue #303 . # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF January 17, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #404 8/3 Monthly Meeting; Science in US Needs Plan; Coalition Pushes Back; AASF Symposium;+ #404 8/3 Monthly Meeting; Science in US Needs Plan; Coalition Pushes Back; AASF Symposium;+ In This Issue #404 · 2026/08/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Science : University Science in the US Needs a Coherent Plan · A Coalition Pushes Back Against OMB Rule · AASF 2026 Frontiers and Pioneers Symposium · News and Activities for the Communities 2026/08/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates from: · 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) We are honored to welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Tam Dao , Associate Vice President of Public Safety and Research Security, Rice University · Kenny Evans , Fellow in Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Rice University · Sarah Stalker-Lehoux , Acting Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy, National Science Foundation · Roger Innes , Distinguished Professor, Biology, Indiana University 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 - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Science : University Science in the US Needs a Coherent Plan The Science editorial , published July 23, 2026, argues that the Trump administration's ongoing actions are systematically undermining U.S. academic science, and that universities' collective silence in response is making the crisis worse. The Evidence of Harm: · Graduate student enrollment at major research universities (which award half of all U.S. doctorates) has dropped 15% year-over-year, driven by immigration policies deterring international students and funding uncertainty that makes universities hesitant to commit to new doctoral students. · National Science Foundation (NSF) recently cut basic science grants by up to 30% or more, shifting support away from academic research toward entrepreneurial tech initiatives. · Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ignored bipartisan pushback and refused to extend the comment period on its proposal to shift grant-approval power from peer review boards to political appointees — the same rule covered in APA Justice's prior newsletter coverage . · High-profile scientists are leaving: Nobel laureate chemist Omar Yaghi departed UC Berkeley for Tsinghua University in China to lead a new AI-driven materials science institute, and chemist David Nicewicz left UNC Chapel Hill for Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, citing a desire to be in a "country that truly cares about the development and welfare of its citizens." The Core Critique: The editorial's central argument is not just about administration policy — it is about institutional failure. Only a handful of organizations (AAAS and the Association of American Medical Colleges) issued immediate, firm condemnations of the OMB rule. Most universities that objected did so quietly, at the last minute, with minimal follow-through beyond their formal comments — Yale and Duke are cited as rare exceptions. The author attributes this caution to fear of retaliation from the administration. The most concrete, actionable resistance is coming not from universities but from activist organizations like Stand Up for Science. Meanwhile, university leadership is described as more focused on competing with each other for visibility than coordinating a unified response. The Ask: The editorial calls for a "coherent plan" — a clear, practical strategy from academic leadership on how U.S. science can survive and adapt to the current political climate. If university leaders disagree with the more confrontational approach of groups like Stand Up for Science, the piece argues they owe the scientific community a clearly articulated alternative — rather than leaving faculty, students, and prospective students to navigate a "messy patchwork of guidance" without direction. A Coalition Pushes Back Against OMB Rule As the White House's sweeping OMB grantmaking rule moves toward finalization, a coalition of activist organizations, faculty unions, and scientific societies has emerged as the clearest, most organized source of opposition — filling a vacuum left by largely quiet university leadership, as covered in a separate article in this issue. Stand Up for Science: Leading the Fight Founded in 2025 amid the administration's disruption of federal science funding, Stand Up for Science (SUFS) has become one of the most active organizations tracking and opposing the OMB rule specifically. Founder and CEO Colette Delawalla described the group's work as "a frankly enormous campaign educating the public and scientists" on what the rule actually contains. SUFS published a detailed " Impact Report " on the proposal and a plain-language explainer flagging specific legal vulnerabilities — including its finding that the rule's "domestic first framework" restricting foreign collaboration appears to conflict with CHIPS and Science Act carve-outs that expressly permit certain international research exchanges, and that OMB devoted unusually extensive legal justification to its DEI restrictions and expanded grant-termination authority, a sign the agency may be bracing for litigation. This CHIPS Act tension echoes the concerns Stanford physicist Peter Michelson raised regarding NSF's SECURE program, covered in our OMB rule article elsewhere in this issue. SUFS also built public tools making it easier to file substantive, individualized comments rather than form letters, and partnered with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on public action events, including a June 18 educational webinar and a July 13 "OMB Deadline Day Rally" billed as "the fight is just beginning." For more information, visit the Stand Up for Science website. The Scientific Societies Mobilize According to an analysis by Tech Policy Press , roughly 70 scientific and professional societies filed formal comments opposing the rule, an outsized share by influence, since organizational comments tend to carry more technical and legal weight than individual submissions. Among the most prominent: · AAAS , publisher of Science , submitted a comment identifying three core harms: OMB overreach, political control over grantmaking and terminations, and expanded restrictions on international cooperation — arguing the rule would "overemphasize political objectives in scientific priority setting" while "deemphasiz[ing] scientific opportunity, merit-based expert peer review, and the needs of American patients, industries, and workers." · The American Physical Society called the rule an "unequivocal threat" to the peer-review system underlying U.S. scientific leadership. · The American Astronomical Society , representing roughly 9,000 members, warned the rule would "cause significant harm to the scientific community, research institutions, and professional societies," specifically flagging new restrictions on covering conference attendance and publishing costs. · The American Association for Cancer Research mobilized its 66,000 members, warning the rule would "undermine scientific independence, restrict collaborations, disrupt the dissemination of research, and seriously threaten progress against cancer." · The American Society for Microbiology flagged that the rule's prohibition on using federal funds for publication costs would force researchers to divert limited funding away from training and mentoring early-career scientists. · The American Geophysical Union , whose board member Tanya Furman warned that restricting scientists' ability to share results "damages our nation and leaves us unable to compete," joined the American Mathematical Society in filing detailed technical objections. · The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS) , representing the federal statistics and data research community, filed a comment calling for the rule to be "withdrawn in their entirety," warning that "by introducing political oversight, sudden funding instability, and broad self-censorship requirements into the grant-making process, this rule directly threatens the integrity, continuity, and accessibility of vital research" — arguing that accurate, objective, and timely federal data is "the bedrock of public policy, economic forecasting, and scientific progress." · The American Council on Education (ACE) led a coalition of over 60 higher education associations in a joint formal response calling on OMB to withdraw the proposal entirely. · Even the New England Journal of Medicine weighed in: Editor-in-Chief Eric Rubin , a Harvard professor, said the rule "would certainly be bad for Boston," reflecting concern from a region where research institutions employ thousands of federally funded workers. · FASEB , a federation of scientific societies, has announced a "Phase 2" of advocacy focused on direct congressional engagement now that the comment period has closed. An analysis by STAT of the submitted comments found that science advocacy groups and scientific journals led the initial wave of opposition, with higher education coalitions, professional societies, and individual researchers following — and even some industry groups, typically cautious about criticizing the administration, submitting comments as well. Bipartisan Congressional Pushback This advocacy coalition found some traction on Capitol Hill. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized the rule's mid-award termination provisions and new payment-justification requirements, warning they would disproportionately burden small and rural communities alongside scientific and biomedical research. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) submitted a letter of opposition with 125 co-signers. House Democrats Frank Pallone , Diana DeGette , and Yvette Clarke separately called the rule an "obvious power grab" that "threatens to inflict severe harm on the nation's biomedical research enterprise by usurping the critical role of scientific experts in the approval and funding of grants." What's Next With the comment period closed and OMB expected to review nearly 497,000 submissions before finalizing the rule by its October 1 target date, this coalition's next moves — particularly FASEB's promised congressional engagement push and any legal challenges organizations may be preparing — will likely determine whether the record public opposition translates into meaningful changes to the rule. AASF 2026 Frontiers and Pioneers Symposium WHAT: 2026 Frontiers and Pioneers Symposium WHEN : August 7-9, 2026 WHERE : Stanford University HOSTS : Asian American Scholar Forum, Asian American Research Center at Stanford DESCRIPTION : A 3-day gathering hosted by the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), in partnership with Stanford University's Asian American Research Center, bringing together scholars, researchers, students, and thought leaders to explore the contributions of Asian Americans in STEM and academia — and the challenges they face. The event includes panels, sessions, and a formal medal ceremony honoring Asian American pioneers in fields like energy, AI, life sciences, and leadership. REGISTRATION: https://www.aafuturefoundation.org/ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/08/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/08/05 C100: The Impact of AI on Asian American Careers in Technology 2026/08/07-09 AASF: Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony 2026/08/26 C100: An Advice and Networking Event (Technology)Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the APA Justice website at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF July 27, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Chinese American? Who is a Chinese American? What is the Chinese American population? These questions may appear simple on the surface, but they are subject to definitions and interpretations. They have also evolved over time. Defining Chinese American For data collection purposes, the Office of Management and Budget is the official authority to define racial and ethnic categories for the United States. Today, Chinese American is a sub-category of Asian American, defined as "A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam." This government definition generally reflects a recognized social definition. It is not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically, nor is it linked to the standard geographical definitions. In practice, an individual associates his or her race and ethnicity by self-identification. The U.S. Census Bureau produces official statistics on the Chinese American population according to this definition and self-identified data, which include U.S. citizens and nationals, as well as permanent residents. Under this definition and interpretation, a Chinese American may also be described as a Chinese in America. Definition used in social, legal and other applications may vary, such as the requirement of U.S. citizenship. Basic Statistics The first recorded arrival of three Chinese sailors in the U.S. travelled from Canton (now Guangzhou), China on board the ship Pallas to Baltimore, Maryland in August 1785. The first recorded Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. around 1820. By 1860, the census counted 34,933 Chinese living in California. More than three quarters of them were miners and laborers who first came to the U.S. during the 1848-1855 Gold Rush and then helped built and completed the First Transcontinental Railroad by 1869. The 2010 census showed that the Asian population grew faster than any other race group over the previous decade. Chinese Americans was the largest detailed Asian group, with about 3.3 million people reporting Chinese alone and an additional 700,000 people identifying as both Chinese and one or more additional detailed Asian groups and/or another race. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the Census Bureau estimated a population of Chinese Americans of one or more races to be slightly over 5 million, or about 1.5% of the total U.S. population. Additional statistics on Chinese in America are available from, for example, the Census Bureau , the Migration Policy Institute , and the Pew Research Center . Beyond Statistics Beyond these statistics, the Chinese American population is complex as it has evolved over the past two hundred years. Several waves of immigrations have occurred; they were also severely repressed for more than 60 years under the Chinese Exclusion Act. There are American-born Chinese (ABC) whose roots have been here for generations; there are also recent naturalized citizens and immigrants of diverse economic and educational background who came from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and the rest of the world. Not surprisingly, more in-depth understanding about the Chinese American population varies according to perspectives, experiences, and even aspirations, notably between ABCs and more recent naturalized citizens and immigrants. Two prominent Chinese American leaders of such diverse background, who have long been engaged with APA Justice, offer their views on this topic. They are: Frank H. Wu (吴华扬), William L. Prosser Distinguished Professor, University of California Hastings College of the Law and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White . Frank was born in Cleveland, Ohio, son of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan. His paper, "The New Chinese Diaspora Embracing the Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner? ," was orginally published in Chinese Historical Society of America: History & Perspectives . Chinese translation of the paper was made by Kathy Liu, Steve Ning, and Julia Pan. Xiaoyan Zhang (张小彥), visiting professor at University of Pittsburgh and Chair of United Chinese Americans (UCA). Xiaoyang was born in Beijing, China and came to the U.S. in the early 1980s. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Xiaoyan authored the UCA manifesto "From Sojourner to Citizen " in 2018 and shares a paper here "American Democracy in the Eyes of a New Immigrant from China " about his personal experience and understanding. A Chinese verison is also available. China Policy: Huaren and Huaqiao The Chinese diaspora, consisting of both Chinese living overseas who are citizens of China (huaqiao 华侨), and people of Chinese descent who are citizens of foreign countries (huaren 华人), have significantly shaped the making of modern China. China’s policy towards its diaspora is primarily governed by its national interests and foreign policy imperatives. However, the Chinese government has been careful to ensure that the huaqiao and the huaren fall into different policy domains: Chinese citizens living overseas are subject to China’s domestic policies, while Chinese descendants who are citizens of other countries come under China’s foreign affairs. Nevertheless, from the beginning, the latter continue to be regarded as kinsfolk distinct from other foreign nationals. The huaqiao-huaren distinction is often blurred in ordinary discourse and this has been a source of much misunderstanding. However, it has not been the policy of the Chinese government to blur this distinction, and it is acutely aware of the complexity of the issue and is therefore very cautious about implying any change. As such, when terms such as huaqiao-huaren are introduced in the official lexicon, they are meant to acknowledge certain historical and contemporary realities, and not to deliberately obfuscate the two categories. The use of the combined term is in fact a recognition of the clear-cut distinction between the two groups, and is meant to convey a semantic balance in which neither category is emphasized at the expense of the other. And more from below by Wu Xiaoan, professor of history at Peking University and director of its Centre for the Study of Chinese Overseas Huaren or huaqiao? Beijing respects the difference and is not coercing foreigners to toe its line China’s Evolving Policy Towards The Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia (1949–2018) US Policy: National, Citizenship, US Persons U.S. State Department on Dual Nationality and Citizenship : Section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that “the term ‘national of the United States’ means (A) a citizen of the United States, or (B) a person who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.” Therefore, U.S. citizens are also U.S. nationals. Non-citizen nationality status refers only individuals who were born either in American Samoa or on Swains Island to parents who are not citizens of the United States. The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own nationality laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth. Or, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. However, persons who acquire a foreign nationality after age 18 by applying for it may relinquish their U.S. nationality if they wish to do so... Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws. It is important to note the problems attendant to dual nationality. Claims of other countries upon U.S. dual-nationals often place them in situations where their obligations to one country are in conflict with the laws of the other. For data collection and national security purposes, a "U.S. person" includes citizens, lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens, and corporations incorporated in the United States. See U.S. Code § 1801 (i): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1801 VS

Newsletter - #191: 7/3 Meeting; Florida report; National Network; Unity/Allies; Anti-Asian Hate '24; More #191: 7/3 Meeting; Florida report; National Network; Unity/Allies; Anti-Asian Hate '24; More In This Issue #191 2023/07/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Time: Florida Really Just Banned Chinese Immigrants from Owning Property. We're Suing National Media Network - Summary of Inaugural Roundtable Lessons Learned: Building Unity and Allies U.S. Anti-China Land Laws Draw Fear of Asian Hate Ahead of 2024 Vote News and Activities for the Communities REMINDER. 2023/06/26 Webinar: Perils of Warrantless Surveillance WHEN : June 26, 2023, 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT REGISTER TO ATTEND : https://bit.ly/42AbNIF 2023/07/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, July 3, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), speakers will include: Al Green , Member of U.S. House of Representatives; Member, Executive Board and Chair of Housing Task Force, CAPAC, on alien land bills and multicultural advocacy coalition Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance 华美维权同盟, on the recent developments of the Florida lawsuit Scott Chang , Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance, on NFHA and its work on alien land bills Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, on NAPABA's work on alien land bills and related activities Cindy Tsai , Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100, on the recent roles and activities of C100 The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. 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 . Time: Florida Really Just Banned Chinese Immigrants from Owning Property. We're Suing According to a Time article authored by Patrick Toomey of ACLU and Clay Zhu of DeHeng Law Offices and CALDA on June 21, 2023, barring people from buying a house because of where they’re from is unconstitutional and unacceptable. And yet that’s exactly what Florida’s new law attempts to do.On May 8, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 264 into law, putting much of Florida off-limits to many Chinese immigrants, including people here lawfully as professors, students, employees, and scientists who are looking to buy a home in the state. The law also unfairly discriminates against many immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But it singles out people from China for especially draconian restrictions and harsher criminal penalties.With geopolitical tensions between the United States and Chinese government rising, we are once again seeing politicians like DeSantis lean into racism, hate, and fear for their own political gain. Florida’s pernicious new law weaponizes false claims of “national security” against Asian immigrants and others.Worryingly, Florida is not alone. Lawmakers across the country are trying to enact similar laws to ban Chinese citizens and other immigrants from owning property, but Florida’s is the first one to pass and go into effect. That’s why the ACLU, the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance, the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund, and the law firm Quinn Emanuel—are working to challenge Florida’s unconstitutional law in court and have asked a judge to block the law from going into effect on July 1.The Florida law will not keep Floridians safe. It instead codifies and expands housing discrimination against people of Asian descent—something expressly forbidden by the Fair Housing Act. It will also put a burden of suspicion on anyone with a name that sounds vaguely Asian (not to mention Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian), perpetuating racist stereotypes even more.This is history repeating itself: 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. Discriminatory new land laws in Florida and other states around the country could cause immense harm, too. The plaintiffs in our lawsuit are Chinese immigrants who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida—but they will soon be prohibited from purchasing real estate there. Zhiming Xu , is a Chinese citizen who lives in Florida and came to the U.S. after fleeing political persecution in China. Earlier this year, Xu signed a contract to purchase a new home near Orlando, with a closing date of September 2023. But because of Florida’s law, he will be forced to cancel the contract, putting both his deposit and his dreams for the future in jeopardy.In addition to imposing economic harms on immigrants and their communities, the law fuels discrimination and xenophobia. DeSantis and the Florida legislature have sent a clear message: The state believes home ownership by Chinese citizens is a threat to national security. This view is racist and baseless. Just as there was no actual evidence to justify the alien land laws of an earlier era, there is no evidence of any actual national security harm resulting from real estate ownership by Chinese people in Florida.At a time when one in two Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in the U.S. due to their ethnicity and nearly 80% don’t feel they fully belong or are accepted, Florida’s leaders have a responsibility to the people who live there to do better. Until they do, we’ll see them in court.Read the Time article: https://bit.ly/43QtTHZ National Media Network - Summary of Inaugural Roundtable During the APA Justice monthly meeting on April 3, 2023, Paula Madison proposed a proactive and assertive national media alert network for the Asian American community. On April 17, 2023, APA Justice hosted a virtual by-invitation-only Inaugural Roundtable for two purposes: Assertively address immediate xenophobic challenges to our freedoms Consider longer-term proactive actions to ensure fairness and justice for all, including the AAPI and immigrant communities The Asian American and immigrant communities are in turbulent times again, facing enormous cross-cutting challenges for many years to come. The Inaugural Roundtable is intended to be a diverse and inclusive "big tent" with additional participants and observers to build an organic, focused and structured approach. In essence, our communities lacks an infrastructure to address issues, and we need to build one that is diverse, sustainable, and ready.In addition to APA Justice as the host, 11 organizations were invited to speak at the Roundtable. About 100 individuals and representatives of additional groups registered, attended, or spoke during the Q&A session of the online event.Three rounds of questions were asked of each Roundtable member, followed by discussions. The floor was then opened to all participants and observers. The discussions covered a wide variety of issues and perspectives such as the historical and current state for the Asian American and immigrant communities including societal racism and bias; the need to combat stereotypes and to accentuate the contributions with education and sustainable actions; the positive and negative roles of the media in addressing recent events; understanding and exercising our constitutional and civil rights; the fundamental divide between the scientific and law enforcement perspectives; the importance of avoiding silos and building bonds and enduring relationships; the potential actions and use of technology to reach out across generational, racial, and industry boundaries; the establishment of strategies, unity, and readiness to change narratives and address immediate and anticipated issues; training and calling for strike teams and a bureau of well-versed speakers ready for action on short notice; and filing lawsuits and taking legal actions to fight injustice. At the conclusion of the Roundtable, Paula quoted Desmond Tutu , “there is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” She summarized her observations and suggested follow-up actions that include: Organize and provide media training Reach out and build allies Create a playbook Identify a group of speakers ready to speak Employ playbook and deploy strike teams APA Justice has created a web page to cover the continuing development of this national media network: https://bit.ly/46iOshL Lessons Learned: Building Unity and Allies 1. Vincent Chin and the Asian American Civil Rights Movement On June 23, 2023, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) members issued a press release to mark the 41st anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin , a 27-year-old Chinese American mistaken to be Japanese who was killed in an act of hate in Detroit. His killing sparked Asian American communities to rise up for justice. The Vincent Chin Institute was launched on April 26, 2023, along with a free online Vincent Chin Legacy Guide in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Bengali, and Chinese (traditional and simplified). In May 1984, Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared in San Francisco Chinatown with Vincent Chin's mother, Lily Chin . As he took the stage, he said, "Our hearts are made heavy by a mother who sits here with us, whose son was brutally killed, just because he was. What can we do in the aftermath?" In his speech , he drew parallels between Emmett Till 's lynching and Vincent Chin's murder, showing just how similar the struggles of both communities were and the need to "redefine America." Two of the recommendations of the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide authored by Helen Zia are: Be a courageous ally. Call out anti-Asian hate for what it is: anti-Asian bias, intolerance, prejudice, discrimination, racism, bigotry. It's not anti-Asian "sentiment." Support solidarity movements of people of color and people of conscience to fight systemic racism and other forms of institutionalized inequity. Read the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide : https://bit.ly/3LlhTWy 2. Inclusion Within The Asian American Community According to the Migration Policy Institute on January 12, 2023, the 1965 removal of barriers for non-European immigrants to the U.S. was a game changer for increasing immigration, as were relaxed emigration controls by China in 1978 and improved U.S.-China relations. The number of Chinese immigrants residing in the U.S. nearly doubled from 1980 to 1990, and again by 2000. Since then, the population has continued growing at a slower but still rapid pace. According to a June 2022 report by AAPIData , the majority of Asians and multi-racial Asian adults and adult citizens in the US is foreign born, with both numbers being above 60% for either group. About two-thirds of those of Chinese origin were born outside of the U.S. In " A Note To Asian-American Activists About New Arrivals " published by Huffington Post on March 18, 2017, Frank Wu -- Author, Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White and current President of Queens College of City University of New York -- observed a divide: To us [those who are either born in the U.S. or immigrants from many decades ago], they are very Asian. To them [new arrivals in the last 35-40 years], we are very American. But it need not be 'us' versus 'them.'"Wu implored Asian American activists to reach out to the "new arrivals." “We have to give [new arrivals] space too. We would be hypocrites otherwise,” he wrote. "It is important to sustain coalitions. We fought for a 'seat at the table.' It would be wrong for us to be any less than wholeheartedly welcoming to those who look like us." "If Asian Americans want the concept of 'Asian American' to last another generation, we must figure out how to engage with all who belong to an artificial, fragile category. The failure of the movement will be on us. We must come together." 3. 2023/08/26 March on Washington On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered what would become one of the most influential speeches in history, proclaiming to the world, "I Have a Dream." More than a quarter million people participated in the event. According to the Anti-Defamation League, a coalition is organizing an in-person March on Washington on the 60th anniversary of the event. Read the ADL announcement for the event: https://bit.ly/3pflxug 4. African American History is American History According to a Zocalo essay by Stacy Braukman , in 1956, Florida’s state legislature established a committee in 1956 to investigate legal infractions by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as any links that the organization might have to subversive groups. The Florida Legislative Investigation Committee was led by state senator Charley Johns first targeted the NAACP. Spying on and harassing members, the Johns Committee held a series of public hearings in which they tried to show that the organization was breaking the law, that it had been infiltrated by communists, and that social equality (a euphemism for interracial marriage) was its true aim. In an effort to fight the influences it saw transforming society, the Johns Committee would turn into a vehicle for identifying, interrogating, and removing homosexuals from schools and universities, while also attacking other groups it believed were threatening traditional American values.The broad targeting of groups and manipulation of public fear in the face of cultural change emerged as a set of strategies is still in use today. On June 19, 2023, a podcast by MSNBC's Deja News examined how the NAACP effectively fought back in the 1950s and asked what we can learn as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a new war on wokeness [dictionary definition: a state of being aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality]. June 19, Juneteenth Day, is a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.On June 21, 2023, Tampa Bay Times reported on "A protest on wheels: ‘Stay Woke Florida!’ tour makes stop in Tampa." A statewide bus tour aimed at voter registration and community advocacy rolled into Tampa as organizers worked to combat education initiatives they say are adversely affecting people of color and the LGBTQ+ population. The “Stay Woke Florida!” bus tour is an effort among several groups. Key among the issues the groups were protesting: a new law banning the instruction of critical race theory, decisions to remove certain books from school shelves, regulations prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom and the state’s defunding of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Read the Tampa Bay Times report: https://bit.ly/42WvdHJ U.S. Anti-China Land Laws Draw Fear of Asian Hate Ahead of 2024 Vote On June 24, 2023, Nikkei Asia reported on a wave of legislation in several U.S. states that aims to block real estate purchases by Chinese citizens that has many Chinese Americans dreading next year's presidential campaign cycle, fearing another rise of anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes against the community.Based on data provided by APA Justice, 11 states have such laws in place as of June. Positioned as measures to guard against hostile foreign influence, those bills block property or land purchases by citizens from "countries of concern," effectively singling out Chinese citizens. Florida had roughly 100,000 people of Chinese descent living in the state in 2021, of whom 73% are foreign-born immigrants. The land law will not only heavily impact the Chinese community but also the Asian population in the state. Steven Pei and Jeremy Wu of APA Justice and Robert Sakaniwa of APIAVote were interviewed for the report. Steven Pei said he is not subject to this law but is very concerned about its effects.¶ Major real estate companies have drawn up contracts to reflect the new law. "There were people here with H1-B visas [who] had their agreement with the company canceled, the impact is real," he said, referring to visas for high-skilled college-educated foreign workers.¶ "Because you identified these countries in the bill, you put a target on our back as well," Pei continued.¶ "Most Asian American communities will suffer different degrees of collateral damage," Pei said, predicting anti-China rhetoric on the campaign trail for the 2024 presidential election. Jeremy Wu sees the rush of land bills as evidence of volatile times ahead for Chinese Americans.¶ "We are, again, seeing the tension between the U.S. and another Asian country," he said.¶ Wu sees the rush of land bills as evidence of volatile times ahead for Chinese Americans. "We are, again, seeing the tension between the U.S. and another Asian country."¶ Wu cited a confluence of factors that have contributed to the political headwinds facing the community -- international tension that tends to stoke racism, aggressive prosecution of suspected Chinese spies under the former China Initiative, political polarization, as well as Asian Americans' history of being scapegoated.¶ "I think they all come together and we are facing another peak of turbulent times," he said. "And it may be here for quite a few years."¶ "I am very alarmed by it, I think these issues will hit another peak in 2024 because of the election," said Wu. "But even after 2024, I see the tension continuing [because of] the one-upmanship between the two parties, who is going to be tougher than the other."¶ "National security is important, but it should not dominate or scapegoat groups of people in our society... Some are newer immigrants, some will become naturalized citizens," Wu added. Robert Sakaniwa said, "I think it creates a big dilemma [for the conservative demographic], they will reevaluate and see who is pushing and supporting this type of discriminatory law, who is working with the communities to put a stop to this type of legislation. I think this issue has risen to a top tier issue because it [concerns] whether a person feels like they belong in this country."¶ "Most voters are driven by health care, education and the economy, but if you're not considered a part of the society in the political process, then you have no voice for all the other issues," Sakaniwa said. Read the Nikkei Asia report: https://s.nikkei.com/44hPuJa Do laws preventing Chinese from buying US land even make sense? According to Responsible Statecraft on June 20, 2023, using competition with — and fear of — China as a justification for legislation that touches on virtually all aspects of American life has become the norm in Washington. The total number of bills in which the word “China” is cited during the current session of Congress is rapidly approaching 400. The trend is alive and well at the state level as well. Florida and North Dakota are among the more than two dozen that have passed or considered legislation restricting Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland in the past few months. Similar legislation is being taken up in the U.S. Congress. The explicit goal of this kind of legislation is two-fold. One is food security. The second is couched in national security, citing the alleged threat of Chinese nationals buying farm land near U.S. military bases, which could be used “as a launching pad for espionage.” As Reid Smith , vice president for foreign policy at Stand Together, recently put it, these and other similar efforts are often “a solution in search of a problem.” Foreign entities currently own approximately three percent of all privately owned farmland in the country. Of this total, Chinese nationals hold less than one percent, with a total of about 400,000 acres. Advocates for U.S. farmers say that blaming Chinese and other foreign nationals for food insecurity misdiagnoses the true root of the problem, which they say is the rapid increase over the last 15 years in agricultural land ownership by wealthy individuals, pension funds, and multinational corporations. “Our concern is really focused on the corporatization of agricultural land, and the impacts and implications of that for local food systems for farmer livelihoods,” Jordan Treakle , the National Programs and Policy Coordinator at the National Family Farm Coalition, told Responsible Statecraft . He noted that Bill Gates is the nation’s largest private farmland owner, and the U.S.-based financial services company TIAA is the largest corporate farmland holder. “So it’s been quite disappointing to see this issue of foreign government or foreign person, agricultural land investment be raised in what we see as a pretty xenophobic way.” Even if there are some legitimate concerns about foreign ownership of agricultural land, some of the proposed solutions are so sweeping that activists fear that the rhetoric will only fuel growing anti-Asian sentiment in the country, as expressed by the nonprofit Asian Texans for Justice, when a like-minded bill passed in the Texas state senate last month. “We are disappointed that the Texas Senate has passed SB147 on the Senate floor. Since November, the rhetoric used in discussing this legislation has been rooted in xenophobia and racism. No amendments can undo the harm already caused to the AAPI community in Texas.” News and Activities for the Communities 1. 2023/07/06 President's Advisory Commission on AANHPI Public Meeting The President's Advisory Commission on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) will hold its next meeting, the sixth of a series, on July 6, 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The meeting serves to continue the development of recommendations to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for the AANHPI communities. It is open to the public and will be live streamed. The Commission seeks written comments that may be emailed to AANHPICommission@hhs.gov at any time. Individuals may also submit a request to provide oral public comments.For details, directions, and registration, visit : https://bit.ly/3NqpQMB . Dr . Robert Underwood , a member of the Commission, also urges all of us to feel free to communicate with him directly at anacletus2010@gmail.com . Read his remarks at the APA Justice monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/3qogBU1 . Watch his remarks at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIrq1hfl4A (video 11:48 to 25:21) 2. New York City schools to teach AAPI heritage under new curriculum According to CBS News New York on May 26, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new curriculum that teaches students about the history, culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Teachers will use a guide that includes profiles of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. to launch a pilot program in social studies and literacy units: https://bit.ly/3XnwNBk . Read and watch the CBS News New York report : https://cbsn.ws/3Nkmh9z Back View PDF June 25, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #142 9/12 Meeting; Campaign Closed; Solidarity with Prof. Xi; Jessica Speaks; Rhode Island #142 9/12 Meeting; Campaign Closed; Solidarity with Prof. Xi; Jessica Speaks; Rhode Island Back View PDF September 6, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #179 05/01 Meeting; Florida Rallies; CALDA; Indiana Hate Crime; Economic Peace Terms; News #179 05/01 Meeting; Florida Rallies; CALDA; Indiana Hate Crime; Economic Peace Terms; News In This Issue #179 2023/05/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2023/04/29 Florida Rallies; CALDA Issues Statement Indiana Woman Charged with Federal Hate Crime in Bus Attack America Has Dictated Its Economic Peace Terms to China Activities and News for the Communities 2023/05/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, May 1, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Erika L. Moritsugu , Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, will deliver a special message from the White House to start the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Brenna Isman , Director of Academy Studies, National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), will provide a brief description of the history, mission, and purpose of NAPA, its "Grand Challenges" campaign for public administration, and its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts and commissioned studies. Paula Williams Madison , Paula Williams Madison, Former Print and TV Journalist, Retired NBCUniversal executive and GE Company Officer, Former Vice President of the Los Angeles Police Commission and owner of The Africa Channel, will provide a recap of the April 17 Roundtable and share the possible next steps for this important work that may have long-lasting impact to the AAPI community and the American society overall.Updates will be provided in the meeting by: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum.The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. 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 . 2023/04/29 Florida Rallies; CALDA Issues Statement 1. 2023/04/29 Florida Rallies A 6-city rally is being organized by The Florida Asian American Justice Alliance to oppose the unfair and discriminatory Florida Senate Bill 264 and House Bill 1355 on Saturday, April 29, 2023, starting at 11:00 am ET. Tallahassee . 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399 Jacksonville . Memorial Park, 1620 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204 Miami . Torch of Friendship, 301 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33126 Other cities are Gainesville, Orlando, and Tampa. For more information about the rally and how to get involved, please contact Jin at faaja.org@gmail.com . 2. CALDA Issues Statement Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against systematic racial discrimination for Chinese Americans. According to statement released by CALDA on April 23, 2023,"Our specialty is filing legal actions to invalidate laws, policies, or practices that are racially biased against Chinese Americans. Two years ago our founders successfully obtained a preliminary injunction in court against President Trump for his WeChat ban, and forced the federal government to pay nearly one million dollars for our attorney fees in the lawsuit. Recently we have filed legal actions to expose the racial bias behind several federal agencies’ unfair investigation of Chinese American scientists. In the last several months, we have been monitoring the situation in Texas, Florida, South Carolina and other southern states for their bills banning Chinese Americans from acquiring or owning real estates.These bills are racist, no matter what 'legitimate' purposes that the state legislators claim to serve. They are no different from the so-called 'alien land laws' that many states passed more than a hundred years ago to ban Asian people from owning land. All of the alien land laws were struck down by courts or repealed by the states subsequently. CALDA has decided to take on the same legal challenge in court if the current bills are passed.These bills are a blatant violation of the Equal Protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by singling out Chinese Americans for unequal treatment. They also violate the federal Fair Housing Act for discriminatory practices. CALDA has already started the preparation of the legal challenges, and is now working with ACLU and several major law firms to join forces. Our plan is to file lawsuits as soon as any of these bills are passed, and we will not stop fighting until all of these laws are overturned."Read the CALDA statement: https://bit.ly/3oHzyAj Sunday Strategy Town Hall Meetings Opposing Alien Land and Other Discriminatory Bills For the past two months, a strategic town hall meeting has been held every Sunday under the organization and leadership of Professor Steven Pei , Inaugural Chair of United Chinese Americans and Co-Organizer of APA Justice. Frequent participants include community organizers of protests in not only all four major cities in Texas, but also Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee as well as supporters from California and other states. Paula Madison , retired media executive, and Gene Wu , Texas state representative, led recent discussions in very productive meetings with Florida community leaders and organizers. A media training by Gene Wu and Helen Shih of Texas followed just before the Florida hearing on April 19, 2023, despite the short notice and allowed speaking time (30 seconds per testifying person). Organizations and individuals interested in participating in future town hall meetings should contact Steven Pei at peiuh8@gmail.com . Indiana Woman Charged with Federal Hate Crime in Bus Attack According to a report by AP on April 21, 2023, Billie R. Davis , 56, of Bloomington, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Evansville on a charge of willfully causing injuries to the victim due to her race and national origin.” Davis, who is white, is accused of repeatedly stabbing the 18-year-old woman about seven times with a folding knife on January 11 as the victim, from Carmel, Indiana, waited to get off a bus in downtown Bloomington. WRTV-TV has reported that Davis told police she stabbed the woman multiple times in the head because it “would be one less person to blow up our country.” Asian Americans have increasingly been the target of racially motivated harassment and assaults in recent years, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic began, with many worrying that anti-Asian rhetoric linked to fraught relations between the U.S. and China could lead to more violence. Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3V8st7Z In early January, local prosecutors told NPR that Davis was not charged with a hate crime because Indiana is one of four states that lack a comprehensive law. David Goldenberg , the Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the lack of comprehensive hate crime laws in the state has major consequences. "Prosecutors need to prosecute these incidents as hate crimes when they are," Goldenberg told NPR in January. "The thing about hate crimes is it affects not only the individual victim but it affects the entire community." Read the NPR report: https://bit.ly/3Lrtsx2 America Has Dictated Its Economic Peace Terms to China According to an opinion in Foreign Policy by Adam Tooze , the Director of the European Institute at Columbia University, on April 24, 2023, after a rash of sanctions and overtly discriminatory legislation, with action on U.S. investment in China pending, and with talk of war increasingly commonplace in the United States, the Biden administration knows that it needs to clarify its economic relations with the country that is the largest U.S. trading partner outside North America. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has made her first major statement on economic relations with China since 2021. Judged by the tone, her message is intended to clarify and calm the waters of speculation and debate about motives and intentions. In the current situation, however, it is far from clear whether clarity actually contributes to calm.“The United States remains the most dynamic and prosperous economy in the world.” So, Yellen insists, America has no reason to seek to “stifle China’s economic and technological modernization” or to pursue a deep decoupling. Even when the Biden administration professes to be confident about America’s economic prospects, Yellen insists: “As in all of our foreign relations, national security is of paramount importance in our relationship with China.”At one level, this is obvious. No public official will ever say anything else. Security is the basic function of states. But everything depends on the scope of your vision of national security and the level of trust. And if you have to state the priority of national security in foreign relations out loud, you know you have a problem.So a strong and self-confident America has no reason to stand in the way of China’s economic and technological modernization except in every area that America’s national security establishment, the most gigantic in the world, defines as being of essential national interest. For this to be anything other than hypocrisy, you have to imagine that we live in a goldilocks world in which the technology, industrial capacity, and trade that are relevant to national security are incidental to economic and technological modernization more broadly speaking.Yellen pays lip service to that goldilocks vision, by insisting that U.S. measures against China will be tightly targeted. But, as everyone knows, those targeted measures have so far included massive efforts to hobble the world leader in 5G technology, Huawei, sanctions against the entire chip supply chain, and the inclusion of most major research universities in China on America’s entities list that strictly limits trade. The upshot is that America welcomes China’s economic modernization and will refuse the lure of the Thucydides trap so long as China’s development proceeds along lines that do not infringe on American leadership and national security. And America’s attitude will be all the more benign the more successful it is in pursuing its own national prosperity and preeminence precisely in those areas.Read the Foreign Policy opinion: https://bit.ly/41CwSlW Activities and News for the Communities 1. Xenophobia in America WHAT: Xenophobia in America with historian and author, Erika LeeWHEN: April 26, 2023, starting at 7:30 pm WHERE: In Person at Temple Emanu-El at 756 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ 07090 and livestreaming WHO: Kol Tzedek Speaker: Erika Lee, Regents Professor, the Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair in Immigration History, the Director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, and the President of the Organization of American Historians. Beginning July 1, 2023, Lee will join the History Department at Harvard University as the the inaugural Bae Family Professor of History. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3AqMyNh DESCRIPTION : The Kol Tzedek Speakers Series is an annual program addressing various topics of critical importance to the betterment of our world and how we can move forward with hope and action. This year, we are thrilled to present this program in person for the very first time. The lecturers we consider will be acclaimed authorities from their respective fields of specialization. The Hebrew term Kol Tzedek means righteous voice. 2. Bill to Teach Hmong and Asian American History in Wisconsin According to AsAmNews on April 22, 2023, a new bill in Wisconsin would require schools to teach Asian American, and specifically Hmong American history. Senate Bill 240 was introduced by Republican Senator Jesse James of Altoona and other lawmakers in early April. The bill was referred to the Committee on Education on April 14. It has received bi-partisan support so far. A total of 19 states now require Asian American studies to be taught in public schools. Wisconsin could be the next state to mandate an AAPI studies curriculum. Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/41MD3Um 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 25, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #210 9/11 Meeting Summary; Franklin/Angwang; Paranoia/Scapegoating; "Stop The Blame"; More #210 9/11 Meeting Summary; Franklin/Angwang; Paranoia/Scapegoating; "Stop The Blame"; More In This Issue #210 2023/09/11 Monthly Meeting Summary Franklin Tao 陶丰 and Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 - Support Their Fight for Justice Paranoia and Scapegoating with Discriminatory Alien Land Laws "Stop The Blame" Campaign Starts News and Activities for the Communities 2023/09/11 Monthly Meeting Summary The September 11, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary is now available at https://bit.ly/48lSE1h . We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov with updates from CAPAC John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC with updates from AAJC Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), gpkusakawa@aasforum.org with updates from AASF Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) 华美维权同盟 with updates on the Florida alien land bill lawsuit Deborah Seligsohn , Assistant Professor of Political Science, Villanova University; Senior Associate (Non-resident), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on the case for renewing the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA) Steven Kivelson , Professor of Physics, Stanford University on a letter to the President and the National Security Council to renew STA Sudip Parikh , Chief Executive Officer of The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals on the future of ethical science collaboration Ting Wu , Special Advisor, Office of the Chief of Staff, The White House, on observations and response from The White House. The 9/11 meeting was privileged for APA Justice invited attendees. The meeting summary is limited in distribution to APA Justice subscribers. It is posted at https://bit.ly/48lSE1h Franklin Tao 陶丰 and Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 - Support Their Fight for Justice 1. Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao Professor Franklin Tao 陶丰 was the first scientist to be charged under the now-defunct US Justice Department's "China Initiative," which unjustly targets many Chinese American scientists and causes significant harm to their careers and families. On September 21, 2023, over 30 people led by Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President of United Chinese Americans, attended the Appeals Court hearing of Professor Tao's appeal to overturn his only remaining charge of making a false statement. The hearing was livestreamed via YouTube. The audio portion is available here: https://bit.ly/46dOxmc (2:24:52) starting at around 1:45: 08.Read Professor Tao's case at https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK and visit his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/5bf4adbe 2. NYPD Officer Baimadajie Angwang Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 is an officer of the New York Police Department (NYPD), U.S. citizen, Marine Corps veteran, and Army reservist. He was arrested in September 2020, charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government and jailed pre-trial for six months under the now-defunct "China Initiative" based on intercepted phone calls. In January 2023, a federal judge dismissed all the charges against him at the request of the Department of Justice "in the interests of justice."However, the NYPD has not only failed to reinstate Officer Angwang, but will hold an administrative trial against him on September 26, 2023, starting at 10 am ET. The trial will be held on the 4th floor, Departmental Trial Room A, 1 Police Plaza, New York City.In a letter sent to Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Restore The Fourth provided details of the continuing persecution of Officer Angwang. "We all need this unjust treatment to not become the norm. Officer Angwang needs vocal, public support to ensure a fair judicial process. His trial is public, which means that the more people watch across the country, the more momentum we can build behind Angwang’s case. We seek justice for Officer Angwang, and call attention to the broader abuses committed by U.S. intelligence officials," the letter said.In a message to APA Justice, Officer Angwang said, "[t]he reason why we are fighting back is to send a message to any wrong doing against our community is that we do fight back, don’t think we would just take it like how they want us to be. We won’t be silent. We also want to send a message to anyone who is going through my situation or Professor Franklin Tao’s situation or who might going through this, we want them to know that don’t give up on fight, the community is behind you. We will support you. That’s also the reason why I am going to Denver to support Professor Tao. Thank you."Read the Restore The Fourth letter: https://bit.ly/3RuO9v8 . Read the case of Officer Angwang: https://bit.ly/3RIqXId Paranoia and Scapegoating with Discriminatory Alien Land Laws According to AsAmNews on September 18, 2023, three U.S. Congressmen set off alarm bells after a major land deal near a military base raised fears of Chinese spies. "They saw red and now some might say, they have eggs on their faces," the report said.According to ABC7 News , Flannery Associates has been purchasing $1 billion worth of farmland for the last five years near Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, 50 miles east of San Francisco. It is not unusual for the backers of a corporation to remain anonymous.However, with U.S.-China relations at a low, Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) all expressed concern that Chinese spies were behind the purchase of 55,000 acres of farmland in Solano County, prompting federal legislation on foreign real estate transactions and investigations into a type of malware that China could disrupt military operations across the country.When the dust settled, the truth finally came out. Flannery Associates is backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist and billionaire Michael Moritz . Moritz has been highly critical of San Francisco’s liberal politics. His hopes are to build a new housing development and city near Travis Air Force Base, one he says will bring new jobs to the area.All of this could be dismissed with a shrug, except for one trend. According to APA Justice, 34 states as well as Congress have passed or have considered legislation to ban the purchase of land by Chinese and others from countries considered threats to the U.S. The bills are reminders of the Alien Land Laws that banned the purchase of land by Asians 100 years ago when the Chinese Exclusion Act and anti-Asian discriminatory laws were in effect. “Legislative action must be based on evidence and facts, not fear,” said Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. “While we recognize there are legitimate national security concerns over geopolitical competition between the United States and China, unless there is concrete evidence that land investments from individuals who hail from foreign nations, whether from China or elsewhere, are being used for espionage purposes, lawmakers should not rush to paint all real estate transactions – especially by ordinary individuals with no ties to foreign governments – as threats to national security.” Cynthia Choi of Chinese for Affirmative Action and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate expressed her own concerns. “Many politicians have been citing Chinese ownership of farmland as a threat to national security, when in reality, experts say Chinese land ownership accounts for less than 1% of farmland and an even smaller percentage of agricultural land . Despite the facts, they continue to sensationalize issues regarding China to justify overreaching measures that harm innocent Asian Americans and immigrants,” she said. The ACLU recently joined in a lawsuit to overturn a ban against Chinese ownership of homes and land in Florida signed by GOP presidential candidate and Gov. Ron DeSantis . “We continue to remain concerned about any attempt by Congress to target individuals solely because of their national origin, which falsely equates individuals from countries like China as synonymous with the Chinese government,” said Kia Hamadanchy , senior policy counsel at ACLU. “These efforts are a reminder of historical instances where false claims of national security were used as a justification to prohibit Asian immigrants from becoming landowners and will only serve to exacerbate discrimination against Asian communities living in the United States.” Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3LrTobg Rep. Al Green’s Remarks to Challenging Discriminatory Land Laws During a House Financial Services Committee hearing on September 13, 2023, Rep. Al Green remarked, "my state [Texas] had the legislature to propose restrictions that would be directed toward specific persons and it created quite a stir because while the people who passed these laws don't have to interact with the people who can suffer from some of the consequences that may not be intended, persons of Chinese ancestry for example. When you start using specificities of this type, there are people in this country who suffer. They suffer in terms of how people approach them generally, but they also suffer in the sense of consternation as to what they will do with land that they currently hold or will they be able to purchase additional property." Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxwYblt-Ja0 (4:55) "Stop The Blame" Campaign Starts According to NBC News on September 21, 2023, Asian American civil rights organizations are launching a new effort to help monitor and prevent the use of inflammatory anti-Asian political rhetoric, ahead of the 2024 presidential elections. The “ Stop the Blame ” campaign, spearheaded by the nonprofit groups Stop AAPI Hate and Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), kicked off with a website that includes information on the impact of racist language and policies.According to the Stop the Blame mission statement on to its website, "Everyday Asian Americans and immigrants are caught in the crossfire as tensions between the U.S. and Chinese governments grow. An alarming number of politicians and lawmakers today are using geopolitics as an excuse to justify hate and racism against our communities. They're promoting anti-Asian political rhetoric, discriminatory surveillance measures, and unconstitutional land ownership bans across the country."This is anti-Asian scapegoating - a political tactic used for centuries by those in power to deflect blame, instill fear, and rile up their voter base at the expense of our safety and our rights. We're on a mission to stop the hate, stop the blame, and stop anti-Asian scapegoating once and for all."Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, underscored the campaign’s critical timing. “This anti-Asian rhetoric, many times, has to do with politicians who are trying to outdo one another,” she said. “They don’t care who they hurt in the process.” Cynthia Choi , co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of CAA, said the website not only contains data and research on anti-Asian language, but also a tracker that will document states seeking to pass land ownership bans. At least 33 states have proposed bans on land ownership from the Chinese government, entities or citizens in 2023. The website will additionally feature information on different campaigns and initiatives in individual states that are pushing back on anti-Asian policies. They will also be calling on Congress to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Currently, Section 702 of the legislation gives U.S. intelligence agencies the authority to acquire communications of non-Americans, who use American communications platforms, without a warrant. The measure has been criticized by many Asian American and other advocacy groups for its potential to be weaponized as a tool to racially profile communities of color. “We’ve seen how policies created under the guise of ‘national security’ are used to scapegoat Asian American communities in the U.S., and they fuel further racism, violence and the erosion of everyone’s rights,” said Ashley Gorski , a senior staff attorney of the National Security Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.Instead of leaning on racist, anti-China rhetoric, Chu said, politicians should be careful with their words, and distinguish between the Chinese government and Chinese individuals. Chu brought up her own experience in which Rep. Lance Gooden , R-Texas, questioned her “loyalty” to the U.S. Chu had defended Dominic Ng 吴建民 , a Biden appointee, who was featured in an article by the conservative Daily Caller , that alleged he had ties to a Chinese Communist Party front group. “It was his way of outdoing other politicians,” Chu said. Choi said that with the campaign, she hopes to send elected officials the message that “scare tactics” are not a winning strategy. “The message is that if you attack our rights and put us in harm’s way, we will take action,” she said. “We won’t stand for it. We will hold you accountable.”Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3ZurAbV . Visit the Stop The Blame website: https://stoptheblame.org/ US House Education Subcommittee Hearing According to The Oklahoman and The Hill , Reps. Raul M. Grijalva and Suzanne Bonamici said a September 19 U.S. House education subcommittee hearing on the threat of Chinese influence in American schools perpetuated a debunked conspiracy theory and could fuel anti-Asian American bias. Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum and an invited speaker in the hearing, encouraged the subcommittee to exercise caution when crafting laws and rhetoric on China. She said Asian Americans and immigrants suffer discrimination when the country’s leaders espouse anti-China language. “For many of them, they are not differentiated between this foreign government and who they are here,” Kusakawa said. “Decades after the systemic incarceration of Japanese Americans, we find ourselves repeating history as Asian Americans are treated as ‘perpetual foreigners’ and economic or national security threats,” Kusakawa said. “It has become a harmful pattern that when the United States has tensions with an Asian country, Asian Americans and immigrants face the backlash at home and become collateral damage.” Read The Oklahoman report: https://bit.ly/45ZAK2L and the Hill report: https://bit.ly/48uv81Z News and Activities for the Communities 1. Community Calendar The APA Justice Community Calendar is located on the front page of the APA Justice website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Events: 2023/09/25-27 AAUC National Unity Summit 2023/09/26 NYPD Trial of Officer Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 2023/09/27 1990 Institute: Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature 2023/09/27 U.S.-China Climate Cooperation Organizing Webinar 2023/09/27-28 APAICS 2023 Tech Summit 2023/10/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Organizing for Climate Action: The Opportunities of U.S.-China Cooperation Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16) will lead an online discussion called “Organizing for Climate Action: The Opportunities of U.S.-China Cooperation” on how the U.S. and China can act together to tackle climate change and help build a green and fair global economy. Justice is Global, the Quincy Institute, the 1990 Institute, and climate, peace, and racial justice organizations co-sponsor this event on the need for deeper U.S.-China climate cooperation. Register for the event at https://bit.ly/3t9U9PM 3. Asian Faculty Association at Yale (AFAY) According to Yale News , Asian and Asian American faculty gathered at the Yale School of Medicine’s Brady Auditorium to announce AFAY’s inaugural board. The organization aims to build support both within and beyond its membership, and its mission statement includes advocacy for both members and for Yale’s Asian students, especially when facing challenges related to their cultural backgrounds or ethnicities. Currently, 194 faculty members have registered to join AFAY, of which 12 are non-Asian. Professor Haifan Lin 林海帆 served as AFAY election moderator. Professor Qin Yan 严钦 and Professor Yongli Zhang serve as President and President-elect respectively. Read the Yale News report: https://bit.ly/48pIZGQ 4. APAICS Tech Summit - Impact of Increased Competition Between the US and China Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) will host the 2023 Tech Summit on September 27-28. The event will bring together community and corporate leaders, subject matter experts, as well as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) elected officials for bipartisan policy discussions that affect the AA & NH/PI community and the nation at-large. Register for the summit here: https://www.apaics.org/tech-summit-2023 Back View PDF September 23, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #361 11/3 Meeting; Chinese STEM Students; Brain Drain; Jane Wu v NWU; Birthright Citizens;+ #361 11/3 Meeting; Chinese STEM Students; Brain Drain; Jane Wu v NWU; Birthright Citizens;+ In This Issue #361 · 2025/11/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Estate of Dr. Jane Wu v Northwestern University · Science : Chinese STEM graduate Students Boon to U.S. Students · U.S. Brain Drain · Update on Birthright Citizenship Lawsuits · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/11/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting left to right: Andy Phillips, Jane Shim, Paula Madison, Brian Sun The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held today, Monday, November 3, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from: · 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) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Andy Phillips , Managing & Founding Partner, Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch LLP · Jane Shim , Director, Stop Asian Hate Project , Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund · Paula Williams Madison , Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC and 88 Madison Media Works Inc.; Retired Executive, NBCUniversal · Brian Sun , Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP 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 . Estate of Dr. Jane Wu v Northwestern University In June 2025, Dr. Jane Ying Wu 吴瑛 's family, acting through her estate, filed a civil lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that the Northwestern University discriminated against her and contributed to her suicide. An open hearing is scheduled for December 1, 2025, starting at 9:00 am CT at Court Room 1906, Richard J Daley Center, 50 W Washington St, Chicago. Dr. Wu, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, was a prominent Chinese American researcher in neurology and genetics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She took her own life on July 10, 2024, after her lab was shut down and all records of her work were erased by Northwestern University. Her death drew attention to the negative impact of the "China Initiative" and "foreign interference" investigations by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which targeted scientists of Chinese descent. Dr. Wu was never charged. She was 60 years old. Dr. Wu's daughter, Elizabeth Rao 饶婕, told NBC News in July 2025 that “as painful as it is for us as her family to recount how Northwestern treated her, we are seeking justice to prevent this from happening again to others in the future.” Read the APA Justice Impacted Person web page on Dr. Jane Wu: https://bit.ly/JaneWu Science : Chinese STEM graduate Students Boon to U.S. Students According to Science on October 31, 2025, a new analysis by economists Ruixue Jia (University of California, San Diego), Hongbin Li (Stanford University), Gaurav Khanna (UC San Diego), and Yuli Xu (Stanford University) finds that China’s massive 1999 expansion of its higher education system unexpectedly transformed U.S. graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the study shows that the policy triggered a surge of Chinese students pursuing U.S. STEM master’s degrees—benefiting not only American universities but also domestic students and local economies.According to the researchers, the influx of highly qualified and often self-funded Chinese students allowed U.S. universities—especially large public research institutions—to expand their graduate programs without reducing access for Americans. “For every four additional Chinese students, one more U.S. student gained a spot in a STEM master’s program,” the authors wrote, describing this as a “crowd-in effect.” The study found that from 2003 to 2015, the number of U.S. STEM master’s programs grew by 23%, and roughly 15% of that growth can be attributed to China’s education expansion. Kevin Shih , an economist at the University of California, Riverside, who was not involved in the study, called the findings groundbreaking: “What’s really cool about this study is that it documents, for the first time, how the Chinese government, in growing higher education at home, also contributed in a significant way to the growth of U.S. graduate education, especially at the master’s level in STEM.” Jia explained that the Chinese government’s centralized university admission quotas—based on the national gaokao 高考 exam and changing perceptions of strategic industries—directly influenced which majors grew and, consequently, which students went abroad. “At first, the government thought biotech was the future, so you saw a huge number of biology majors going to the U.S. after graduation. Then it switched to computer science, and now AI [artificial intelligence],” she said.Khanna noted that the influx of Chinese students benefited both universities and their surrounding communities: “They rent apartments, buy cars, and go to restaurants.” The added tuition revenue also helped subsidize other university activities and reduce pressure to raise tuition for domestic students. Moreover, the growth in Chinese graduate students expanded the pool of teaching assistants, allowing universities to offer more undergraduate STEM courses.However, the study’s authors warn that this positive trend has reversed in recent years. Jia said preliminary findings from follow-up research suggest “a significant decline since 2017 in the number of STEM master’s programs,” particularly at public universities in Republican-led states. The downturn coincides with the Trump administration’s visa restrictions and anti-China rhetoric, which discouraged many Chinese students from studying in the U.S.Khanna added that “other countries now recognize that they are an important source of revenue and talent,” pointing to destinations like Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Hong Kong. China itself has also expanded its graduate programs, giving students more domestic options.Despite the clear economic and educational benefits documented, Jia remains cautious about the policy implications: “We’re providing some hard evidence for the positive spillover effect on universities and communities of the increased number of Chinese students,” she said, “but I’m always skeptical of being able to persuade anyone with data.” U.S. Brain Drain In the PBS NewsHour segment on October 29, 2025, “ The Mozart of Math Considers Leaving the U.S., ” Terence Tao 陶哲軒 , a UCLA mathematics professor and Fields Medal laureate, anchors a sobering look at the declining stability of American science. Known as one of the world’s greatest living mathematicians, Tao was a prodigy who entered college at age 9, earned his Ph.D. from Princeton by 21, and became celebrated for his elegant problem-solving across pure and applied mathematics. His research, for example, produced an algorithm that cut MRI scan times from several minutes to under a minute — a perfect example of how abstract theory can generate life-changing technology. Tao recalls being inspired as a child by “Sesame Street” and Carl Sagan ’s “Cosmos,” crediting the openness and vibrancy of U.S. science for shaping his career. America, he says, long maintained a “lively ecosystem” of hundreds of universities and conferences that drew talent from across the globe. But now, for the first time, he feels existential concern: federal budget cuts, political interference, and uncertainty in research funding threaten to hollow out that system.Under the Trump administration, the National Science Foundation (NSF) was forced to suspend about $1 billion in grants, directly affecting Tao’s UCLA Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics. Instead of doing mathematics, Tao says, he now spends his time fundraising, seeking alternative support, and deciding what to cut first. The situation has made him consider offers from Europe, Australia, and China — something he never imagined after three decades in the U.S. He warns that dismantling America’s research infrastructure “from the top down” could have irreversible consequences, saying, “For any complex system, one person who doesn’t understand it can wreck everything.” Other scientists in the report echo Tao’s alarm. Daniella Fodera , a biomedical engineer completing her Ph.D. at Columbia University, had her NIH-funded uterine fibroid study abruptly cut earlier this year — despite the condition affecting nearly 80% of women. Her funding was restored only after Columbia paid over $200 million to settle unrelated federal investigations, underscoring how erratic and politicized research support has become. Disillusioned, Fodera now plans to pursue work in Europe, where she believes stability and respect for science are stronger. Anna Darling , a neuroscience Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, shares a similar fear. She entered academia to follow her mother’s footsteps as a science teacher, only to discover her program’s funding was no longer guaranteed. “My outlook on being a scientist in this country has changed,” she says. “The freedom to do the research you value just isn’t as free as it used to be.” Stephen Jones , a biochemist who left the U.S. in 2020 for Vilnius University in Lithuania, provides a glimpse of what that brain drain looks like in practice. He says he grew weary of anti-science sentiment and wanted to work in a society that valued research. Now leading a lab abroad, he notes that colleagues who once questioned his decision are asking him how to follow suit, with many considering positions in Canada, Europe, or China. Finally, Vidya Saravanapandian , a UCLA neuroscientist from India, warns that the closure of labs and loss of students could devastate the U.S. economy and its global leadership. “When labs shut down, ideas are lost, experiments are ruined, and the younger generation loses hope,” she says, visibly distressed about the future of science in America. The report closes with Tao reflecting on the broader meaning of this moment. The administration’s decisions, he argues, seem detached from public interest, guided by politics rather than evidence. He stresses that scientific ecosystems thrive on diversity of thought and long-term investment, not short-term cuts. His latest problem to solve, Tao says, is not mathematical — it is how to protect America’s scientific infrastructure before it collapses. Watch the PBS report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO070E_dI (9:26) On October 22, 2025, South China Morning Post reported that political purges, funding cuts, and growing hostility toward expertise under the Trump administration have unsettled the U.S. research community—reminding many Chinese American scientists of China’s Cultural Revolution. During Mao Zedong 毛泽东 ’s 1966 campaign, intellectuals were persecuted and science was paralyzed for a decade; today, some Chinese American scholars see echoes in the U.S. as researchers face suspicion, censorship, and abrupt funding losses. Several scientists, including a Midwest biologist targeted under the China Initiative, are now considering returning to China amid large-scale layoffs at NASA, CDC, and other agencies. Critics such as mathematician Shing-Tung Yau 丘成桐 and scholar Fang Shimin 方是民/方舟子 ; describe the situation as a “Trump-era Cultural Revolution,” where political loyalty outweighs expertise. Duke University’s Denis Simon warns that replacing merit with ideology risks crippling U.S. innovation and driving talent overseas, causing long-term damage to America’s scientific enterprise—even if the U.S. has not descended into the violence of Mao’s era. Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4qIpbYE Update on Birthright Citizenship Lawsuits On October 31, 2025, the total number of litigations challenging Trump Administration actions tracked by Just Security reached 500. At least 11 lawsuits have been filed against President Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship (E.O. 14160). The order remains blocked from taking effect nationwide due to several preliminary injunctions. The core legal challenge asserts that the order is unconstitutional and violates a federal statute, as the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to all persons born in the U.S. and subject to its jurisdiction. The 11 known lawsuits (3 blocked pending appeal, 4 temporarily blocked, 4 awaiting court ruling) with their filing dates are: 1. 2025/01/20 Doe v. Trump (1:25-cv-10135) . Temporarily blocked 2. 2025/01/20 New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support (NHICS) v. Trump (1:25-cv-00038) . Temporarily blocked 3. 2025/01/20 Thien Le v. Donald J. Trump (8:25-cv-00104) . Awaiting court ruling 4. 2025/01/21 CASA v. Trump (8:25-cv-00201) (and consolidated cases). Temporarily blocked 5. 2025/01/21 State of Washington v. Trump (2:25-cv-00127) . Blocked pending appeal 6. 2025/01/21 State of New Jersey v. Trump (1:25-cv-10139) . Blocked pending appeal 7. 2025/01/24 Franco Aleman v. Trump (2:25-cv-00163) (a class-action lawsuit). Blocked pending appeal 8. 2025/01/30 OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates v. Rubio (1:25-cv-00287) . Awaiting court ruling 9. 2025/01/30 County of Santa Clara v. Trump (5:25-cv-00981) . Awaiting court ruling 10. 2025/02/13 New York Immigration Coalition v. Donald J. Trump (1:25-cv-01309) . Awaiting court ruling 11. 2025/06/27 Barbara v. Trump (1:25-cv-00244) (a class-action lawsuit). Temporarily blocked Just Security has also published four featured articles in the series of "Taking Stock of the Birthright Citizenship Cases:" 1. 2025/07/30 Part I: Unpacking Trump v. CASA, Inc. Author: Marty Lederman, Executive Editor at Just Security and Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center; former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Office of Legal Counsel; former Attorney Advisor at the Office of Legal Counsel 2. 2025/08/18 Part II: Making Sense of the Three Established Exceptions . Author: Marty Lederman 3. 2025/09/08 Part III: DOJ’s Arguments Regarding Domicile and Unauthorized Immigrants . Authors: Marty Lederman; John Mikhail, Carroll Professor of Jurisprudence, Georgetown University Law Center 4. 2025/09/29 Part IV: DOJ’s Ineffective Responses to Plaintiffs’ Statutory Argument . Author: Marty Lederman As part of the Collection of Just Security’s Coverage of the Trump Administration’s Executive Actions, on March 28, 2025, Edgar Chen 陳春品 , Senior Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and Chris M. Kwok 郭文 , Adjunct Assistant Professor in Asian American studies, Hunter College, published " The Trump Administration’s 14th Amendment Retcon: ‘Wong Kim Ark’ Does Not Limit Birthright Citizenship. " The authors argue that Trump’s Executive Order 14160 grossly misinterprets the 1898 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark and the intent of the 14th Amendment. The Court affirmed that all individuals born in the U.S.—regardless of their parents’ immigration status—are citizens, a principle rooted in post–Civil War Reconstruction. Trump’s order wrongly equates Wong’s Chinese immigrant parents, who faced legal exclusion and racial persecution, with today’s lawful permanent residents. If upheld, the order would disproportionately harm Asian Americans, particularly children of immigrants, students, and asylees, effectively reviving exclusionary policies reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion era and undermining over a century of settled constitutional law. The article was translated into Chinese by Juan Zhang 张涓 , APA Justice, with title " 特朗普政府重塑《第十四修正案》 ——《黄金德案》并未限制出生公民权 . " 特朗普总统宣布通过行政命令第14160号终止出生公民权，意在推翻1898年美国最高法院《美国诉黄金德案》确立的原则，即凡在美国出生者（除外交官及敌对势力子女外）皆为公民。该命令错误地将“永久住所”解读为“合法永久居留”，试图将公民权限定于美国公民及绿卡持有者之子女。文章指出，这种解读既不符合法律，也无视历史现实。黄金德父母在排华时代受歧视、无归化权，生活在暴力与制度性迫害中，与今日移民地位完全不同。特朗普此举被批评为重演排华法案的历史，甚至开启“排华2.0”，其后果将严重打击亚裔群体，剥夺数十万移民后代的公民权，并违背第十四修正案的平等精神。最高法院在黄金德案中早已确立：美国的根本在于包容所有在其土地上出生的人，不论其血统与出身。 Recent news: 2025/10/03 ACLU: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump Birthright Citizenship Executive Order News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/11/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/11/03 Advocacy 101 for Scholars, Scientists, and Researchers2025/11/14 Film Screening and Discussion: Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story2025/11/25 Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Elaine Chao 2025/12/01 Cook County Circuit Court Hearing - Estate of Jane Wu v Northwestern University2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Understanding The AI Boom: Power, Politics, and The Future of U.S.-China Relations WHAT: Understanding the AI Boom: Power, Politics, & the Future of U.S. China Relations WHEN: November 19, 2025, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET/4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT WHERE: webinar HOSTS: 1990 Institute Moderator : Clayton Dube, Former Director, USC U.S.-China Institute Speakers : · Graham Webster , Editor-in-Chief, DigitChina Project, Stanford University · Zeyi Yang , Senior Writer, WIRED DESCRIPTION: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how nations compete, how economies grow, and how cultures evolve. At the heart of this global shift is the U.S.-China relationship, where the race for AI leadership is emerging as a modern Cold War — a watershed moment signaling that the AI revolution is no longer distant, but already here. And when it comes to the U.S. and China, many are seeing the future of tech as an existential race that needs to be won.For a generation raised in the era of smartphones, AI is not a futuristic idea—it is part of everyday life. This webinar invites educators, parents, students, and community members to look beyond the headlines and build a deeper understanding of the global forces shaping our digital and physical world today. The webinar will examine the societal, ethical, and geopolitical dimensions of technology. The aim is to lay the groundwork for modern digital literacy including empowering educators to teach it with clarity and confidence. The session is designed for everyone interested in becoming a more informed global citizen in this rapidly evolving digital age. This virtual webinar is open to all audiences, with a segment at the end devoted to high school educators teaching contemporary history, economics, technology and social studies. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/47i8wDw # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF November 3, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

August 12, 2019 Science and South China Morning Post reported on a joint statement condemning ‘racial profiling’ of Chinese students and scholars over spying fears on August 12, 2019. The statement was co-signed by a broad coalition of over 20 higher education, free expression, and public advocacy organizations. About half of them are Asian American groups, including AAUC, APABA-PA, APAPA, CACA, CBA, CAA, OCA, OCAA, UCA and 80-20. The coalition warns that even with growing suspicion of Chinese espionage in higher education, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies threaten academic freedom and due process if they engage in surveillance of students and scholars based on their national origin. The joint statement “advise[s] universities to zealously safeguard their independence—to maintain their commitment to academic freedom, to uphold the principle of due process, and to respect the privacy rights of students and faculty, no matter their national origins.” Signatories write: “The pursuit of scientific knowledge should be advanced under conditions of intellectual freedom without political or ideological restrictions.” Previous Next Coalition Cautions FBI Against Unwarranted Monitoring of Chinese Scholars

Newsletter - #55 04/28 Webinar Open; Erika Moritsugu; Yellow Whistle; Petition Delivered; Anti-Asian Hate; Lots More #55 04/28 Webinar Open; Erika Moritsugu; Yellow Whistle; Petition Delivered; Anti-Asian Hate; Lots More Back View PDF April 19, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

China Initiative Webinars China Initiative Webinar Series #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative”

Newsletter - #152 OSTP in the News; Update on Dr. Yanping Chen; Chinese Academics Vindicated; Chip Ban #152 OSTP in the News; Update on Dr. Yanping Chen; Chinese Academics Vindicated; Chip Ban Back View PDF October 27, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter