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Newsletter - #175 4/3 Meeting Takeaways; CCS Letter to President; Franklin Tao Appeals; NY Hate Crimes + #175 4/3 Meeting Takeaways; CCS Letter to President; Franklin Tao Appeals; NY Hate Crimes + In This Issue #175 2023/04/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting - Quick Takeaways from Three Invited Speakers Committee of Concerned Scientists Letter to President Biden on Cross Border Profiling Professor Franklin Tao To File Appeal to Reverse Lone Conviction 22-Year Sentence for Man Guilty in Hate-Crime Killing of Asian Immigrant News and Activities for the Communities 2023/04/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting - Quick Takeaways from Three Invited Speakers 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Media Alert Network and Strike Teams. High level of interest was expressed following Paula Madison's thought- provoking and informative suggestion of a proactive national media alert network. As follow-up action, a virtual roundtable of about 90 minutes will be convened on Monday, April 17, 2023. An agenda for the event is being prepared at this time. Additional details will be coming soon. Please mark your calendar. 2. Let the President's Advisory Commission Know Your Issues and Concerns. Commissioner Dr. Robert Underwood joined the meeting from Guam whose Chamorro Time Zone is 14 hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern Time Zone. On March 10, 2023, APA Justice submitted its comments to the Commission, expressing concerns about government-instigated racial profiling that has been repeatedly explained away and justified under the cover of national security that sacrifices the civil and human rights of the Asian American and immigrant communities. Dr. Underwood encourages the communities and individuals to send their issues and concerns to him at anacletus2010@gmail.com and to the Commission at AANHPICommission@hhs.gov . 3. Educate, Educate, and Educate; Reinstate NYPD Officer Angwang. Despite his busy schedule that included a special session of the New York State Senate, Senator John Liu joined the meeting and spoke passionately about the need for education to counter anti-Asian hate. Senator Liu is in touch with New York Mayor Eric Adams' office regarding the reinstatement of Officer Angwang to the New York Police Department and an apology to Officer Angwang. Committee of Concerned Scientists Letter to President Biden on Cross Border Profiling On March 20, 2023, the Committee of Concerned Scientist (CCS) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden, expressing concerns about Chinese American researchers being profiled, harassed, and interrogated without just cause at the border. The letter was signed by Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer, Co-Chairs of CCS. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken were copied. CCS referenced a report by the Chronicle of Higher Education on March 1, 2023, which describes instances where professors and scientists have been subjected to harassment and interrogations at the US border. The letter said in part "In this [Chronicle of Higher Education] article, advocates for Asian American academics describe several instances of harassment and interrogations, which have been rising over the past few months. The situation is worrisome since Chinese American researchers should feel free from the China Initiative policy of a few years ago. This policy disproportionately focused on Chinese American researchers in the U.S. Department of Justice’s sometimes overzealous efforts to uncover academic and economic espionage, and in our opinion often constituted ethnic profiling. The climate for Chinese American researchers needs to be made more welcoming. Indeed Gisela Kusakawa (Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum) commented poignantly “Although the China Initiative has ended — and that was a very important and critical step — for many Chinese Americans, it is clear that they still live in a climate that’s less welcoming.” While the Asian American Scholar Forum is aiming to collect more exact data on the number of these border stops, we are aware of a few specific cases: (1) Zhigang Suo, a professor of mechanics and materials at Harvard University; (2) Hong Qi, a visiting scholar of mathematical sciences at Louisiana State University and lecturer at Queen Mary University, London; and (3) a young daughter of a Chinese American scholar traveling alone who was stopped and interrogated about the nature of her father’s research. We ask for border officials to receive further anti-bias training and be encouraged to not focus selectively on Chinese American researchers in stopping them for secondary screening. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter and we look forward to a response from you shortly." Read the CCS letter: http://bit.ly/3Mwsdxx Professor Franklin Tao To File Appeal to Reverse Lone Conviction Attorney Peter Zeidenberg representing Professor Feng "Franklin"; Tao is in the process of filing a brief in the 10th Circuit Court seeking the reversal of the sole count of conviction against Professor Tao. He was the first academic indicted under the now-defunct "China Initiative."; The brief concludes: "The conviction on Count 9 should be reversed because the KU Institutional Responsibilities form—which Dr. Tao submitted only to KU and which KU never shared with NSF or DOE—and which neither agency considered when making funding or other decisions, was not within the Executive Branch’s jurisdiction. There is no legal basis for a felony false statement conviction in these circumstances. The Court’s affirmance would not only be unjust, but it would also open the floodgates to federal prosecutions of employees accused of making misrepresentations to employers that receive federal funding. It would subordinate the decisions of university department chairs, tenure committees, and Human Resources to the whims of federal prosecutors and jurors. An affirmance would also frustrate the ideals of our system of limited government. The Department of Justice is not the Ministry of Truth, and it should have no role regulating routine employee-employer interactions. The Court should reverse." Read the Franklin Tao story: https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK 22-Year Sentence for Man Guilty in Hate-Crime Killing of Asian Immigrant According to a report by the New York Times on March 31, 2023, a man who admitted to brutally, and fatally, attacking a 61-year-old immigrant in East Harlem two years ago because 5 the victim was Asian was sentenced to 22 years in prison. The sentencing of the man, Jarrod Powell, came several months after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter as a hate crime in the killing of the immigrant, Yao Pan Ma. Mr. Powell had suddenly shoved Mr. Ma from behind while the older man was pushing a grocery cart full of bottles and cans near 125th Street and Third Avenue. Video footage released by the police showed that after Mr. Ma collapsed to the ground, Mr. Powell had stomped on his head and kicked him several times in the face. Mr. Ma spent about eight months in a coma before dying as a result of the injuries he sustained in the attack. In entering his plea, according to prosecutors, Mr. Powell, 51, said he had targeted the older man because he was Asian. “New York is one of the most diverse cities in the world,” Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, said in a statement announcing the sentence. “And no one should have to fear that they may be in danger because of their background.” Mr. Bragg’s office said that it had 39 open cases of anti-Asian hate crime. People of Asian descent have been the victims in several high-profile crimes in the past few years. In November 2021, GuiYing Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant, was fatally beaten as she swept a Queens sidewalk. In January, the man who admitted attacking her was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In January 2022, Michelle Alyssa Go was pushed to her death by a mentally ill man at the Times Square subway station. The next month, Christina Yuna Lee was fatally stabbed by a man who followed her from the street into her apartment. In March 2022, a 28-year-old man was charged with seven counts of assault and attempted assault in connection with a two- hour spree of attacks on women of Asian decent in Manhattan. Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/3zstXjw News and Activities for the Communities 1. Harvard admits record number of Asian American applicants According to a report by NextShark on March 31, 2023, amid allegations of bias against Asian students in its admissions process, Harvard University welcomed its largest proportion of Asian American first-year students in its history.¶ From a pool of 56,937 applicants, the 6 Ivy League university admitted a total of 1,942 students — its second-lowest admissions rate on record — to its Class of 2027. Of this batch, 722 were accepted through an early action process in December 2022, while 1,220 were notified of the regular decision on March 30, 2023.¶ Asian American students composed 29.9% of the new admissions, marking a 2.1% increase from last year’s 27.8%. This, according to Harvard, is the group’s largest-ever acceptance rate.¶ Starting with the Class of 2027, the costs to attend the university — including tuition, housing, food and other fees — will be free for families with annual incomes of less than $85,000, up from last year’s $75,000 threshold.¶ Read the NextShark report: http://bit.ly/3TYEz34 2. The Silence of Florida’s Presidents According to a report on March 31, 2023, Inside Higher Ed asked 40 public college presidents in Florida to weigh in on state higher education reforms. None were willing to speak, even when offered anonymity.¶ As Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, seeks to enact sweeping reforms to dramatically reshape higher education in the Sunshine State, students and faculty alike have protested legislation that would ban teaching certain topics, limit institutional authority and undermine tenure protections.¶ But one group has remained conspicuously silent: Florida’s college presidents.¶ Of the 40 presidents at Florida’s public colleges and universities, none have publicly challenged DeSantis as he has gone after diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; sought data on health care for transgender students; and pushed HB 999—legislation to remake Florida higher education.¶ Given their shared silence, Inside Higher Ed asked all 40 presidents that lead the institutions that comprise the State University System of Florida and Florida College System for comment. None of the presidents agreed to discuss attacks on higher education from the DeSantis administration, even when offered anonymity, and multiple institutions did not respond to a request for comment.¶ Florida’s college presidents remain silent as constituents demand they speak up with HB 999 advancing through the state Legislature. Observers suggest presidents are in a no-win scenario, where silence equals compliance but speaking out carries personal and institutional risks.¶ Read the Inside Higher Ed report: http://bit.ly/40yLh2a 3. In the war against history, Los Angeles and Asian American history offer hope According to an opinion by Erika Lee, Regents Professor of History at the University of Minnesota and the president of the Organization of American Historians, published by The Hill on April 1, 2023, since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills or taken other steps to restrict discussions of race, gender, and sexuality in U.S. history. In 2022, proposed educational gag orders attempting to restrict teaching about race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 and higher education increased by 250 percent compared to the previous year. Further, according to a new report by Pen America, more than 2,500 different book bans were enacted in schools across 32 states during the 2021-2022 school year. A few months ago Florida rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement course on African American Studies in the state’s high schools, claiming that it “lack[ed] educational value.”¶ There is a war being waged against American history by those hostile to an honest portrayal of our country’s history—and who seek to stamp out the expansive, inclusive, and complicated understanding of America’s past that recent scholarship has revealed.¶ As more than 1,000 U.S. historians gather in Los Angeles on March 30 to April 2, 2023, for the annual Organization of American Historians meeting, the question of how educators, scholars, officials, and activists can work together in this war will be front and center. We will be discussing how current community, civic, and historian-led efforts are confronting our past in ways that should all give us hope for the future. And how Los Angeles may serve as a model for other cities and states to follow in developing approaches that openly and inclusively tackle our country’s difficult racial history.¶ The stakes could not be greater.¶ Read The Hill opinion: http://bit.ly/3MxIAKf 4. Interim Executive Director for MOCA On March 30, 2023, the Museum of Chinese Americans (MOCA) announced the selection of arts and cultural leader Nina Curley as its Interim Executive Director to succeed outgoing President, Nancy Yao, who has been named the founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, effective June 5. Read the MOCA announcement: https://bit.ly/3ZEJ8AE 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 4, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Congressional Actions Track Congress's statements and actions for the AAPI community. Our watchlist contains all of the most pertinent issues and legislations to the Asian American community. Check it out Our Watchlist See organizations', scientists', and community groups' statements and responses to AAPI issues. Explore Community Responses Texas House Bill 1075 and Senate Bill 552 Read More CAPAC Issues Messaging Guidance on Anti-Asian Hate Read More Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act Introduced Read More House Resolution Condemns All Forms of Anti-Asian Sentiment Related to COVID-19 Read More Senator Warner Letter to FBI Director Wray Read More House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Statement on Racial Profiling Read More

Newsletter - #200 8/7 Monthly Meeting; US-China Science Agreement; Maui Need Help; March on Washington #200 8/7 Monthly Meeting; US-China Science Agreement; Maui Need Help; March on Washington In This Issue #200 2023/08/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Future of 44-year-old Science Agreement Caught in Middle of U.S.-China Tensions Maui Inferno - The Communities Need Help 2023/08/26 March on Washington 2023/08/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting APA Justice held its monthly meeting on August 7, 2023. Speakers included Nisha Ramachandran , Joanna Derman , Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Echo King 金美声 , Shuang Zhao 赵爽 , Andy Wong , Shanti Prasad , and Christine Chen . A written summary of the monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. Presentation by Clay Zhu on Florida Chinese Radio Television (FCRTV) On July 22, Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Founder of Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) and a lead attorney in the lawsuit against Florida discriminatory alien land bill, gave a webinar "从微信案到佛州案：在美华人的维权之路和启发" to describe the road from the WeChat Ban to the Florida lawsuit and the inspiration of Chinese people in the United States to defend their rights. The webinar in Chinese was broadcast by FCRTV 佛州华语广播电视台. Watch the video at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOqobsVDX_A (2:05:26). Clay's 61-slide presentation is posted by the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) at https://bit.ly/3OWbYdy Chinese for Affirmative Action 华人权益促进会 During the August 7 monthly meeting, Andy Wong andywong@caasf.org , Managing Director of Advocacy, and Shanti Prasad sprasad@caasf.org , Advocacy Manager, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), gave an introduction of CAA and described its recent roles and activities. CAA was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. It is also a co-founding partner of Stop AAPI Hate - the national coalition to address anti-AAPI racism in the U.S. Their 6-slide presentation is located here: https://bit.ly/3QBqQPQ APIA Vote During the August 7 monthly meeting, Christine Chen , Executive Director, APIAVote, gave an introduction of APIAVote and a report on "The Growing AAPI Electorate and What is at Stake." APIAVote’s work revolves around collaborating with national, regional, and local partners in order to equip advocates with the training, tools, resources, and best practices they need to do their best work as “trusted messengers” in their communities. Together, APIAVote’s Alliance for Civic Empowerment (ACE) envisions a world that is inclusive, fair, and collaborative, and where Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities are self-determined, empowered, and engaged. ACE is missing partners in some states in the Mid-West, South, and Northeast. Christine's presentation included the trend and historic AAPI turnout in 2020, a presidential election year, with 64% registered and 60% turnout. Christine also gave an outline of activities and training in 2023 and 2024. Her 18-slide presentation is located here: https://bit.ly/3DZBKY4 Future of 44-year-old Science Agreement Caught in Middle of U.S.-China Tensions According to Axios , the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the South China Morning Post , one of the most foundational agreements between the United States and China, the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA), will expire on August 27, 2023.Originally signed in 1979, STA has been renewed about every five years with the last time being in 2018. The agreement laid out the terms for government-to-government cooperation in science, opening the way for academic and corporate interactions. It opened the door for scientists to collaborate in physics, chemistry, health and other areas. Cooperation between the countries helped China to transition from ozone-depleting CFCs and enabled the sharing of influenza data used to devise yearly vaccines.The STA signing gave "a form of permission for lab-to-lab, university-to-university, scientist-to-scientist cooperation," says John Holdren , former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) during the Obama administration. "It legitimized the whole notion that collaboration was respectable."More than four decades into the agreement that included a pandemic and several administrations of fiery rhetoric, the broader nature of that cooperation is being scrutinized over concerns about Beijing-backed intellectual property theft and the Chinese military benefitting from knowledge about U.S. scientific advances.Making a case for renewal, Deborah Seligsohn of CSIS, a think tank in Washington, said that as the first deal signed between Washington and Beijing after the normalization of ties, the agreement was of “enormous historic significance”.Seligsohn said the agreement had resulted in “many specific science and technology outcomes” that had greatly benefited the US and the rest of the world, from cooperation on the study of birth defects and influenza to fighting air pollution and HIV/Aids prevention.Over the years scientists on both sides had also worked together on almost 100 protocols and annexes under the agreement, “specifically, a number of changes to intellectual property protections”, she said. Seligsohn said non-renewal could complicate recent attempts to find areas of cooperation, including the “the types of people-to-people connections and educational exchanges” that Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to promote during his visit to Beijing in June.“There is a real risk that any such improvements, including access to key health information and the ability to train the United States’ next generation of China experts, will be put at risk if the agreement lapses,” she said. Richard Suttmeier , a US-China science and tech cooperation expert at the University of Oregon, said letting the agreement lapse would not be “productive for finding the right terms for the larger relationship with China”.Suttmeier said it would probably be a mistake to let the deal lapse and the two countries needed to come up with an agreement that reflected the “realities of the third decade of the 21st century”. Suttmeier acknowledged that China had been the biggest beneficiary of the agreement – “largely because the US had been so far ahead of China in science and technology; there was less to learn from China than China could learn from the US”. “Nevertheless, the US benefited in a variety of ways,” he said. “Now, however, with China emerging as a scientific superpower, the flow of knowledge is going in both directions, so, in principle, the benefits to the US could be greater.” 2023/08/12 South China Morning Post : Clock ticks down for China-US science deal amid tech theft fears 2023/08/05 Axios : Future of 44-year-old science agreement caught in middle of U.S.-China tensions 2023/08/04 CSIS: The Case for Renewing the U.S.-China S&T Cooperation Agreement Maui Inferno - The Communities Need Help According to multiple media reports, Maui's wildfires have killed at least 96 people, a toll expected to rise. The fast-moving inferno, which started on August 8, 2023, spread from the brush outside of town and ravaged the historic city of Lahaina that was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It was one of three major wildfires on Maui.According to AP News on August 12, 2023, in the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience.Governor Josh Green said the inferno that reduced much of Lahaina to smoldering ruins was the worst natural disaster in the state's history, making thousands of people homeless and leveling at least 2,700 buildings and “an estimated value of $5.6 billion has gone away.” Crews with cadaver dogs have covered just 3% of the search area,A potent mix of high winds from Hurricane Dora, low humidity levels and a high pressure system over the North Pacific created deadly fire conditions in Hawaii. The fate of some of Lahaina's cultural treasures remains unclear. The historic 60-foot-tall banyan tree marking the spot where Hawaiian King Kamehameha III's 19th-century palace stood was still standing, though some of its boughs appeared charred.The fire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina in West Maui is now the deadliest US blaze in over 100 years, according to US Fire Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell . Thomas Leonard , a 74-year-old retired mailman from Lahaina, didn’t know about the fire until he smelled smoke. Power and cellphone service had both gone out earlier, leaving the town with no real-time information about the danger. He tried to leave in his Jeep, but had to abandon the vehicle and run to the shore when cars nearby began exploding. He hid behind a seawall for hours, the wind blowing hot ash and cinders over him. Firefighters eventually arrived and escorted Leonard and other survivors through the flames to safety.President Joe Biden signed a Major Disaster Declaration to deliver additional federal resources and support for the emergency response. The action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Maui and provides aid on top of the actions already underway by federal agencies to help state and local search-and-recovery efforts. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement is partnering with Native Hawaiian and community organizations and businesses to match up to $1,500,000 in donations for ʻohana (Hawaiian term meaning "family") impacted by the devastating wildfires on Maui. 2023/08/13 Maui Now: Here’s what critical aid FEMA, federal partners are providing for Maui fire response, recovery 2023/08/12 The Hill: Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez pledge $100 million to help Maui wildfire recovery 2023/08/26 March on Washington On August 26, 2023, a 2023 March on Washington will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in 1963, to continue the fight for democracy, social justice and civil rights. Join the King family at the Lincoln Memorial to honor the past, acknowledge the present and march toward a future of progress and equality.Advancing Justice | AAJC is co-chairing this momentous event along with ADL, Human Rights Commission, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Legal Defense Fund, NAACP, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Negro Women, National Urban League and UNIDOS.Advancing Justice | AAJC is working on a common gathering place for the AANHPI community place while at the same time making sure that we are well integrated into the March.Advocate Qian Huang 黄倩 reported that the National Action Network (NAN) is looking for hospitality volunteers on Friday, August 25, at 6:30 pm with a walk-through of all the volunteers. The set up work (stage, chairs, booth, flyer, t-shirts...) will be done by NAN. On August 8, 2023, ADL East hosted a webinar titled "The March on Washington: Together Towards Justice." It featured Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway and NAACP New Jersey State Conference President Richard T. Smith . The discussion focused on the historic 1963 March on Washington, the civil rights movement today, the importance of allyship, as well as how to register for this year's March on August 26. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1MlImhhgbk (57:56) Back View PDF August 15, 2023 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 - #31 Registration For 12/02 Webinar; EEOC Webinar #31 Registration For 12/02 Webinar; EEOC Webinar Back View PDF November 28, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

The University of North Texas has suddenly ended its relationship with visiting scholars receiving funding from China. August 26, 2020 On August 26, 2020, the University of North Texas (UNT) announced that it has ended "its relationship with visiting scholars who receive funding from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC, also known as the Chinese Scholarship Fund)." Access to UNT email, servers, and other materials, as well as the J-1 program under the U.S. Exchange Visit Program, were terminated immediately. In essence, the action expelled these scholars from the United States. On August 31, 2020, Ling-Chi Wang, Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley, wrote a letter to UNT to express "shock and profound concern" over the sudden expulsion of students from the university and the U.S. "In the absence of any legitimate explanation, the expulsion appears to be national origin-based and possibly racially and politically motivated, an action explicitly prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964," Professor Wang wrote in the letter. On the same day, retired Julie Tang also wrote to UNT to protest the expulsion of Chinese students . "Their summary removal from the College appears to be a serious violation of their constitutional rights to equal protection and due process of the law under the 14th Amendment," Judge Tang said in the letter. UNT President Neal Smatresk had issued a statement on " Moving Forward and Living Our Values as a Diverse, Inclusive Community " on June 17, 2020. "I am steadfastly committed to celebrating our diversity and working toward the changes necessary for our university to lead in the fight against racism and bias so that each and every individual feels like a valued member of our Mean Green family," the statement said. A concerned individual has also sent a protest message to UNT President Smatresk, pointing out that the purge of Chinese scholars is not based on misbehavior but on the source of their funding assistance. The UNT letter is a "get-out-of-Dodge" letter from the "Sheriff" with no pretense of due process. " It is a resurrection of the shameful Chinese Exclusion Acts of the past." On September 3, 2020, the petition to " Take back the decision to end the relationship with the Chinese scholars who fund by CSC " has gathered morfe than 6,000 signatures. It has been reported that UNT expelled 15 Chinese government-backed scholars. It is unknown at this time whether the expulsion is a unilateral decision made by UNT, how many other higher education institutions have taken similar action on their own, or an implemenation of a government policy. Available evidence suggests that it may be related to a 2020/08/18 letter from a State Department official. The University of North Texas has suddenly ended its relationship with visiting scholars receiving funding from China. Previous Next Another Purge of Scholars from China?

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

Newsletter - #342 Citizenship Order Blocked; Monthly Meeting Recap; Perkins Coie on Government Scrutiny+ #342 Citizenship Order Blocked; Monthly Meeting Recap; Perkins Coie on Government Scrutiny+ In This Issue #342 · Legal Challenges Continue to Block Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship · Summary of 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting (in progress) · Facing Government Scrutiny? Read This from Perkins Coie · News and Activities for the Communities Legal Challenges Continue to Block Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship According to AP , CNN , Just Security , and multiple media reports, President Trump’s January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14160, which seeks to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil with non‑citizen parents, remains blocked by federal court rulings despite a recent Supreme Court decision that limited the reach of nationwide injunctions.On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court held that individual district judges may no longer issue universal nationwide injunctions. However, it clarified that class-action injunctions remain valid, preserving a legal pathway for nationwide relief under certain circumstances.One such ruling came from U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante in New Hampshire, who certified a class of affected children and issued a nationwide injunction that remains in effect pending appeal. Although the Supreme Court’s decision would have allowed the order to take effect on July 27 in states not covered by separate injunctions, Judge LaPlante’s ruling ensures continued nationwide protection.“The judge’s order protects every single child whose citizenship was called into question by this illegal executive order,” Cody Wofsy , the ACLU attorney representing children who would be affected by Trump’s restrictions, said. “The government has not appealed and has not sought emergency relief so this injunction is now in effect everywhere in the country.”Elsewhere, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Massachusetts is weighing whether to maintain a previously issued nationwide injunction or to narrow or stay it in light of the Supreme Court’s decision. During a recent hearing, Judge Sorokin appeared skeptical of the government’s arguments. Using an analogy about a noisy neighbor and a hastily proposed wall to block sound, he questioned how the government intended to comply with the law: “What you are telling me is we will do it but, in response to my question, you have no answer how you will do it,” he said. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland stated in an opinion on July 18 that she would grant class action status on behalf of all children affected by the executive order and grant a preliminary injunction blocking it. But she did not immediately rule, noting a previous decision of hers to block the order was on appeal to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court and that court would have to return the case to her. Judge Boardman said an immediate ruling from her would “promote judicial efficiency and economy because it would enable the Fourth Circuit to consider the merits of a class-wide preliminary injunction sooner rather than later.” At the core of these lawsuits is the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 in response to the Dred Scott decision, which denied citizenship to African Americans. In United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), the Supreme Court affirmed that children born in the U.S. to non-citizen immigrant parents are citizens by birth, unless their parents are foreign diplomats or enemy occupiers. This precedent remains a foundational element of birthright citizenship law—and the focal point of the current legal battles. Summary of 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting (in progress) The APA Justice monthly meeting on July 7, 2025, featured timely and urgent presentations from several distinguished speakers addressing the challenges facing higher education, civil rights, and immigrant communities amid escalating political pressures. Below is a summary of the remarks from four of the speakers: 1. Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) President Lynn Pasquerella expressed deep concern about the future of American higher education and democracy. She pointed out that this is a moment of enormous significance that brings a renewed sense of urgency to our nation’s historic mission of educating for democracy. It is also a time of growing moral distress, in which campus leaders feel coerced into making decisions they believe are unethical decisions and they feel they have no choice but to make. They are continually forced to confront the question: How much individual injustice should be tolerated for the sake of long-term reform? As a result, for many, that moral distress has morphed into a kind of moral injury—arising from the continuous erosion of their moral compass and the ongoing challenges to their deeply held values characterized by deepening ideological divides. Development of Existential Threat to Higher Education 2023 brought attacks on DEI, a Supreme Court decision banning race-based admissions, and legislation introduced in 42 states to implement educational gag orders—limiting speech around race, gender, and other so-called “divisive concepts.” At the end of that year, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn were called before the Congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer for and atone for alleged antisemitism on their campuses—accusations attributed to their institutions’ emphasis on DEI. At the December 5 hearings on Capitol Hill, Representative Virginia Foxx’s opening statement was not only against those university presidents, but against higher education as a whole. Those hearings foreshadowed the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, marked by unprecedented government overreach and political intrusion into nearly every aspect of college and university operations. This included the withdrawal of billions of dollars in federal research funding, caps on indirect costs for grants awarded by NIH and the Department of Energy, and the elimination of spending on research topics like race, transgender health, women’s issues, climate change, misinformation, and COVID-19. Within his first two and a half weeks in office, four executive orders were signed directly targeting transgender individuals. And within another two weeks, a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education directed colleges and universities to eliminate all DEI initiatives in hiring, curriculum, and co-curricular activities. A separate executive order mandated that higher education accrediting bodies remove all DEI-related standards, claiming that "radical left" accreditors had allowed campuses to be overrun by “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” Targeting of Chinese and International Students We saw hundreds of international students detained and thousands more have their visas terminated. Limits were removed on ICE agents’ activities on college campuses. In states like Florida, campus security officers were given authority to perform immigration enforcement functions. Despite First Amendment protections, the President threatened the arrest and deportation of international students and faculty who participated in pro-Palestinian protests. Funding for study abroad and international scholarships was suspended. Harvard was warned that its ability to admit international students would be revoked unless it provided detailed records on all such students. Although Harvard complied, a month later Secretary Kristi Noem declared that international students would no longer be eligible for admission to Harvard, and existing international students were told they must transfer immediately or face visa termination. Travel bans were implemented for citizens of 12 countries, and heightened visa restrictions were placed on those from seven others. On June 9, the government announced that all student visa applicants—regardless of country of origin—must unlock their social media accounts for review. One consequence of this has been that colleges and universities with high international student populations now face credit risk. Moody’s has warned of downgrades to credit ratings—particularly for the 11% of American institutions where international students make up more than 20% of the student body. The reemerging climate of fear and intimidation for Chinese students—echoes of the 77 cases brought by the Department of Justice under the "China Initiative." Although most cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence, the chilling effect on Chinese and Asian American researchers remains. During the program’s enforcement, departures of Asian researchers from the U.S. increased by 75%. Although the initiative ended in 2022, recent attempts to revive it have reaffirmed a deep sense of uncertainty among Asian and Asian American students. Efforts led by Marco Rubio and others, which many see as the weaponization of a population that has contributed significantly to the nation's economic development and academic excellence by bringing in global talent and diverse perspectives. During the last academic year, 200,398 Chinese students were studying in the U.S.—122,778 of them graduate students in STEM fields. These are the very students now being targeted. What has unfolded constitutes an existential threat to American colleges and universities—institutions founded on the principles of the free exchange of ideas, the unfettered pursuit of truth, and independence from unwarranted governmental and political interference. Call to Action In April 2025, AAC&U, alongside the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, released a statement entitled A Call for Constructive Engagement , outlining what is at stake for America’s prosperity should the critical partnership between government and higher education continue to unravel. For the first time, sitting presidents of colleges and universities came together in large numbers to respond to attacks from the Trump administration. The statement made clear that while presidents and leaders of scholarly societies are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight, they will stand together against efforts to restrict or undermine the freedoms fundamental to American higher education. The process leading to the statement revealed the pressures campus leaders are experiencing. AAC&U held two virtual meetings where 193 campus leaders came together. Many spoke of needing board approval to speak out, others described pressure from state governors, and many feared media backlash. Yet nearly all cited growing demands from faculty and students to defend their institutions’ core principles and push back against efforts to control curriculum or restrict freedom of expression. We know from the recent removal of the President of the University of Virginia that concern over government overreach is real. That incident reaffirmed a conviction that emerged: If everyone exercises a little moral courage, no one person has to be the hero. This is a moment for all of us to come together across sectors and lead with moral courage. When one university is threatened, it is the responsibility of all institutions to respond. As philosopher John Dewey reminds us—democracy is not just a system of government, but a way of life. It depends on an educated and engaged citizenry, capable of making independent judgments, challenging authority, and participating meaningfully in public discourse. 2. Tony Chan 陳繁昌, Former President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Former President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology After having spent 20 years teaching at UCLA, Tony spent the following 15 years abroad—including six years as the President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Tony talked about his article, The Role of Research Universities in a Changing World Order , which was recently published in Not Alone by Elsevier. Recent Developments Since the article was written in early 2025 Much has changed since March—Harvard’s authority to admit international students and its tax-exempt status are under threat, visa policies have shifted, and there have been dramatic funding cuts to the NIH and NSF. The NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, where Tony once served, faces a proposed 75% cut. This level of disruption affects all research universities and makes long-term planning nearly impossible. We have also seen a wave of university president resignations. The landscape is shifting rapidly, and academia is scrambling to respond. It is no longer just about campus governance—it is about our role in society and in global competitiveness. Tony framed his article around East-West academic competition—particularly between the U.S. and China, though India now plays a growing role. Talent Flow and Research Collaboration Recently, Tony co-founded a virtual platform called " Dialogue on Asian Universities ” (DAU). On June 23, DAU had its 11th dialogue, titled Tectonic Shift in the Global Talent Chain: The Forces of Technology and Geopolitics , where Tony moderated a conversation between the presidents of two Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)—Delhi and Mumbai—and a leading AI researcher from Tsinghua University, formerly a senior VP at Microsoft in Redmond. Ten years ago, 90% of IIT graduates came to the U.S. Today, that trend has reversed: 90% stay in India, where opportunities are booming. The same is true in China, which is actively attracting returnees at the peak of their careers. Chinese students once saw the U.S. as the obvious destination. Now, many are reconsidering—questioning whether it’s worth investing years here under such uncertainty. There is a push from the U.S.—visa hurdles, political hostility—and a growing pull from home countries. Tony gave two striking examples: 1. DeepSeek, a competitive AI model to ChatGPT, was built in China by graduates who never studied abroad. That is a wake-up call. 2. Meta has been hiring talent away from OpenAI—many of these AI researchers are young, Chinese-born, and U.S.-trained. So while the government tries to limit student visas, industry thrives on the very people being pushed out. There is a major contradiction. When it comes to research collaboration, the trend has also reversed. Fifteen years ago, U.S. faculty were eager to collaborate globally—especially with China. Now, fears over dual-use technologies and national security have shut many doors. This is understandable to a degree, but we have managed dual-use issues before—through clearances and containment. What we have now is a blanket policy that hinders not just collaboration with China, but progress on global challenges like climate, energy, and health. Joint ventures are collapsing. Multiple American-Chinese university partnerships—at Berkeley, Michigan, and Georgia Tech—have closed under political pressure. Others are likely considering exit strategies. Recommendations Universities represent something deeper: values, leadership, and change in society. What is happening now has broader implications—for all of society. Here is the irony: the Chinese system is often criticized for authoritarianism, lack of free speech, and human rights issues. Yet, in recent years, Tony has seen a disturbing erosion of these very things in the U.S. He offered four recommendations: 1. Academia must remember its core mission —to serve society and humanity for the long term. Bending to short-term political pressure may be expedient but risks undermining academic integrity, reputation, and the ability to attract talent. 2. Universities must adapt to shifting geopolitical and economic realities . Ignoring national security concerns is not an option. But universities should propose pragmatic frameworks that enable collaboration within necessary constraints. 3. Reaffirm academic freedom . Without that, there is no point in having American-style universities. 4. Leadership requires courage . It is easier to do nothing. But if you are in a leadership position, that is not an option. If you cannot lead, you should step aside. The bigger question is: how did we let it get this far without the public engaging? When we speak, people assume it is self-interest. We need third-party voices to make the case for why academia matters—beyond campus walls. 3. Clay Zhu 朱可亮, Founder and President, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) Clay provided updates on two major lawsuits challenging government actions targeting Chinese students and property buyers. In early April, CALDA learned about the mass termination of student status for thousands of international students, most of whom are from China. In response, CALDA filed a case, Chen v. Noem (4:25-cv-03292) , in the Northern District of California. On May 22, the judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction . As a result, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) statuses of most affected students have been restored. However, CALDA also discovered that, simultaneously, DHS and ICE had terminated the students' SEVIS statuses, and the State Department had revoked their student visas. CALDA does not yet have an exact count of how many students are affected but plans to amend the complaint to add the State Department as an additional defendant, in an effort to restore the revoked visas. Due to the recent Supreme Court decision in CASA Inc. v. Trump (8:25-cv-00201) , CALDA may also need to further amend the complaint to pursue the case as a class action. Meanwhile, in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17 (SB17) into law on June 20, 2025. The bill restricts certain foreign purchases of real property in Texas. CALDA filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and a motion for class certification the day before Independence Day. This is one of the first cases filed under the recent Supreme Court ruling in CASA v. Trump, which prompted CALDA to file these lawsuits on a class-action basis. CALDA is currently awaiting a judge assignment and hearing date. Since the law takes effect on September 1, there is less than two months to obtain a court decision—followed potentially by an appeal. Clay, expressing both gratitude for American opportunities and frustration at current policies, emphasized that CALDA’s legal efforts aim to protect constitutional rights and ensure due process for affected Chinese individuals. 4. Joanna YangQing Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC, jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org Without going into the details of Texas Senate Bill SB17, Joanna highlighted several other top-line actions from AAJC. On July 2, AAJC transmitted a bipartisan letter from AAPI leaders to members of Congress, urging broader protection for the safety of the AAPI community. It was signed by senior former government and elected officials, as well as community and public service leaders. (Please contact Joanna if you would like a copy of the letter.)AAJC, along with the Asian American Scholars Forum (AASF), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and Stop AAPI Hate, also led a coalition letter representing 64 organizations addressed to Secretary Marco Rubio . His newly proposed visa policy—issued without meaningful clarity—harms the safety and well-being of students, undermines American values, and jeopardizes the nation’s academic, technological, and economic leadership. The letter called for a halt to the implementation of the May 28 policy announcement to “aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese international students,” including those in “critical fields.”There have also been several Supreme Court decisions in recent weeks. AAJC, along with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and OCA, condemned the recent Supreme Court ruling in CASA v. Trump, which significantly limits the ability of lower courts to issue "universal injunctions." Executive Order 14160, which seeks to end birthright citizenship for individuals born in the United States whose parents had certain immigration statuses, may now go into effect on a case-by-case basis. AAJC remains confident that related litigation will result in the Executive Order being ruled unconstitutional. AAJC has also issued press statements on other Supreme Court decisions, which can be found on the AAJC website. Facing Government Scrutiny? Read This from Perkins Coie On June 26, 2025, Perkins Coie LLP, a large international law firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington, hosted Compliance Collective webinars aimed at helping nonprofit and university leaders stay ahead of the curve when it comes to government investigations and inquiries. With oversight from executive agencies and legislative bodies on the rise, organizations in the nonprofit and higher education sectors are increasingly likely to encounter subpoenas, information requests, and other official actions. These sessions offered practical advice and up-to-date strategies to ensure leaders are well-prepared to respond effectively and protect their institutions.The webinars focused on two principal avenues of risk: (1) revocation of tax-exempt status by the IRS, and (2) law enforcement and regulatory inquiries, including subpoenas, congressional investigations, and government raids. These risks are increasingly intertwined, with legislative and executive actions targeting activities perceived as contrary to public policy or law. Perkins Coie has shared two documents summarizing the insights from the webinars: · Essential Strategies for Navigating Government Inquiries o Legal Frameworks and Areas of Exposure o Practical Guidance for Risk Assessment and Response o Developing Robust Policies and Procedures · Search Warrants: Dos and Don’ts Perkins Coie concludes that in an increasingly uncertain regulatory environment, nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions must proactively identify and assess their unique risks, establish clear protocols for government interactions, and ensure ongoing board and management engagement. Tailored compliance strategies, informed by legal counsel and aligned with organizational mission and risk tolerance, are essential to navigating the evolving landscape of government scrutiny. Perkins Coie welcomes interested parties to contact any of the following presenters or Perkins Coie representative for more in-depth guidance or legal support. · Jamie Schafer, Partner, JSchafer@perkinscoie.com · Jean-Jacques Cabou, Firmwide Co-Chair, White Collar & Investigations Practice, Partner, JCabou@perkinscoie.com · Angela Jones, Deputy General Counsel, Partner, AJones@perkinscoie.com · Richard Sevcik, Firmwide Chair, Tax-Exempt Organizations Practice, Partner, RSevcik@perkinscoie.com News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/07/25-27 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony 2025/07/29 C100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Linda Chao Yang2025/07/29 From Heartland to Mainland: 2025 Future Ag Leaders Delegation2025/07/31-08/10 Asian American International Film Festival2025/08/02-07 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. 1990 Institute Youth Symposium WHAT: 1990 Institute Youth Symposium — Roots and Wings: Celebrating Asian American Youth with the Power of Community WHEN: September 6, 2025, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm PT WHERE: College of San Mateo, 1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94401 HOST: 1990 Institute DESCRIPTION: This inaugural Youth Symposium is more than a one-day event. It is our first large-scale, cross-generational outreach initiative and marks a major milestone for the 1990 Institute as we navigate this fast-changing and challenging time, and position ourselves as a leader in addressing the most pressing and relevant issues impacting our community. It builds upon 1990’s legacy educational programming and supports our core mission. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4m79Q0D # # # 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 July 21, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #189: Registrations Open! Xiaoxing Xi; Hoover: A Fresh Start From What? Alien Land Bills; More #189: Registrations Open! Xiaoxing Xi; Hoover: A Fresh Start From What? Alien Land Bills; More In This Issue #189 Register Now: June 26 Webinar on Stop Warrantless Surveillance Register Now: July 6 President's Advisory Commission on AAPI Public Meeting Eight Years After False Accusation, Xiaoxing Xi Can Sue FBI Hoover Institution Webinar: A Fresh Start from What? Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills News and Activities for the Communities Register Now: June 26 Webinar on Stop Warrantless Surveillance The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), APA Justice, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Committee of 100 will co-host a webinar on "Stop Warrantless Surveillance: The Danger of Reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA". WHEN: June 26, 2023, 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT WHAT: The U.S. Constitution protects its people against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the U.S. government engages in mass, warrantless surveillance of phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications between Americans and foreigners. Information collected under this law without a warrant can be used to prosecute and imprison people, even for crimes that have nothing to do with national security. Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans and the immigrant and scientific communities, have been targeted for warrantless surveillance that led to wrongful and unjust prosecutions. They include Temple University Professor Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 and possibly New York Police Department Officer Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 . The current authorization of Section 702 will expire on December 31, 2023. What should the Asian American and immigrant communities know about Section 702? If it is not sunset, what reforms will be needed? What are the next steps for the communities? WHO: Keynote speaker. Rep. Pramila Jayapal , the first South Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; a member of the House Judiciary Committee; Ranking Member of House Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security and Enforcement Panelist. Gang Chen 陈刚 . Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, MIT; Member, National Academy of Sciences; prosecuted under "China Initiative" with case dismissed; "We Are All Gang Chen" Panelist. Elizabeth Goitein. Senior Director, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice Panelist. Ashley Gorski . Senior Staff Attorney, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union Panelist. Brian A. Sun 孙自华 . Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright; Board Member, Committee of 100 Moderator. Lillian Sing 郭丽莲 . Judge (retired), California Superior Court; first Asian American woman judge in Northern California REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/42AbNIF 1. Cato Institute Policy Forum on Section 702 of FISA According to a Cato Institute online policy forum on June 6, 2023, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire on New Year’s Eve 2023 absent congressional action to renew it. This controversial surveillance power was enacted in 2008 following over two years of debate in Congress after its secret, illegal predecessor— the National Security Agency’s Stellar Wind mass electronic surveillance program—was exposed by the New York Times in December 2005. Since that time, Section 702 has been renewed twice—once under President Obama and again under President Trump . And it has been renewed despite repeated, serious violations of the law by the FBI via so‐called “back door” searches—literally millions of Section 702 database queries by FBI personnel for information on U.S. persons not necessarily wanted for a crime. 2. Washington Post Report on Section 702 of FISA According to the Washington Post on June 13, 2023, Congress will not renew powerful, expiring surveillance authorities without substantial changes to shield Americans from warrantless eavesdropping, senators in both parties warned Biden administration officials in a Senate Judiciary Committee on June 13, 2023. “I will only support the reauthorization of Section 702 if there are significant, significant reforms,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). “And that means first and foremost, addressing the warrantless surveillance of Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Moreover, the reforms must also include safeguards to prevent future abuses and ensure effective oversight by Congress and the courts.” The top Republican on the committee, Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), said that in the United States broadly, “there’s a warrant requirement to investigate an American citizen for wrongdoing. And we don’t want this to be used to get around that requirement. So bottom line is, let’s reauthorize this program and build in some safeguards.” “Why should we ever trust the FBI and DOJ again to police themselves under FISA when they’ve shown us repeatedly over more than a decade that they cannot be trusted to do so?” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said. Register Now: July 6 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 Commissioner, Former Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and President Emeritus of the University of Guam, described the role and purpose of the Commission and his experiences with racial profiling as CAPAC Chair and President of University of Guam at the April APA Justice monthly meeting. Robert reminded us that the Commission is the vehicle through which all of us can participate and make our input known to the President. The Commission has committees to address various topics, but social justice issues such as racial profiling, discriminatory alien land laws, warrantless surveillance, and open science are not on the radar screen of the Commission. APA Justice encourages organizations and individuals to write to the Commission and speak at the public hearing on July 6. Robert also urges all of us to feel free to communicate with him directly at anacletus2010@gmail.com .The current Commission will expire later this year. An executive order will be needed to continue the work of the Commission, which unlike other similar commissions, does not have a permanent staff.Read Robert's remarks: https://bit.ly/3qogBU1 . Watch his remarks at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIrq1hfl4A (video 11:48 to 25:21) Eight Years After False Accusation, Xiaoxing Xi Can Sue FBI According to the Washington Post on June 6, 2023, Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 earned his PhD in Beijing, but he built his career in the United States. He arrived in the country in 1989 and worked at several colleges in New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania before arriving at Temple University. By 2015, the physics professor was a respected expert in a cutting-edge field and, as interim head of the physics department, was on the cusp of a big promotion.So he was stunned to find a team of FBI agents at his Philadelphia home on an early morning in May that year. They arrested him in his pajamas at gunpoint as his family looked on in alarm. “I opened my door,” Xi recalled in an interview. “I realized all my life, everything I have done, is gone.” The Justice Department alleged Xi, a physicist and a naturalized U.S. citizen, had delivered confidential technology to China “to assist Chinese entities in becoming world leaders” in the field — an accusation that essentially cast him as a “technological spy.” He was interrogated and strip-searched. But the case ended in farce four months later after experts asserted that the government had misunderstood the science behind Xi’s work.Xi’s case was dismissed in September of that year, but he said the accusations cost him a senior position in Temple University’s physics department and cast a pall over his research and his family’s life.In 2017, Xi sued the U.S. government and leaders of the FBI, Justice Department and National Security Agency for what he alleged to be a willfully negligent prosecution clouded by bias over his Chinese ethnicity. But it languished for years and was later dismissed in federal court. Xi appealed the ruling in 2021.His lawsuit can now proceed, an appeals court ruled late last month, allowing Xi to continue his longtime quest to tell of his experience in court and join several other researchers of Chinese descent who have faced similar accusations.Xi’s lawsuit also alleged that investigators used powerful surveillance techniques to tap the professor’s phone and email communications without a proper warrant under Section 702 of FISA . As Xi’s appeal was pending, several other scientists of Chinese descent across the United States navigated parallel challenges. MIT Professor Gang Chen 陈刚 had similar charges against him dropped in January 2022 — and later that year made a major discovery in semiconductor research. Sherry Chen 陈霞芬 , a former hydrologist at the National Weather Service, won over $1.5 million from the government in November after challenging a 2014 Commerce Department investigation that accused her of espionage.On May 24, 2023, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Xi’s case had been wrongly dismissed. The case will return to district court around August.“Now we’ll put the government under oath to explain what they did,” Xi said.Read the Washington Post report: https://wapo.st/42r0sdP Professor Xi was interviewed by Sharyl Attkisson in Full Measure on June 4, 2023. Read the transcript and watch the video at https://bit.ly/3P6hCdJ (video 5:13). Hoover Institution Webinar: A Fresh Start from What? According to the Stanford Daily on June 8, 2023, the Hoover Institution hosted a discussion on the importance of promoting a sense of belonging for Chinese-Americans. The panel, titled “A Fresh Start: Safeguarding People, Rights, and Research Amid US-China Competition” brought attention to the worries Chinese academics have over being profiled for espionage or fraud-related charges regarding possible affiliations with China’s government. Larry Diamond , a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, moderated the panel with Gisela Perez Kusukawa , founding executive director of the Asian American Scholar Forum, Ambassador Gary Locke , former U.S. Ambassador to China (2011-2014), and Glenn Tiffert , research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Locke, who is also the chair of the non-profit Committee of 100 (C100), opened the event by acknowledging the rivalry between the two nations across various industries. He highlighted the “need to understand that our dispute and contention with Beijing is with the government of China and not the people of China, and certainly not Chinese Americans.” Locke said [they] believe the contributions of Chinese Americans often go unnoticed, a further reflection of the invisibilizing of Asian Americans.Kusukawa added that the treatment of Chinese-American academics is part of a broader historical pattern of anti-Asian rhetoric in America, resulting in the scapegoating of Asian Americans when the U.S. experiences tensions with an Asian country. “Since 1985, it has been U.S. policy that basic and applied research in science and engineering is basically unrestricted by the government,” Locke said. Much of the racial profiling Locke referred to can be seen in the "China Initiative" that was launched by the Department of Justice, according to Kusakawa. The initiative was intended to “protect US laboratories and businesses from espionage,” but many academics and civil liberties groups claimed that the program was biased against researchers of Chinese descent. Chinese-American scholars and scientists were falsely implicated during the Trump-era initiative, reporting disastrous effects on their personal livelihoods because of the profiling. The initiative was terminated in February of last year after outcry was raised over how the initiative’s rhetoric further encouraged Sinophobic sentiment. If we are to recognize the existing anti-Asian bias in America, “we need to start thinking [about] what are the due processes in place to protect Asian-Americans” Kusakawa said.Kusakawa acknowledged the difficulties a university or faculty member faces when critiquing or challenging policies that reflect a power imbalance between federal agencies and those in academia. She encouraged making the process of filing a complaint or reporting racial bias a less intimidating experience and focusing on creating a better environment for foreign scholars. “If we change how we approach research, are we genuinely going to become more competitive?” Kusakawa said. “We don’t think that Asian-Americans and Chinese-Americans and immigrants should continue to be collateral damage as we try to fix our policies in our country in addressing U.S. China relationships.” The webinar neglected to mention a Hoover Institution report that was issued alongside the launch of the "China Initiative" in November 2018. After appeals and protests by many Asian Americans organizations and individuals including C100 members, one noticeable change was made to replace the word "Chinese" by "China's" in the original title of the report "Chinese Influence and American Interests." Chapter 3 of the 2018 report (pages 39-50) covered "The Chinese American Community." On C100, the 2018 report (page 226) said "The Chinese embassy also targets prominent Chinese Americans through the Committee of 100, an organization of the most elite Chinese Americans in the United States. Committee members report significant pressure from the Chinese consulate on committee members to toe the Party line. Some prominent committee members are openly sympathetic to the goals of the Chinese Communist Party. One of them is ..." The following question was raised online during the June 6 webinar but not addressed by the moderator and speakers: "Does the Hoover Institution have any regret in publishing its report titled China's Influence and American Interest, which coincide[d] with the launch of the "China Initiative" in 2018, promoting the report heavily with Congress and media, and causing irreparable damage to many Chinese Americans and Asian Americans and eroding the civil rights and civil liberties for the communities? Otherwise, what are we restarting from?"On June 14, 2023, Larry Diamond replied: "We are not going to apologize for producing the report. It was a necessary and valid call to action in countering PRC malign influence activities in the United States and other democracies. We called for a balanced approach of 'constructive vigilance.' "We believe that as a democracy, we can and must defend both the integrity of our institutions and the rights and dignity of an important segment of American society. "We have always agreed that it is unacceptable to make unsubstantiated charges against people of Chinese ethnicity or fan generalized suspicions about a vital part of the American national mosaic. You may recall that the 2018 report you reference declared: 'we must guard against having this report used unfairly to cast aspersions on Chinese, whether Chinese American immigrants who have become (or are becoming) United States citizens, Chinese students, Chinese businesspeople, or other kinds of Chinese visitors, whose contributions to America’s progress over the past century have been enormous.' (p. 219) "We are not government officials and are not responsible for excesses or lack of balance and care in US government conduct. Likewise, we are not responsible for excesses or lack of balance and care in the wider public discussion and are disheartened by it. Our June 6th event with the Committee of 100 and the Asian American Scholar Forum aimed to model a more responsible approach. "Dialogue with the AAPI community is integral to the work that we do, and we remain committed to it."When fuel is put on fire, it cannot be just the responsibility of those who started the fire. There was one dissenter among the group of "China policy specialists" in the 2018 Hoover report. University of California San Diego Professor Susan Shirk wrote (page 217) at that time:"Although I have no problem with the factual research that has gone into specific chapters of the report, I respectfully dissent from what I see as the report’s overall inflated assessment of the current threat of Chinese influence seeking on the United States. The report discusses a very broad range of Chinese activities, only some of which constitute coercive, covert, or corrupt interference in American society and none of which actually undermines our democratic political institutions. Not distinguishing the legitimate from the illegitimate activities detracts from the credibility of the report. The cumulative effect of this expansive inventory that blurs together legitimate with illegitimate activities is to overstate the threat that China today poses to the American way of life. Especially during this moment in American political history, overstating the threat of subversion from China risks causing overreactions reminiscent of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, including an anti-Chinese version of the Red Scare that would put all ethnic Chinese under a cloud of suspicion. Right now, I believe the harm we could cause our society by our own overreactions actually is greater than that caused by Chinese influence seeking. That is why I feel I must dissent from the overall threat assessment of the report." Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills 1. APA Justice Updates Its Tracking of State Alien Land Bills and Laws APA Justice updated its tracking map and table on June 8, 2023: https://bit.ly/43oJ0YI .According to LegiScan, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Oklahoma Senate Bill 212 into state law on June 6, 2023. This was also reported by KFOR-News4 on June 7, 2023. The bill will stop non-U.S. citizens including legal residents from buying land in Oklahoma. It becomes effective on November 1, 2023. 2. Louisiana House Bill 537 and Tulane University Statement According to LegiScan, the Louisiana House passed House Bill 537 by a vote of 73-26 on June 6, 2023. The bill was sent to Governor John Bel Edwards for approval on June 7.Tulane University President Michael A. Fitts and Provost Robin Forman issued the following statement:"We are deeply concerned by the potential impacts on the Tulane community of several bills under consideration in the Louisiana Legislature targeting land ownership by non-US citizens. We continue to share our concerns with legislators. These bills have made many of our faculty and students uncertain and anxious about their futures in our state, and we share those concerns. Universities thrive on their ability to foster a welcoming and safe community where we can recruit and retain the best and the brightest faculty, staff, and students from around the world to learn, research, and work together to solve our most pressing challenges. "Our international community plays a crucial role in the research and innovation ecosystem of our city and state. These international scholars and students have contributed greatly to the extraordinary success Tulane has experienced in research and in helping to increase economic growth in our region. It is essential that we recognize and appreciate their contributions to our state, our universities, and our neighborhoods."On June 7, 2023, NOLA.com also reported on " Bill targeting foreign land ownership approved by Legislature after tweaks ." 3. Florida’s Ban on Chinese Landownership Is a Racist Throwback According to an opinion by Shan Wu published by the Daily Beast on June 6, 2023, the reality of the Florida land law—and other laws like it in states including Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama—are throwbacks to the racist “Alien Land Laws” from the 19th and early 20th century that barred Asians from owning land.Lesser-known than the redlining and racist zoning laws that kept Blacks and other minorities from buying homes in predominantly white neighborhoods, these laws sought to stop Chinese and Japanese people from purchasing and even leasing land primarily in the American West. For example, the 1859 Oregon constitution barred any “Chinaman” from buying property, and the 1879 California constitution was amended to specifically target Asians by only allowing aliens to buy land if they were of “the white race or African descent.” Like today’s politicians, the leaders of that era stoked racist fears in order to eliminate perceived economic competition from Asians by outright banning them from immigration—the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act—and through Alien Land laws. The Chinese Exclusion Act was not repealed until 1943 against the backdrop of the United States allying with China in World War II. It was not until 1948 that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down an Alien Land law as unconstitutional in Oyama v. California . Even after that decision, however, many states did not repeal the laws until decades later. Florida finally got around to repealing its Alien Land law in 2021, only to have [Governor Ron ] DeSantis replace it with a new one.The federal government already scrutinizes foreign transactions, including real estate purchases, that may jeopardize national security through the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The interagency coordination includes the Department of Defense as well as the intelligence community. The federal government—not Florida—is tasked with our national security, the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution likely preempts Florida’s ability to play in this arena. The Florida law also would appear to violate the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process clauses of the Constitution. And there is also the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits making housing unavailable on the basis of among other things: national origin.Then there’s the economic and financial detriment DeSantis would be causing to his own state if the law is successfully implemented. The history of scapegoating Asian competition in America is intrinsically intertwined with racist violence. In the 19th century such fears led to lynchings of Chinese workers like the 1885 massacres of Chinese miners at Rock Springs, Wyoming, and the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin , who was beaten to death with a baseball bat in Detroit by white men who saw him as the embodiment of Japanese auto-industry competition—never mind that Chin happened to be Chinese not Japanese.May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, during which the contributions of Asians in America were celebrated. Now is a great time to ask ourselves what does the future hold, when so many of our political leaders long for a return to a racially violent past.Read the Daily Beast opinion: https://bit.ly/43OO60g News and Activities for the Communities 1. US Supreme Court Backs Alabama Black Voters, Bolsters Civil Rights Law According to Reuters on June 8, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court handed a major victory to Black voters who challenged a Republican-drawn electoral map in Alabama, finding the state violated a landmark law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and paving the way for a second congressional district with a Black majority or close to it.Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) issued the following statement : “Today’s decision is a victory for the communities of color and advocates that challenged discriminatory political maps in Alabama, but it’s also a victory for the American people because the Voting Rights Act remains alive despite recent Supreme Court assaults on it. It’s a relief that this far-right Supreme Court—contrary to many recent decisions—respected the Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and its own precedent to come to the correct conclusion today. Our democracy is at its best when all of us can be represented in Congress, and today’s decision ensures that Black voters’ power in Alabama and across the South is not diluted and erased. CAPAC will continue to work with our Tri-Caucus partners to protect and strengthen the voting rights of all communities of color.” 2. Congressional Research Service Director Resigns According to Roll Call and Bloomberg Government , Congressional Research Service Director Mary B. Mazanec is stepping down effective June 30 amid persistent complaints about leadership within Congress’ public policy research institute. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Mazanec’s planned departure internally, and the House Administration Committee confirmed her resignation. The news comes after reports of high turnover, low morale and lagging diversity within the legislative support agency. On May 3, 2023, the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers sent the results of the Congressional Research Service 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey to Hayden. 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 June 15, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #124 Bipartisan Innovation Act; Professor Mingqing Xiao; APS Webinar: Supreme Court Ruling #124 Bipartisan Innovation Act; Professor Mingqing Xiao; APS Webinar: Supreme Court Ruling Back View PDF April 12, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #364 ICE Arrests and Deaths; Friends of NAPAM Veterans Day/Honors; APAICS Opportunities; + #364 ICE Arrests and Deaths; Friends of NAPAM Veterans Day/Honors; APAICS Opportunities; + In This Issue #364 · ICE Arrests and Deaths Surge Under Trump · 2025 Friends of NAPAM Veterans Day Event and Honors · 2026 APAICS Congressional Fellowships and Internships Open · Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research · News and Activities for the Communities ICE Arrests and Deaths Surge Under Trump According to the Washington Post on July 3, 2025, the Trump administration is sharply increasing arrests of undocumented immigrants, with total arrests from January 20 to June 11 more than doubling compared with 2024 and nearing 1,000 per day. Despite claims that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targets the “worst of the worst,” most people arrested or deported have no criminal conviction, and the share with criminal records has dropped from 46% in January to 30% in June. More than 60% of removals since January 20 involved people without convictions. Arrests rose especially in Texas, Florida, and California. Venezuelan arrests have surged after Trump canceled protections, though Mexicans still make up the largest group. While the administration is far below its stated goal of 3,000 arrests per day or 1 million deportations this year, a massive new DHS funding boost could accelerate operations.According to AsAmNews on November 14, 2025, ICE detention deaths have surged dramatically under the Trump administration, reaching crisis levels in 2025. In just ten months, 21 people have died in ICE custody—nearly matching the total number of deaths (26) during Biden’s entire four-year presidency. This is the deadliest year since 2004, and advocates warn the toll is still rising. Nearly one in four of those who died were Asian immigrants, reflecting both increased arrests and worsening detention conditions.A July report from the UCLA Asian American Studies Center found that arrests of Asian immigrants nearly tripled in early 2025, from under 700 in 2024 to nearly 2,000 between February and May. Most were from China (about a third), India (about a quarter), and Vietnam (about a sixth). This enforcement surge coincides with a series of deaths marked by inadequate medical care, overcrowding, lack of language access, and unresolved questions surrounding the circumstances of each fatality.Among the Vietnamese detainees who died, 55-year-old Nhon Ngoc Nguyen passed away on April 16 after months of transfers between detention and hospitals. An autopsy cited acute pneumonia and dementia, and his family believes ICE may have been negligent. On July 19, another Vietnamese detainee, Tien Xuan Phan , died after seizures and loss of consciousness while detained in a Texas facility that has been chronically overcrowded, at times holding nearly 400 more people than its contracted capacity.Three Chinese nationals also died this year. On September 29, Huabing Xie died after an apparent seizure just two weeks after entering ICE custody. On October 25, 63-year-old Kai Yin Wong died in San Antonio from complications following heart surgery. On August 5, 32-year-old Chaofeng Ge was found hanging in a shower with his arms and legs bound behind him in a Pennsylvania facility. According to the South China Morning Post on November 14, 2025, the brother of Chaofeng Ge has filed a federal lawsuit demanding answers about Ge’s death in ICE custody. The complaint alleges Ge was isolated due to the facility’s lack of Chinese-speaking staff, received no mental-health support, and that U.S. authorities failed to respond to a FOIA request for records about his detention and death. ICE ruled the death a suicide, but the family disputes how suicide would have been possible under the circumstances.On November 13, 2025, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that seven people detained by ICE sued the Trump administration over inhumane conditions at California’s largest immigration detention center, the privately owned California City Detention Facility located in Kern County.The plaintiffs, who seek to represent a class of all people held at California City, describe in their complaint : · Punishing conditions including dirty housing units, inadequate food and water, very cold temperatures, and restrictions on family visits · Enforced isolation caused by frequent lockdowns, no access to programming, and excessive solitary confinement · Terrifyingly inadequate medical care that deprives people of critical treatment for cancer, life-threatening heart conditions, diabetes and other serious medical needs · Neglect of people with disabilities including failing to provide sign language interpreters, wheelchairs, and other necessities people need to live safely · Encroachment on freedom of religion , including confiscation of prayer mats, head coverings and even holy texts · Denial of access to counsel , with weeks-long delays for legal calls and long waits for in-person visits 2025 Friends of NAPAM Veterans Day Event and Honors On November 10, 2025, Friends of National Asian Pacific American Museum (NAPAM) hosted an Annual Veterans Day Inaugural Event to honor 200 years of Asian American Pacific Islanders Military History at the Army Navy Club in Washington DC.Dr. Ravi Chaudhary , Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and Advisory Board Member of Friends of NAPAM, led the 2-hour program that included Fife and Drum display, live and taped remarks, a fireside chat, South Asian Tabla, and a short documentary telling the story of Asian American Pacific Islanders in the U.S. military since the War of 1812. Congressional Gold Medal Part of the Friends of NAPAM program described the award of the Congressional Gold Medal to three groups of Asian American veterans: · The 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service (October 8, 2010). Public Law 111–254 (text) . “The United States remains forever indebted to the bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men faced while fighting a two-fronted battle of discrimination at home and fascism abroad.” · Filipino World War II Veterans (December 14, 2016). Public Law 114–265 (text) . “The loyal and valiant Filipino Veterans of World War II fought, suffered, and, in many instances, died in the same manner and under the same commander as other members of the United States Armed Forces during World War II.” · Chinese American Veterans of World War II (December 20, 2018). Public Law 115–337 (text) . “The United States remains forever indebted to the bravery, valor, and dedication that the Chinese-American Veterans of World War II displayed.” The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the U.S. Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal expresses the highest national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.The congressional practice of issuing gold medals to occasionally honor recipients began with members of the military during the American Revolution. The practice soon extended to individuals in all walks of life and in the late 20th century also to groups. The congressional medal honors those, individually or as a group, "who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."As of November 29, 2023, 184 people, events, or institutions have been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. George Washington was the first recipient in March 1776.Two-thirds of the members in both chambers of Congress, a super-majority sponsorship rule, must co-sponsor a bill before it can advance to the floor for a vote in the US Senate and House of Representatives. Once the bill is passed, a ceremonial signing by the President can take place. The US Mint, which manufactures American coins, produces a unique design for each Congressional Medal. The US Mint commissions artists to prepare designs for the obverse (front) and reverse side of the medal. Once a design is selected, the US Mint works with the honoree to review every detail of the medal design to ensure its historical accuracy.The US Mint presents the final designs to two commissions—the US Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee—for their review and recommendation. The final selection is then sent to the Secretary of the Treasury for approval. Each medal is uniquely designed and cast in gold. Thus, there are significantly fewer gold medals than presidential medals. Bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal are made available for purchase at the U.S. Mint. Once the medal is minted, Congress can hold a ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the honoree at the US Capitol. Recognition of Asian American Gold Medal Recipients The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for Japanese American World War II veterans was held on November 2, 2011 h ttps://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/congressional-gold-medal-for-japanese-american-veterans/264325 (50:06). The Smithsonian Institute also dedicates a web page on the Congressional Gold Medal for Japanese American Nisei veterans in general, recognizing their exceptional contributions, particularly the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, alongside the Military Intelligence Service, which are celebrated for their pivotal roles in European and Pacific theaters.The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) was the primary driving force behind securing the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans, leading the national campaign to raise awareness, lobbying Congress for the necessary legislation, and continuing their mission to document their stories and educate future generations through the "Duty to Country" educational program. The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for Filipino American WWII veterans was held on October 25, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEpncxUSMUA (1:08:37). Three FilVetREP representatives sang the national anthem at the Friends of NAPAM event.The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for the Chinese American World War II Veterans was held virtually on December 21, 2020, due to the pandemic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iETfRFJHtm4 (57:35). On October 25, 2021, an in-person ceremony was held in Boston's Faneuil Hall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I37qokeVCzU (1:43:55). The National Museum of the U.S. Army produced a History Talk video "From Bombardier to Congressional Gold Medal: A Chinese American WWII Pilot’s Story" on May 24, 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqYBOseaz84 (42:54) 2026 APAICS Congressional Fellowships and Internships Open Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) offers Internship and Fellowship programs designed to build a strong pipeline of AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) public service leaders. Applications for the 2026-2027 Congressional Fellowships are open with a deadline of December 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. The Fellowship gives qualified applicants the opportunity to work for a year in a Congressional office or committee to expand their public policy portfolio and build meaningful connections with leaders in Washington DC. The 2026-2027 program dates are: September 8, 2026 to August 27, 2027.Learn more and apply for the APAICS Fellowship here: https://apaics.fillout.com/fellowshipapp Applications for the 2026 Congressional Internships are currently open. This paid, 8 or 10 week program will allow interns the chance to experience the legislative process firsthand by supporting a congressional office or committee. Summer 2026 Dates: June 2 - July 24, 2026Application Deadline: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET Fall 2026 Dates: September 9 - November 20, 2026App. Deadline: March 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM ETLearn more and apply here: https://www.apaics.org/congressional-internship Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research The Chen Institute and Science launched the "Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research" in August 2024. This initiative aims to drive advancements in artificial intelligence that can expand scientific research. Young scientists from around the world are invited to submit AI-driven projects that demonstrate significant potential to improve research and lives.The competition will award a Grand Prize of $30,000, with the winner's essay published in Science and an accompanying five-year AAAS membership. Additionally, up to two runners-up will receive $10,000 each, with their essays published on Science Online and the same membership benefits, promoting sustained engagement with scientific progress. Visit and apply at https://bit.ly/3WTQq4K . The deadline is December 13, 2025. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/11/25 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 Meeting2025/12/08 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Alice Young2026/01/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2026/01/13 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Conversations with Leroy Chiao WHAT : Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao WHEN : January 13, 2026, 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm ET WHERE : Online event HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator: Peter Young , Chair of the Conversations Initiative, Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair, and Board Member Speaker : Leroy Chiao , Ph.D.; Former NASA Astronaut and Co-Founder and CEO of OneOrbit DESCRIPTION : Dr. Leroy Chiao is a Chinese American NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander and the CEO of OneOrbit. He has worked extensively in both government and commercial space programs, and has held leadership positions in commercial ventures and NASA. Dr. Chiao has extensive experience as a NASA Astronaut and prior to that, as a Research Engineer. Dr. Chiao is a fellow of the Explorers Club, and a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and Committee of 100. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/4pahs3M # # # 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 18, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter