Newsletter - #244 Florida Rally and Lawsuit; AASF Update; CSIS Report; Panel on China Initiative; More #244 Florida Rally and Lawsuit; AASF Update; CSIS Report; Panel on China Initiative; More In This Issue #244 · Updates on Florida Rally and Lawsuit Against SB 846 · AASF Updates from March APA Justice Monthly Meeting · CSIS Report: US-China Scholarly Recoupling · Expert Panel Talks Effects of The China Initiative on Academic Freedom · News and Activities for the Communities Updates on Florida Rally and Lawsuit Against SB 846 According to the Independent Florida Alligator , as protest speakers climbed one by one atop a picnic table to address a crowd of 200 gathered in the Reitz Union courtyard on March 26, 2024, their words were met not with claps or cheers, but with the sound of plastic whistles blasting.The Florida Chinese Faculty Association (FCFA) organized the protest in response to the Florida Board of Governors meeting taking place at the University of Florida in the Reitz Student Union. The FCFA gathered to denounce Senate Bill (SB) 846, which bans “partnerships,” including recruitment programs, between state universities and any non-U.S. citizen living in one of seven countries of “concern:” China, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, Cuba, Syria and North Korea. The state law was passed in May and went into effect December 1. Before the event, organizers passed out plastic bags holding yellow whistles reading “WE BELONG.” The protestors clutched the whistles alongside signs bearing phrases like “We make UF, you make the crisis” and “Education without borders.” Protestors ranged from students wearing jeans to faculty in suits and loafers. An oak tree offered shade from the 77-degree weather as protestors gathered underneath it to hear a slate of about 20 speakers.FCFA Secretary and UF materials science and engineering professor Jiangeng Xue and his colleagues have already noticed two main effects of the law in the months since it’s been passed. The first is a discriminatory environment. The law will also lower the quality of graduate students at UF. “We're not going to be seeing the impact right away,” Xue said. “But three, four or five years down the road, we're going to be seeing a decline in the research quality that ultimately is going to affect the reputation of the university.” Others who spoke out in the Independent Florida Alligator report include · Nathan Arndt, a 24-year-old UF materials science and engineering Ph.D. student and member of UF Graduate Assistants United said, “We like having co-workers that are the best at what they do. Not only is this law racism and xenophobia disguised as national security, it’s also anti-education.” · Jay Xie, a 20-year-old UF accounting sophomore and president of the UF Chinese Student Association, said, “I don’t see any people really being harmed or hurt by graduate students doing academic study here, and I just feel like that’s kind of nonsense. I feel like national security is just a golden phrase they can use on anything.” · Arash Fahim, an FSU math professor, tried to tell fellow faculty to go ahead and recruit as usual if they didn’t receive any policy from their university. “One of them was shaking his head and told me, ‘Actually, we did not have any applicants from those [countries],’” Fahim said. “They already know politicians don’t like them in Florida.” · Gisela Perez Kusakawa, civil rights attorney and executive director of the Asian American Scholar Forum, said AASF came together from a need to give Asian American scholars a voice against laws like SB 846. “We must make a stand here in Florida and ensure that this is not replicated in other states across the country. We must remain vigilant to make sure that history is not repeated and that Asian Americans and Asian immigrants do not continue to be scapegoated as threats.” Read the Independent Florida Alligator report: https://bit.ly/3VSTMpt . Additional media coverage: 2024/03/27 AsAmNews: Chinese Students at University of Florida Declare “We Belong” 2024/03/27 WUFT/NPR: Protestors at UF reject SB 846, call for education without borders 2024/03/26 WFUT/NPR: NEWS First at Five (video) Vincent Wang Speaks at Rally Vincent Wang , Co-Organizer of APA Justice, spoke at the rally at Gainesville, and provided the following report:"I was extremely encouraged by the successful event today. The professional organizations at the University of Florida and other colleges worked very hard for a month to pull it off. Gisela did a lot of work to coordinate with national organizations and media outreach ."Multiple racial groups participated in the rally. There were many Chinese and Iranian professors. The impact on them is real and now. Many cannot hire international students and/or researchers, or have to cancel their offers already extended before the law. Some prospective international students who received offers are hesitating on whether to come, or move on to elsewhere. A lot of young students have become activists calling out the harmful SB 846. "Participants from different backgrounds came together in condemning the detrimental and chilling effect of SB 846, and the lack of transparency and clarity by the colleges and universities. The overarching sentiment is that their academic freedom and their access to educational opportunities were being violated, and the politicians making the law were out of touch and made decisions without input from those in the field. They resented the disregard of their fundamental rights for education and research and well being by politicians who weaponized national security for politician gains."The yellow whistles helped people connect each other effectively and efficiently, and developed a sense of belonging and solidarity. It was a wild success." Lawsuit Against Florida SB 846 According to Florida Politics , AP , and other media reports, a Chinese professor and two Chinese graduate students are suing in federal court to stop a new law that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says unfairly targets Chinese international students and others from working as graduate assistants for academic research projects. Zhipeng Yin and Zhen Guo , doctoral students from Florida International University, joined University of Florida professor Zhengfei Guan in filing the lawsuit over SB 846 in the U.S. District Court’s Miami Division. The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU Foundation of Florida , the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) 华美维权同盟 , and Perkins Coie LLP .“This law is unfair, unjustified, and unconstitutional,” said Daniel Tilley , legal director for the Florida chapter of the ACLU. “Everyone in the United States is entitled to equal protection under our laws, including citizens of other countries. The discriminatory policies pushed by the DeSantis administration will not go unchecked.”The complaint names Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. , State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and members of the Board of Governors.The case is Yin v. Diaz (1:24-cv-21129) . APA Justice has created a web page to track the development of the lawsuit at https://bit.ly/43CIGGD AASF Updates from March APA Justice Monthly Meeting During the APA Justice monthly meeting on March 4, 2024, Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), provided the following updates of AASF activities:Gisela expressed deep thanks to Director Arati Prabhakar and Cole Donovan for meeting with AASF researchers and leaders at the Capitol, along with Erika Moritsugu , Deputy Assistant to the President; Principal Advisor Ting Wu , and Krystal Ka'ai , Executive Director of the White House initiative. Gisela looks forward to working further with the White House on how AASF can lift up Asian American scholar contributions in our country and work together towards ensuring a more welcoming and inclusive environment that helps Asian Americans and scholars thrive.AASF conducted political appointment training early on and continues to encourage the community to consider working in public service with the Biden Administration and with Federal agencies. It is critical that we not only have a seat at the table, but continue to be engaged in our country.AASF will be meeting with the new NIH director. Dr. Monica Bertagnolli , to create a bridge between our community and administration officials to ensure that the community's voices are heard. The meeting is closed door. Gisela encourages outreach to her and AASF on your concerns so that she can communicate them directly to NIH leadership.Regarding the release of the CJS joint explanatory statement without the China initiative language, AASF is in the process of reviewing the new language and will be releasing our analysis as a resource for the community. AASF has been working with Nature on a portfolio. It featured Gang Chen , Jenny Lee , George Karniadakis , Yu Xie , Kai Li , Steven Chu , and Yiguang Ju . It highlights the loss of talent and scrutiny that academics are facing at the border and lifts up the AASF data report.AASF continues to monitor the impacts of a Florida law that recently went into effect, which restricts Florida's public colleges and universities from hiring researchers and graduate assistance from several countries of concern which includes China and Iran. AASF has a brief explainer for what this legislation means, and it is working to provide more educational resources for the community. AASF is working with Florida professors and students on the ground to see how AASF can support them. AASF is also monitoring the DETERRENT Act, which passed the House and has been introduced in the Senate. AASF is working to hear more about the timeline for conferencing.A summary for the meeting is being prepared at this time. The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . CSIS Report: US-China Scholarly Recoupling On March 27, 2024, the Center for Strategies & International Studies (CSIS) published a report titled "U.S.-China Scholarly Recoupling: Advancing Mutual Understanding in an Era of Intense Rivalry." According to the CSIS announcement, "The United States and China have avoided outright scholarly decoupling, but the over-securitization of every element of the relationship is restricting a more comprehensive recoupling of ties, a vexing situation which is stifling research, limiting overseas study, reducing mutual understanding, and harming the national interest of both countries."These are the key conclusions of this report, which is the culmination of a two-year initiative led by CSIS and Peking University. The 27 essays in this volume, contributed by American and Chinese scholars from a wide range of disciplines, explain the benefits of U.S.-China scholarly cooperation to the two societies and the world at large, identify the obstacles to greater exchanges, and outline practical strategies for overcoming these challenges."Although the U.S. and Chinese governments must play a central role in creating a stronger foundation for relations in general and scholarly cooperation in particular, it will be up to the scholarly community itself—professors, researchers, administrators, editors, funders, and students—to ensure that their principles are protected and their mission furthered."A webinar was held to launch the report on March 28, 2024.Download and read the CSIS report: https://bit.ly/49brHMR . Listen to audio brief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miq4NGzDNc8 (4:21). Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/3xeYZ0p Expert Panel Talks Effects of The China Initiative on Academic Freedom According to Michigan Daily , the University of Michigan Faculty Senate held a panel discussion on the China Initiative and its aftermath. The China Initiative was created by the Department of Justice in 2018 to combat Chinese national security threats by identifying and prosecuting people involved with trade secret theft, hacking and economic espionage. Since the China Initiative’s implementation in 2018, the rate of Chinese scientists leaving the U.S. has skyrocketed. Eighty-one percent of the scientists targeted through the China Initiative identify as Asian and 72% of Chinese scientists report feeling unsafe as an academic researcher in the U.S. The China Initiative was terminated in 2022, but investigations into Chinese scientists have persisted. At the event, the panelists condemned the initiative as having negative impacts on Chinese scientists in the United States and discouraging scientific collaboration between the U.S. and China. A major topic of discussion for the panel was how investigations stemming from the China Initiative contain misunderstandings of basic scientific procedure and federally funded grant agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, encourage universities to terminate employees being investigated for minor or unintentional infractions. Speakers at the event include · Gang Chen, professor of power engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Peter Zeidenberg, attorney · Ruixue Jia, professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego · Ann Chih Lin, professor of public policy, University of Michigan Senior Eli Chapman said Chen’s story was particularly interesting to him. “You can hear statistics and you can read about things, but hearing from a person who actually went through this experience really added a different element to it that made it very personal,” Chapman said. He believes spreading the word about stories like Chen’s is important in creating discourse about the China Initiative. “The more publicization, the better,” Chapman said. “If we can hear stories like Chen’s, then people start to realize how messed up it has been. If we let the government control the narrative, that’s when the bad sentiment is going to really start.”Read the Michigan Daily report: https://bit.ly/3vl9COJ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/04/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/04/17 Racially Profiled for Being a Scientist: A Discussion of the US DOJ's China Initiative2024/04/18 Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice 2024/04/19 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2024/04/19 Appeals Court Hearing on Florida SB 2642024/05/02 AAGEN 2024 Executive Leadership WorkshopVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. Back View PDF March 29, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

April 7, 2019 On April 7, the Committee of 100 (C100 百人会) issued a statement condemning racial profiling against Chinese Americans . The statement was broadly distributed to the media and read by C100 President Frank Wu during its annual conference in New York. The statement responds to a few high-level American government officials, respected media outlets, and opinion leaders who have stated or suggested in the last few years that all Chinese persons in America should be suspected of wrongdoing. However, "overzealous criminal prosecutions in recent years of innocent individuals such as Sherry Chen and Xiaoxing Xi, like Wen Ho Lee before them, have embarrassingly fallen apart, while ruining lives for no reason. Such targeting of individuals based on their ethnic heritage or national origin violates our shared American ideals. It simply has to stop." "Racial profiling is wrong and un-American in our nation of democracy." The statement concludes that "by standing up and speaking out for what is right and just, Chinese Americans can help lead the way in answering the call that is always before us as Americans: to embody more perfectly the ideals and principles of this great nation we call home." C100 pledges additional plans and actions beyond the released statement. A conference is scheduled for September 28, 2019 in East Palo Alto, California. Previous Next Committee of 100 Condemns Racial Profiling of Chinese Americans

Newsletter - #16 Dr. Zweig's Presentation; Brennan Center Inaugural Webinar; Rep. Meng Resolution #16 Dr. Zweig's Presentation; Brennan Center Inaugural Webinar; Rep. Meng Resolution Back View PDF September 18, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #285 Meeting Today; Immigrants and Pets; Yanping Chen; Project 2025; Florida Home Sale; + #285 Meeting Today; Immigrants and Pets; Yanping Chen; Project 2025; Florida Home Sale; + In This Issue #285 · 2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Rhetoric about Immigrants and Pets Revives Dangerous Historical Tropes · Appeals Court Sets Hearing Date of Dr. Yanping Chen's Case · Project 2025 and the Census: Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future · Florida Home for Sale · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held today via Zoom, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Grace Meng , Member, U.S. House of Representatives; First Vice-Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Gene Wu , Texas State Representative · Min Fan , Executive Director, U.S. Heartland China Association 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 . Rhetoric about Immigrants and Pets Revives Dangerous Historical Tropes The recent inflammatory rhetoric accusing Haitian immigrants of “eating dogs and cats” in Springfield, Ohio, has been thoroughly debunked and widely condemned, yet it has had severe repercussions, including bomb threats, school closures, and hospital lockdowns. This false claim shook not only the Haitian community but also sparked national outrage. In response, Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine , with close ties to Springfield, criticized the baseless accusations made by former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance , the Republican presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate, in an essay for the New York Times . Connecticut Attorney General William Tong , the first Chinese American attorney general in the U.S., echoed these concerns in a piece for the Connecticut Post . Drawing on his own family’s immigrant experience, Tong highlighted how such rhetoric perpetuates harmful stereotypes and treats immigrants as outsiders who “do not belong here.” He argues that dehumanizing language fosters hatred and violence, making it easier for people to commit harm. Tong cited several tragic outcomes of this rhetoric, such as the Atlanta shooting that killed six Asian American women, the murders of two Indian men in Kansas, and the mass shooting of 23 Latinos in an El Paso Walmart. He also pointed to past policy failures driven by this type of rhetoric, including the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, the separation of immigrant families, and efforts to deny birthright citizenship to the children of immigrants. A Guardian article framed this rhetoric against Haitian immigrants as part of a long-standing political trope used by white politicians to incite fear and target immigrants of color, particularly those of Asian descent, dating back to 1852 when a Mississippi newspaper alleged “the Chinese still eat dog-pie.” The article referenced Professor May-lee Chai of San Francisco State University, who explained how this dehumanizing tactic was used against Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, culminating in discriminatory laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. On September 25, 2024, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the House Haiti Caucus released a joint statement condemning the harmful rhetoric. They noted that these claims are “rooted in xenophobia, racism, and anti-Blackness” and warned that such lies have dangerous consequences. The caucuses called on members of Congress to reject this “vile rhetoric” and instead promote policies that recognize the dignity and humanity of all individuals, particularly the most vulnerable members of society. Appeals Court Sets Hearing Date of Dr. Yanping Chen's Case The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit has scheduled oral arguments for Dr. Yanping Chen 's case on November 18, 2024, at 9:30 am ET. Details about the judges on the panel will be posted on the court's website http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/ 30 days before the hearing. The time and date will not change unless the court decides otherwise. A separate order will be issued later to explain how much time each side will have for their arguments.Dr. Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China. On December 21, 2018, she filed a privacy lawsuit against the FBI and Departments of Justice, Defense, and Homeland Security. On February 29, 2024, Judge Christopher Cooper held Catherine Herridge , a former Fox News reporter, in civil contempt for refusing to divulge her source for her 2017 series of Fox News reports. Judge Cooper imposed a fine of $800 per day until Catherine Herridge reveals her source, but the fine will not go into effect immediately to give her time to appeal. Catherine Herridge appealed.On July 29, 2024, the Asian American Legal and Education Defense Fund (AALDEF) and a coalition of 11 organizations filed a 43-page amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals in support of Dr. Chen. The brief addresses issues of racial prejudice and the negative stereotyping of Asian Americans, particularly in the context of government actions against Dr. Chen. AALDEF also issued a press statement: https://bit.ly/3WCm06i . Jane Shim , Director the AALDEF Stop Asian Hate Project, gave an update on Dr. Chen's case during the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 9, 2024. Read the meeting summary: https://bit.ly/3zzWcjR . Read the APA Justice website on Dr. Chen's case: https://bit.ly/3Xi4hms Project 2025 and the Census: Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future According to The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights on September 19, 2025, Project 2025 would compromise the integrity of the decennial census and other federal data collection efforts. The proposals would politicize and weaponize federal data collection by blocking the government from collecting data that the authors think might bolster liberal causes, while establishing intrusive new data collection in other areas to achieve partisan goals.These actions would fundamentally weaken the federal data infrastructure, leading to politicized, inaccurate, and unreliable datasets, rendering it impossible to understand the true underlying nature of our society, enforce civil rights, advance equity agendas, or engage in evidence-based policymaking.The policies set forth with respect to the Census Bureau are a retread of efforts we have seen before, are seeing right now, and will see again — regardless of who wins the elections for president and control of Congress in November.The Leadership Conference highlights several key concerns: · Politicization of the Census Bureau by replacing experts with political appointees. · Addition of a citizenship question to the census, leading to inaccurate data. · Skewing Census Bureau programs and data to favor certain communities over other (often underserved) communities. · Potentially reversing vital updates to statistical standards on race and ethnicity data. · Depriving the Census Bureau of adequate funding. On September 21, 2024, MSNBC reported that Project 2025’s section on the Census Bureau spells out a detailed plan to politicize the Census Bureau. The Heritage Foundation’s plan for the next conservative administration proposes adding a citizenship question in the 2030 census, which Trump attempted (and failed) to implement during his presidency. The citizenship question, along with a series of other proposals will likely lead to significant undercounts of already vulnerable populations, leading to unequitable congressional representation and inequitable allocation of federal funds. What happens when communities are undercounted in the census? Maya Wiley , President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, was interviewed in the MSNBC broadcast. "The census is not supposed to be a political tool. It is supposed to be an unbiased, apolitical, objective collection of data. It is supposed to be a trustworthy dataset by which we get an accurate read of what the country looks like," MSNBC reported.Read the Leadership Conference blog: https://bit.ly/3MMQCh8 . Watch the MSNBC report: https://on.msnbc.com/4gxtG34 (11:05) Florida Home for Sale According to AsAmNews on September 22, 2024, Wayne Chan is putting one of his homes in Ocala, Florida, for sale. There is one catch - Chinese citizens are not welcome because Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 264 into law in 2023. This law makes it a crime for Chinese nationals to purchase property in Florida, citing national security concerns related to the Chinese Communist Party. It does not effectively solve its intended problem and instead targets Chinese citizens unfairly, prompting Wayne Chen's decision to sell his property in Florida."Why would anyone put together a poorly crafted bill that doesn’t effectively address the problem they’re trying to solve? What other reason could there be to create a rule that keeps Chinese citizens and practically threatens all Asians from Florida?" Wayne Chen asked. "I can only think of one answer, and that’s why I’m selling my home in Florida."Read about the two lawsuits that have been filed to overturn the Florida alien land law SB 264: https://bit.ly/43epBcl Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3BnuA1M News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/10/07-10 Cato Surveillance Week 2024/10/08 Media Training for Election Season2024/10/10 China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach2024/10/11 China and the World Forum2024/10/11 Reverse Brain Drain: A Threat to U.S.Technological Leadership2024/10/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/16 Rebuilding Trust in Science2024/10/20 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/25-27 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the American Studies NetworkVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. APA Justice Newsletter Web Page Moved to New Website As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletter webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters . Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF October 7, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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Impacted Persons List Anming Hu 胡安明 Read more Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 Read more Charles Lieber Read more Chen Song 宋琛 Read more Davis Lu Read more Franklin Tao 陶丰 Read more Gang Chen 陈刚 Read more Gee-Kung Chang 張繼昆 Read more Haizhou Hu Read more James Patrick Lewis Read more Jane Ying Wu 吴瑛 Read more Juan Tang 唐娟 Read more Kaikai Zhao 赵凯凯 Read more Kevin Wang Read more Lei Guan 关磊 Read more Lin Yang Read more Meyya Meyyappan Read more Mingqing Xiao Read more Qing Wang 王擎 Read more Simon Saw-Teong Ang 洪思忠 Read more Song Guo Zheng Read more Turab Lookman 特拉伯·鲁克曼 Read more Van Andel Research Read more Wuyuan Lu 陆五元 Read more Xiao-jiang Li 李晓江 Read more Xiaofeng Wang 王晓峰 Read more Xiaoming Zhang Read more Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Read more Xifeng Wu 吴息凤 Read more Xin Wang 王欣 Read more Yanping Chen 陈燕平 Read more Yanqing Ye Read more Yu Zhou, Li Chen Read more Zaosong Zheng Read more Zhendong Cheng Read more Filter by Category China Initiative NIH Other Sort by Alphabetical by first name Alphabetical by last name

September 2025 Meeting Summary Sep 8, 2025 Read July 2025 Meeting Summary Jul 7, 2025 Read June 2025 Meeting Summary Jun 2, 2025 Read May 2025 Meeting Summary May 5, 2025 Read April 2025 Meeting Summary Apr 7, 2025 Read March 2025 Meeting Summary Mar 3, 2025 Read February 2025 Monthly Meeting Summary Feb 3, 2025 Read January 2025 Meeting Summary Jan 6, 2025 Read December 2024 Meeting Summary Dec 2, 2024 Read November 2024 Meeting Summary Nov 18, 2024 Read October 2024 Meeting Summary Oct 7, 2024 Read September 2024 Meeting Summary Sep 9, 2024 Read Monthly Meeting Summaries APA Justice conducts monthly meetings and publishes the meeting summary on this website. Participation is by invitation only. Due to limited capacity, invited participants are typically active and recognized organizations and concerned individuals. Please send an email to contact@apajustice.org if you have interest. < < 1 1 1

#361 11/3 Meeting; Chinese STEM Students; Brain Drain; Jane Wu v NWU; Birthright Citizens;+ November 3, 2025 Read #360 11/3 Meeting; 10/16 Webinar Videos; Advocacy 101; PBS: Builders of the Silicon Dream;+ October 27, 2025 Read #359 Andy Phillips to Speak on 11/3; Dr. Wen Ho Lee; 6/2 Meeting Summary Posted; C.N. Yang+ October 23, 2025 Read #358 Vincent Wang Speech; Maggie Lewis & Pat Eddington Remarks; Trump "Compact" Rejected; + October 20, 2025 Read #357 Vincent Wang Honored; 10/16 Webinar; Mike German Remarks/Impacts; NSF Politicization+ October 14, 2025 Read #356 Ohio Rally; Mike German; Birthright Citizenship; 7/7 Meeting Summary; Student Arrivals October 10, 2025 Read #355 10/6 Meeting: Yanping Chen Prevails; AAUP/Landmark Ruling; Defend Academics Webinar; + October 6, 2025 Read #354 10/6 Meeting; NAKASEC Updates; Kin Hui/CACA; Acting Dir. Census Bureau; Gary Locke; + September 30, 2025 Read #353 10/6 Meeting; Tariffs/AAPI; AASF Update; Detention Target Millions; Julia Chang Bloch+ September 26, 2025 Read #352 Register for 10/16 Webinar; AAJC, APIAVote, and OCA Updates; CALDA New Lawsuit v SB17+ September 18, 2025 Read #351 C100-USCET-APA Justice Webinar Series; "Domicile;" Deportations; SCOTUS Ruling Alarm;+ September 12, 2025 Read #350 9/8 Meeting; National Security/Xenophobia? Gisela Honored; Shifting Visa/Deportation+ September 4, 2025 Read < < 1 1 1 Newsletters APA Justice began publishing a free periodic newsletter about 4-7 times a month in July 2020. You can subscribe here . Visit the Virtual Library to search the entire collection. Filter by year

Latest News This is a repository of News items that APA Justice collects as supporting facts and references. In addition to reports from the traditional media outlets including newspaper, television, and radio, it also includes but is not limited to digital news platforms, news agencies, specialized outlets and podcasts, journal and organizational reports, and blogs. The Search box in the menu line may help you to look for your specific topic of interest. Read More California Civil Rights Group Joins Fight Against Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Changes Jul 13, 2025 · LAist Read More After Northwestern Scientist Questioned for China Ties Died by Suicide, Family Sues and Speaks Out Jul 12, 2025 · NBC News Read More Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda Jul 11, 2025 · New York Times Read More Federal Judge Issues New Nationwide Block Against Trump’s Order Seeking to End Birthright Citizenship Jul 10, 2025 · CNN Read More What’s Next for President Donald Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order in the Courts Jul 10, 2025 · AP Read More Judge Blocks Trump’s Order restricting Birthright Citizenship Jul 10, 2025 · NBC Read More U.S. to Ban Chinese Purchases of Farmland, Citing National Security Jul 08, 2025 · Washington Post Read More New USDA Program Ties Food Security to National Defense Jul 08, 2025 · Department of Defense Read More Agriculture Dept. to Crack Down on Chinese Ownership of American Farmland Jul 08, 2025 · New York Times Read More Family of China-Born Neuroscientist Jane Wu Files Death-Related Civil Complaint in U.S Jul 01, 2025 · South China Morning Post Read More Want a Student Visa? The U.S. Government Needs Your Vine Account Jul 01, 2025 · The Intercept Read More We Asked 5 AI Models to Fact Check Trump. Here’s What We Learned Jul 01, 2025 · Washington Post < < 1 1 1

Latest Posts Court Hearing and A New Movement Emerges July 24, 2023 We published a Special Edition of our newsletter to cover the July 18 court hearing on Florida's new discriminatory housing law. Read More Lawsuit Against Florida Senate Bill 264 May 22, 2023 A group of Chinese citizens who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida filed a lawsuit to combat Florida’s discriminatory property law, SB 264. Read More Texas House Bill 1075 and Senate Bill 552 January 23, 2023 Texas state representatives are attempting to stop foreign governments from purchasing Texas agricultural land. Read More Rep. Judy Chu's New Year Greetings and 2022 Review January 9, 2023 During the first APA Justice monthly meeting of 2023, Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, reviewed the accomplishments of 2022, highlighted by the end of the "China Initiative" and Sherry Chen's historic settlement. Read More Campaign to Oppose The Nomination of Casey Arrowood July 29, 2022 Academics, elected officials, and civil rights groups across the country are raising concerns about the nomination of Casey Arrowood to be US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Read More APA Justice Calls for Release of Report on Review of "China Initiative" March 8, 2022 On March 8, 2022, APA Justice sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, calling for the release of a report on the Department of Justice's review of the “China Initiative.” Read More Texas man accused of attacking Asian family over racist coronavirus fears pleads guilty to hate-crime charges February 24, 2022 Nearly two years later, a 21-year-old Texas man who attempted to kill an Asian man and his young child has pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges. Read More 12. China Initiative Ends February 23, 2022 Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen announced the end of the China Initiative. The 1,210 days of the Initiative were extremely damaging to individuals and their families, as well as the Asian American and scientific communities. The end of the China Initiative is a welcomed start to correct the harms it caused. APA Justice is committed to continue its work to address racial profiling and seek justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American communities. Read More 11. MIT Technology Review Investigative Reports December 2, 2021 On December 2, 2021, MIT Technology Review published two investigative reports on the China Initiative as newly appointed Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen was conducting a review of the initiative. Read More < < 1 1 1 What's the best flavor? Activists Including APA Justice Resist New "Red Scare" Chinese Americans are increasingly finding themselves targeted by the US in what has become the new "Red Scare."

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