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- Racial Profiling - CAPAC Meeting | APA Justice
2020/08/06 Briefing with Senator Mark Warner The APA Justice Task Force submitted the following statement for a briefing with Senator Mark Warner and his staff on August 6, 2020. 2020/08/05: Update on Racial Profiling and Related Issues 2020/04/02 Senator Warner Letter to FBI Director Wray On April 2, 2020, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and urged him to "hold biannual meetings with national leaders of Chinese American and Asian American organizations regarding issues of importance to those communities as you work to counter the foreign intelligence threat from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC)." On May 29, 2020, the Assistant Director of the FBI Office of Congressional Affairs replied with this letter to Senator Warner. A previous meeting between the Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division and Asian American leaders was cited as productive in the letter. Background and context of the December 7, 2018 meeting is available here . 2020/01/15 CAPAC Meeting On January 15, 2020, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chaired by Rep. Judy Chu convened a briefing session to update the current work on the profiling of Chinese Americans. As facilitator for APA Justice, Jeremy Wu provided a two-page handout and read a prepared statement during the briefing. 2018/12/07 FBI Meeting On December 7, 2018, a group of community leaders met with a senior-level FBI official and representatives at the FBI headquarters to convey concerns raised within the Chinese American community about the role of bias in its investigations, among other issues. A public statement about the meeting is here: English | 中文 . Each of the five community leaders brought his/her talking materials to the meeting with the FBI official and representatives: Aryani Ong, community advocate Robert Gee, Vice Chair, Washington DC Region, Committee of 100: Letter to FBI Official Andrew Kim, Visiting Scholar, South Texas College of Law and Litigator, Greenberg Traurig: Prosecuting Chinese “Spies:” An Empirical Analysis of The Economic Espionage Act Steven Pei, scientist and Honorary Chair of United Chinese Americans: FBI Meeting Talking Points Jeremy Wu, retired government official: FBI Meeting Talking Points Additional Information 2022/05/31 APA Justice: Summary Statement for The Town Hall Meeting Hosted by The FBI San Francisco Field Office 2022/05/31 APA Justice: Statement for The Town Hall Meeting Hosted by The FBI San Francisco Field Office 2018/12/23 Houston Chronicle: Houston Asians meet with D.C. FBI about economic espionage, racial bias 2018/10/12 Six Hues: Summary: Panel Addresses Concerns that Chinese Americans Are Targeted by Law Enforcement as U.S.-China Tensions Flare 2018/09/22 Houston Chronicle: Houstonians respond to Asian-Americans being increasingly targeted in economic espionage cases 2018/09/22 Community Educational Forum: A Dialogue with the FBI and Legal Experts: The Impact of Espionage Investigations on the Asian American Community 2018/08/26 CBS 60 Minutes: U.S. fight against Chinese espionage ensnares innocent Americans 2018/08/08 Houston Chronicle: FBI warns Texas academic and medical leaders of ‘classified’ security threats 2018/05/17 New York Times: Cleared of Spying for China, She Still Doesn’t Have Her Job Back 2018/05/05 South China Morning Post: Spying charges against Chinese-American scientists spark fears of a witch hunt 2018/03/01 Community Organizations: Joint letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray 2017/05/10 New York Times: Former Espionage Suspect Sues, Accusing F.B.I. of Falsifying Evidence 2015/09/15 New York Times: The Rush to Find China’s Moles Racial Profiling: Continuing Developments Return to Racial Profiling Overview
- Yanqing Ye | APA Justice
Yanqing Ye Previous Item Next Item
- Davis Lu | APA Justice
Davis Lu Docket ID: 1:21-cr-00226 District Court, N.D. Ohio Date filed: Apr 1, 2021 On April 14, 2021, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of Davis Lu, 51, of Houston, Texas, with one count of damaging protected computers. The Defendant allegedly used his position as a software developer to execute malicious code on his employer's computer servers. Relatively modest losses of more than $5,000 resulted from the incident. Previous Item Next Item
- #183 2/6 Meeting Summary; Alien Land Bills/Louisiana; NIH Director; Heritage Month Videos+
Newsletter - #183 2/6 Meeting Summary; Alien Land Bills/Louisiana; NIH Director; Heritage Month Videos+ #183 2/6 Meeting Summary; Alien Land Bills/Louisiana; NIH Director; Heritage Month Videos+ In This Issue #183 2023/02/06 Monthly Meeting Summary Posted Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills Including Louisiana Monica Bertagnolli Nominated to Head NIH Heritage Month and Educational Videos/Events 2023/02/06 Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The February 6, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at https://bit.ly/42N0htX . We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), provided updates from CAPAC Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), provided updates from AASF Les Wong , President Emeritus, San Francisco State University, and Frank Wu , President, Queen's College, City University of New York, provided updates on forming a network of Asian American university leaders Michele Young , Attorney, Michele Young Law; Member of Sherry Chen Legal Team was recognized for her historic achievements in the Sherry Chen case. Michele also shared her thoughts and reflections on Sherry's case and the civil rights and civil liberty concerns in the meeting Gene Wu , Member, Texas House of Representatives, led the discussion on Asian American groups and other communities across Texas building a coalition to rally against Texas Senate Bill 147 on "Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities." Video of his portion of the meeting is posted at https://bit.ly/3DVEdU6 (video 56:48) Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills Including Louisiana 1. CAPAC Chair Statement on Florida Law Banning Chinese Nationals from Purchasing Land, Need for Federal Legislation On May 15, 2023, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu released the following statement:“I am incredibly outraged by the signing of SB 264 into law. This is the latest state-level effort to restrict the property ownership of Chinese home seekers, who are aspiring small business owners, students, and families seeking to build better lives for themselves here in America. In addition, SB 264 places a disproportionate burden on current Chinese homeowners who now must register their property with a state agency. And as a result of SB 264, Asian Americans living in Florida will now likely face undue suspicion when purchasing property, including potential racial profiling by realtors, lenders, and other professionals in the real estate industry.“The government’s scapegoating and stripping of the land ownership rights of Asian American communities are stains on our nation’s history. SB 264 repeats this shameful discrimination and further stokes current anti-Asian sentiment by equating Chinese people with certain immigration statuses as agents of the Chinese Communist Party. That is why I am currently working with CAPAC Housing Task Force Chair Rep. Al Green of Texas to introduce a bill to preempt at the federal level such discriminatory state laws, and reaffirm my commitment to ensuring the safety of our communities.”“Let me be clear—elected officials must be vigilant about addressing specific threats that foreign state-owned enterprises and entities, companies, and individuals with ties to the foreign government pose to our national security, but policies that target and profile individuals and communities because of their national origin, race, ethnicity, or immigration status, however, are discriminatory and wholly unconstitutional. They harken back to nativist anti-Asian alien land laws in the 19th and 20th centuries after Chinese immigrants first arrived here, and later, a xenophobic suspicion of Japanese Americans during World War II that also led to their blanket incarceration. I will continue to fight for the civil rights of our communities, including the right to purchase and own property, and stand up against all attempts to racially profile our communities.”Read the CAPAC Chair statement: https://bit.ly/3BvCUtk 2. Testimony of High School Senior Abigail Hu in Louisiana Legislature On May 15, 2023, High School Senior Abigail Hu testified in the Louisiana State Legislature against Louisiana House Bill 537 . This is a transcript of her testimony:"Good afternoon Honorable Chairman Miller and distinguished members of the committee,My name is Abigail Hu. I am a proud product of the Louisiana public school system and a recent high school graduate. I'll be attending college in the fall to study Education and Political Science, and I hope to come back to Louisiana to teach middle and high school in the future.My parents, Tony and Chloe, have been living in the US for over 22 years. They came here as young students with very little money, looking for an opportunity to work hard, get good jobs, and start a family.During the COVID-19 pandemic, my dad worked around the clock to help contain the spread of the virus in our city of New Orleans. My brothers and I volunteer regularly, coaching for the local children’s sports club, helping clean up our local park, and registering and canvassing voters in our area. I am incredibly grateful to belong to a country that is a fundamental part of who I am.To us, ownership and belonging are as important as the piece of paper that makes us citizens.House Bill 537 strips us of such rights—rights to owning a house, education, secured employment, rights to starting the kind of life we sacrifice so much for. It prevents stories like my family’s from ever coming to fruition.This bill tells us that we are not good Americans, we are not Americans deserving of protection under the law, we are not Americans that the legislators we elect care to serve. This bill tells us that we are Americans whose lives are pure political pawns, subject to the whims of the state and condemned to exist under a perpetual instability.I would like to take some time to address some of the remarks that were made by Representative Hodges. I believe the language in this bill continues to have an anti-immigrant, xenophobic, fearmongering undertone, regardless of how many amendments we make, it will continue to create suspicion against immigrants and immigrant families in the communities that they live in. It leaves us vulnerable to unlawful investigations, unlawful search and seizure, and loyalty tests by the state. Representative Hodges has also repeatedly said that it is not about the individual, but under this legislation, any individual can be perceived as connected to a "foreign adversary." If you want a more specific example, anybody who is Chinese can be perceived as "nefarious" and acting on behalf of what Representative Hodges calls the communist tyranny of China.The vagueness of this bill presents undeniable dangers to not only our Chinese American community, but to any group of people who could be ambiguously tied to what the legislation describes as foreign adversaries or governments. It brands us as enemies of a country that we love so deeply.This is a civil rights issue, and I urge that the committee to recognize its dire implications and reject the passage of HB 537 before it becomes a civil rights legislation." Monica Bertagnolli Nominated to Head NIH According to Reuters on May 15, 2023, the Biden administration said it intends to nominate cancer surgeon Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) following a 16-month search for a permanent successor to the agency's long-serving director Dr. Francis Collins, who stepped down in December 2021. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bertagnolli will become the second woman to lead the NIH, the largest biomedical research agency in the world with a budget of $45 billion in 2022. NIH falls under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read the Reuters report: https://reut.rs/3MvKzya On March 23, 2023, Science published an investigative report titled PALL OF SUSPICION - The National Institutes of Health’s “China initiative” has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed 6 scores of academic careers and an editorial titled Eroding Trust and Collaboration . "Given the information available in the public domain, the scientific community could easily conclude that this is a xenophobic program to harm Chinese scientists and cut off international scientific cooperation. The federal government needs to figure out a way to let the NIH and the institutions reassure the community that this is all worth it," the editorial concluded. Read the Science report at https://bit.ly/3oWH1eY and its editorial at https://bit.ly/3z24z40 Heritage Month and Educational Videos/Events 1. White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders On May 3, 2023, the White House celebrated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a community-wide program in Washington, DC. This historic forum on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities features Biden-Harris Administration officials, groundbreaking artists, and trailblazers. Watch the video at https://bit.ly/3BwrPZ9 (video 4:35:34) 2. Exclusion: The Shared Asian American Experience According to a video produced by the 1990 Institute, America has been represented as an open society that welcomes immigrants to a land of opportunities. Many immigrants from Asia came to find a better life for their family, escaping from poverty, prosecution, colonialism, and other political atrocities. But America did not receive them with open arms. Throughout history, people from Asia have been excluded, discriminated against, subjected to violence, and prevented from becoming American citizens. Laws were passed that kept them from voting, owning land, marrying the person they loved, and seeing their relatives again. Though coming from different countries and cultures, the pioneering Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Indians, Filipinos, and more Asians who arrived here each faced similar conditions of exclusion, which forged the beginnings of a common, shared Asian experience in America. This educational video takes you through exclusion experiences that Asians endured then and what they continue to face as Americans now. Watch the video at https://bit.ly/42I4BLq (video 17:24) 0:00 Introduction 0:50 19th Century and Prior 6:36 20th Century 13:03 1965 Immigration Act 3. "Between Black & White: Asian Americans Speak Out" premieres on PBS In honor of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Sirica Initiative announced its newest film collaboration with WNET/PBS Between Black & White: Asian Americans Speak Out is premiering Thursday, May 18, 2023.The conversation about race in America is often between Black and White, leaving Asian Americans out of the dialogue. Between Black & White: Asian Americans Speak Out is a three-part series about communities building bridges, confronting racism, discovering surprising connections, and fighting hate – together.To celebrate each episode's launch, three events will be hosted this month, featuring distinguished speakers including President of Queens College, Frank Wu ; media mogul Paula Madison ; and first Filipina American Rabbi Mira Rivera . Watch the Between Black & White trailer at https://bit.ly/3pKsZh1 (video 0:35) 4. AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration in Guangzhou, China Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association and Asia Pacific and American Network will sponsor the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 Gala at the Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, China, on May 27, 2023. The event honors Paula Williams Madison 's work on creating the Finding Samuel Lowe documentary and book and enlightening the public on the immigrant experience, family separation, and family connections, all common themes shared by Asian Americans. Paula Williams Madison and Luo Man Kwan will be keynote speakers. 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 May 18, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter
- #252 5/6 Monthly Meeting; Impact of US-China Tensions; Beta Reviewers; Border Issues; CAPAC
Newsletter - #252 5/6 Monthly Meeting; Impact of US-China Tensions; Beta Reviewers; Border Issues; CAPAC #252 5/6 Monthly Meeting; Impact of US-China Tensions; Beta Reviewers; Border Issues; CAPAC In This Issue #252 · 2024/05/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · AAPI Community Response to Rising Anti-Asian Hostility · Call For Beta Reviewers of China Initiative Web Page and Timecards · Chinese Students in US Tell of "Chilling" Interrogations and Deportations · Thirty Years of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/05/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, May 6, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), two speakers will describe an upcoming forum with the Asian American and academic communities and the FBI in Houston, which will be co-hosted by TMAC and the Science and Technology Policy Program, Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Office of Innovation at Rice University. · Nabila Mansoor, President, Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition (TMAC); Executive Director, Rise AAPI · Kenneth M. Evans, Scholar in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University We also welcome back · Rebecca Keiser , Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy, National Science Foundation (NSF), returns to update us on the JASON report on Safeguarding the Research Enterprise , MacroPolo's Global AI Talent Tracker 2.0 , and related activities and development at NSF. 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 . AAPI Community Response to Rising Anti-Asian Hostility A panel of community leaders shared their experiences, discussed actionable steps that the AAPI community and its allies have taken, and explored future strategies to confront xenophobic challenges to the AAPI community in a morning session at the Committee 100 conference on April 19, 2024.Dr. Jeremy Wu , founder of APA Justice Task Force and a C100 member, delivered remarks to open the session, noting that Asian Americans have faced two deadly viruses in recent years - the coronavirus and the social injustice virus. Anti-Asian hostility is not new and racial profiling and xenophobia will not go away soon, he said. Community leaders and groups have been tirelessly combating discriminatory hostility and attacks on the AAPI community. We are a nation of immigrants. We value law and order, but we oppose encroachment on our civil rights and liberties under the guise of national security. We believe in U.S. democracy but stand against poor leadership, harmful policies, and rogue actors, he added. Our communities have responded with diverse strategies and actions, including advocacy, education, mobilization, coalition building, civic engagement, data collection, media collaboration, litigation, and a Yellow Whistle with the message of "We Belong." His presentation is posted here: https://bit.ly/3wbeWV7 Jennifer H. Wu , Founding Partner, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman, and Stone LLP, passionately advocated to help hate crime victims navigate both the criminal justice system and the broader parts of the recovery process where too often there is no script. She spoke about the impact of anti-Asian violence on victims and their families, including her personal experiences representing victims in NYC. In particular, she observed that she was a patent lawyer who became a civil rights lawyer because of the rising tide of anti-Asian violence. She was galvanized to action in working on the widely-publicized reports on anti-Asian violence by the Asian American Bar Association. She noted that prosecutors (District Attorneys) are elected positions but relatively few Asian Americans participate in the process of electing them and there are no Asian American District Attorneys in New York City. She concluded that individuals did not create these problems, but that we all need to come together to solve them. Edgar Chen, Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, discussed meaningful involvement and participation in state and federal legislative advocacy efforts to combat alien land laws and other discriminatory bills. He observed that there were alternating historical cycles of physical violence against Asian Americans on the streets with codification of anti-Asian sentiment in Congress and state houses and that the community response must deploy a multi-prong approach which includes the elements of grassroots advocacy on the streets including rallies and protests, legislative engagement, and litigation in courts. In order to be effective, Chen argued, advocates must not only fight for the constitutional civil rights of Asian Americans, but must also muster strong economic arguments with empirical backing to demonstrate why discriminatory legislation is not only wrong, but damaging in other ways. Legislators who are blinded by bias will not be convinced by arguments about civil rights, but could be compelled to mitigate economic harms posed by these bills. Another strategy Chen discussed was cultivating strong working relationships with the media - first by being a trusted source of accurate information - which builds a rapport with journalists so that in addition to conveying timely factual background to assist them with their stories, your analysis and advocacy is more credible. Frank H. Wu, President, Queens College, offered candid comments on the importance of allyship and the difficulty of bridge building. He spoke about strategy and tactics. He pointed out that there is a consensus that discriminating against racial minorities is wrong, but distinguishing between citizens and aliens is normal (as in who can vote in elections), but the prejudice against Asian Americans includes the assumption they are perpetual foreigners, and, in any event, the bias toward Asian immigrants is about their racial background and not their citizenship. He discussed how coalitions succeed, such as in Texas, against alien land laws. Asian American itself brings together people whose ancestors fought wars amongst themselves. Finally, he discussed effective messaging, which needs to appeal to other Americans by invoking the ideals of democracy. Cindy Tsai , Interim President of C100, moderated the session, said "the session was an engaging blend of concepts and practical strategy. Anti-Asian sentiment is rising. It's important that the community understands the tools that are available to us to fight against discrimination and xenophobia. It was an honor to work with this panel of community leaders and activists." Call For Beta Reviewers of China Initiative Web Page and Timecards Although the Department of Justice formally ended the China Initiative in 2022, there have been repeated efforts to revive it and such attempts are anticipated to persist in 2024.As a US government national-security program created to address economic espionage, the China Initiative disproportionately targeted Asian Americans and academic communities for administrative errors and harmed academic freedom and open science.The legacy of the China Initiative is an integral part of American history, and its lessons and repercussions must not fade from memory. Failing to acknowledge its impact could pave the way for its recurrence, perpetuating injustices, racial profiling, stigmatization, harm to U.S. leadership in science and technology, and government overreach.As part of the efforts to revamp its website, APA Justice has developed a webpage and 12 timecards to cover the China Initiative from its launch in November 2018 to its announced end in February 2022. During the month of April, we went through an alpha review with key stakeholders and partners. Their feedback is being studied for implementation. We anticipate the completion of this process in the second half of May, at which point we plan to start a beta review. The goal of beta review is to gather feedback on the product's content, performance, usability, and overall user experience in real-world conditions.We are calling for up to 10 volunteers of diverse backgrounds to help us conduct the beta review. Our vision of the eventual web page and timecards on the China Initiative is an open and free resource available for advocacy, research, and education. If you are interested and ready to contribute to this important public and community service initiative, 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 . Chinese Students in US Tell of "Chilling" Interrogations and Deportations According to the Guardian on April 20, 2024, scientists at America’s leading universities complain of stalled research after crackdown at airports as tensions with China rise. The Chinese embassy in Washington said more than 70 students “with legal and valid materials” had been deported from the US since July 2021, with more than 10 cases since November 2023. The embassy said it had complained to the US authorities about each case.The exact number of incidents is difficult to verify, as the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency does not provide detailed statistics about refusals at airports. Testimonies have circulated on Chinese social media, and academics are becoming increasingly outspoken about what they say is the unfair treatment of their colleagues and students.“The impact is huge,” says Qin Yan , a professor of pathology at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut, who says that he is aware of more than a dozen Chinese students from Yale and other universities who have been rejected by the US in recent months, despite holding valid visas. Experiments have stalled, and there is a “chilling effect” for the next generation of Chinese scientists.“It is very hard for a CBP officer to really evaluate the risk of espionage,” said Dan Berger , an immigration lawyer in Massachusetts, who represents a graduate student at Yale who, midway through her PhD, was sent back from Washington’s Dulles airport in December, and banned from re-entering the US for five years. “It is sudden,” Berger said. “She has an apartment in the US. Thankfully, she doesn’t have a cat. But there are experiments that were in progress.” Academics say that scrutiny has widened to different fields – particularly medical sciences – with the reasons for the refusals not made clear. X Edward Guo , a professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University, said that part of the problem is that, unlike in the US, military research does sometimes take place on university campuses. “It’s not black and white … there are medical universities that also do military. But 99% of those professors are doing biomedical research and have nothing to do with the military.” But “if you want to come to the US to study AI, forget it,” Guo said.The increased scrutiny comes as Beijing and Washington are struggling to come to an agreement about the US-China Science and Technology Agreement, a landmark treaty signed in 1979 that governs scientific cooperation between the two countries. Normally renewed every five years, since August it has been sputtering through six-month extensions. Following years of scrutiny from the Department of Justice investigation into funding links to China, and a rise in anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic, ethnically Chinese scientists say the atmosphere is becoming increasingly hostile.“Before 2016, I felt like I’m just an American,” said Guo, who became a naturalized US citizen in the late 1990s. “This is really the first time I’ve thought, OK, you’re an American but you’re not exactly an American.”On March 14, 2024, The Washington Post reported anecdotal stories on Chinese students and academics facing extra scrutiny entering the U.S.Read the Guardian report: https://bit.ly/3WmhlqT . Read the Washington Post report: https://wapo.st/43LZfju Thirty Years of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) CAPAC was established on May 16, 1994. Congressman Norman Y. Mineta , one of the founders of CAPAC, became its first Chair (1994-1995). Since then, the Caucus has been led by four other prominent Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Members of Congress: Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii (1995-1997), Congressman Robert A. Underwood of Guam (1907-2001), Congressman David Wu of Oregon (2001-2004), and Congressman Mike Honda of California (2004-2011). The Caucus is currently led by Congresswoman Judy Chu , who became CAPAC Chair in February 2011. As AANHPI Heritage Month began on May 1, 2024, CAPAC held a press conference to mark the 30th anniversary of its founding and to highlight the vast contributions of the AANHPI community to the United States, summarized recent CAPAC achievements, and charted a path forward for AANHPIs across the country. Announced speakers included Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Ami Bera , M.D. (CA-06), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Del. Sablan (NMI-AL), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-12), Rep. Al Green (TX-09). CAPAC is made up of 76 Members of Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate who advance the interests of the AANHPI community. With over 70 racial and ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages, the AANHPI community includes over 23 million people and is the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group across this past decade.Read the CAPAC press statement: https://bit.ly/4dlsQEO . Visit the CAPAC website at https://capac-chu.house.gov/ White House Proclamation on AANHPI Month, 2024 On April 30, 2024, President Joe Biden issued "A Proclamation on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, 2024."The Proclamation said in part, "This month, we celebrate the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities, whose ingenuity, grit, and perseverance have pushed our great American experiment forward."Racism, harassment, and hate crimes against people of AA and NHPI heritage also persist — a tragic reminder that hate never goes away; it only hides. Hate must have no safe harbor in America — that is why I signed the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which makes it easier for Americans to report hate crimes, and I also hosted the first-ever White House summit against hate-fueled violence. "Our Nation was founded on the idea that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We have never fully realized this promise, but we have never fully walked away from it either. As we celebrate the historic accomplishments of AA and NHPIs across our Nation, we promise we will never stop working to form a more perfect Union."Read the White House Proclamation: https://bit.ly/4djMAZC Read the AP News report about the history and evolution of the AANHPI Heritage Month: https://bit.ly/3UnZDjZ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/05/02 AAGEN 2024 Executive Leadership Workshop2024/05/04 Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice Book Tour2024/05/05 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2024/05/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/05/13-14 2024 APAICS Legislative Leadership Summit2024/05/14 2024 APAICS: 30th Annual Awards Gala2024/05/14 Serica Initiative: 7th Annual Women's Gala dinnerVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. Back View PDF May 2, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter
- #220 Biden-Xi Summit/QI Letter; Dr. Yanping Chen; Section 702; "Global Women Forum"? News+
Newsletter - #220 Biden-Xi Summit/QI Letter; Dr. Yanping Chen; Section 702; "Global Women Forum"? News+ #220 Biden-Xi Summit/QI Letter; Dr. Yanping Chen; Section 702; "Global Women Forum"? News+ In This Issue #220 · Biden-Xi Summit and Quincy Institute Open Letter · Latest Development of The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 · Alarm Over Section 702 Surveillance Program · Is It a "Global Women Forum" When There Is No Asian Woman? · News and Activities for the Communities Biden-Xi Summit and Quincy Institute Open Letter This is a special invited report by Juan Zhang , Editor, US-China Perception Monitor/ 中美印象, Carter Center The highly anticipated Biden-Xi summit took place on November 15, 2023, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, California. Many experts believe the significance of this meeting lies in the fact that it will prevent further deterioration of the bilateral relationship and possibly lead to a reset of the relationship between the two countries before the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.Before the meeting, 34 U.S. civil society and professional organizations issued an open letter urging the leaders to have “a cordial and productive discussion.” The letter expressed concerns over the current dangerous trends in Sino-American relations. APA Justice was a signatory to the letter. The organizations who signed the letter represent “a wide range of American constituencies with direct stakes in the future of the U.S.-China relationship.” “Continued hostile rhetoric from prominent figures in both the United States and China contributes to this alarming deterioration of relations,” the letter further stated. Dr. Yawei Liu , founding editor-in-chief of the U.S.-China Perception Monitor at The Carter Center, is also a signatory to the letter. Dr. Liu recounted the role of President Jimmy Carter and his Chinese counterpart Deng Xiaoping in finding ways to put aside differences and cooperate almost 45 years ago.“That legacy is endangered now,” he continued, saying both countries appear on a path that could lead to conflict and confrontation.Read the full report by The Hill : Farmers, academics, advocates urge Biden, Xi to calm US-China tensions . Takeaways from the Summit The White House released a readout after the meeting, framing the meeting as “candid and constructive.” Two leaders discussed “a range of bilateral and global issues, including areas of potential cooperation and exchanged views on areas of difference”, the statement pointed out. The two sides reached agreements on several key areas that include curbing the production of illicit fentanyl and resuming military-to-military communications, which was suspended after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s visit to Taiwan. Rick Waters, former diplomat and managing director of Eurasia Group’s China practice, pointed out in GZERO Daily a fentanyl deal would be key for Biden’s reelection campaign. Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that has become a leading cause of death among young Americans.Taiwan remains the biggest point of contention. It is also the most important issue that China wants to discuss at the summit. Analysts warned that Taiwan could become a flash point that might trigger a conflict between the two countries.Both sides expressed their positions on Taiwan. President Xi Jinping told President Joe Biden that the United States needed to take “concrete actions” to reassure China that it still stands by its stated policy of not supporting Taiwanese independence. President Biden emphasized the One China policy has not changed. Biden also reiterated that the U.S. opposes any unilateral change of the status quo. What’s next? Can this year’s summit successfully manage and stabilize this relationship? This is a million-dollar question. While many experts agree that it is constructive and positive that the top leaders from both countries talk to each other, they do not think that this summit would become a turning point for the troubled bilateral relationship. When the two leaders met last year on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia, both sides had a similar goal: to stabilize the bilateral relations. But the balloon incident earlier this year derailed that goal. The rest of this year would see further U.S. export control, arms sales to Taiwan, and military maneuvers in the South China Sea. Let’s hope leaders on both sides agree that they need to do everything to prevent their fierce rivalry from veering into conflict. Latest Development of The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 According to AP , a federal judge in Washington is weighing whether to hold in contempt a veteran journalist who has refused to identify her sources for stories about Dr. Yanping Chen , a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged. The judge previously ordered former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge , who now works at CBS , to be interviewed under oath about her sources for a series of stories about Dr. Yanping Chen. Dr. Chen, who was investigated for years on suspicions she may have lied on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program, has since sued the government, saying details about the probe were leaked to damage her reputation. But after Herridge refused to divulge to Chen’s lawyers how she acquired her information, the scientist’s attorneys are asking U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to hold the reporter in contempt — a sanction that could result in steep monetary fines until she complies. It’s not clear when the judge might rule on Chen’s request to hold Herridge in contempt. The judge acknowledged the stakes in an August decision that forced Herridge to be interviewed, writing, “The Court recognizes both the vital importance of a free press and the critical role that confidential sources play in the work of investigative journalists like Herridge.” But Cooper said that “Chen’s need for the requested evidence overcomes Herridge’s qualified First Amendment privilege in this case.”Courts have recognized that journalists have a limited privilege to keep confidential their sources, allowing reporters to block subpoenas in the past. But judges in some cases, like Herridge’s, have found that privilege can be outweighed by the need for the information if the person seeking the source has failed to find it through other means.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3QEHfSe . Read the story of Dr. Yanping Chen: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Yanping_Chen Alarm Over Section 702 Surveillance Program According to WIRED , more than 60 groups advocating for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are pushing the US Congress to reform the Section 702 surveillance program as Senate leaders move to renew it. A coalition letter expressing strong opposition to including a short-term reauthorization of Section 702 in a continuing resolution or any other "must-pass" legislation was sent to all members of Congress on November 14, 2023. The coalition calls for members of Congress to consider the concerns seriously and to reject any short-term reauthorization of Section 702. Failure to do so would perpetuate a system that unjustly targets Asian Americans and subjects them to unwarranted surveillance. "Section 702 and related surveillance authorities have been misused to spy on Americans, including but not limited to protesters, journalists, campaign donors, and members of Congress. The consequences of such misuse have had a profound impact on our Asian American community, resulting in wrongful targeting, unjust surveillance, and devastating tolls on careers, livelihoods, and reputations. This disproportionate targeting has fostered a climate of fear among Asian Americans and their families, causing anxiety about being stopped, monitored, or investigated while engaging in everyday activities. These issues not only raise significant concerns about civil liberties and civil rights, but also underscore the need for substantial reform," the letter said. "The inclusion of a short-term reauthorization in larger 'must-pass' bills would undermine the democratic process, run counter to the will of Congress, and disregard the concerns of the American people. Such an approach could also imperil the long-term viability of Section 702 by alienating members who are willing to engage in constructive negotiations for meaningful reforms," the letter also said.Concerned individuals may sign on to the opposition of warrantless surveillance here: https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R . A community briefing on Section 702 has been tentatively scheduled for December 12, 2023. Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/47gXxaO . Read the WIRED report: https://bit.ly/47wdFVz . Is It a "Global Women Forum" When There is No Asian Woman? On November 14, 2023, The Washington Post hosted an all-day event named Global Women's Summit, featuring "women from around the world galvanizing innovation and change." However, according to Nancy Chen , President of Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA), noted that none of the 44 women speakers and 2 men from around the U.S. and part of the world are of Chinese and East Asian ancestry. In an email to Sally Buzbee , executive editor of the Washington Post and one of the organizers for the Global Women’s Summit, Chen wrote "I am reaching out to you as the executive editor of the Washington Post and one of the organizers for the Global Women’s Summit. "It's astonishing that the Washington Post trumpets its Global Women's Summit with 44 women speakers and 2 men from around the U.S. and part of the world but omits and excludes American and other women who are of Chinese and East Asian ancestry. Basically, you have ignored almost one quarter of the female population in the world while touting this as a 'global' women’s summit. Our exclusion—either domestically or internationally—harkens back to the colonial era of the past two centuries when Asian women were excluded by the Page Act and later the Chinese Exclusion Act in the United States, and Asian countries were divided up amongst European powers. "By any measure, women of East Asian ancestry are equally shaking up the systems of power in government, entertainment, tech, business and medicine, but are apparently not enough to be recognized by Washington Post decision-makers. There is no shortage of distinguished and nationally-recognized women leaders—Women like Tammy Duckworth or Mazie Hirono in government, Michelle Yeoh or Sandra Oh in entertainment, Kim Ng in sports management, Dr. Leana Wen in medicine, Helen Zia in civil rights, Ellen Pao in technology, Celeste Ng , Maya Lin and more. You could have looked as close by as AARP, one of Global Summit's leading sponsors, and its Vice President of DEI Daphne Kwok whose career has spanned the civil rights, government and nonprofit sectors. It speaks volumes of the mindset of the Washington Post that East Asian American women leaders are invisible in this 'global summit.' "Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA) was founded a year ago amid anti-Asian racism during the pandemic in order to increase recognition and civic engagement for women in our community. This slight by the Washington Post is yet another reminder of the work ahead of us, our daughters and our granddaughters to belong and to be seen and heard. "We ask that you and the Post do better." Read Nancy Chen's letter: https://bit.ly/49ygHuu News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/11/16 C100 Forum Debate: Has the Chinese Economy Slowed Down Permanently, Temporarily, or It Depends?2023/11/18 Inaugural Jimmy Carter Conversation on U.S.-China Relations2023/11/18-19 National API Elected Officials Summit2023/11/19 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly Town Hall meeting2023/11/26 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly Town Hall meeting2023/12/03 Rep. Gene Wu 's Weekly Town Hall meetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details . 2. Survey on Racism and Anti-Asian Hate According to AsAmNews , nearly 9 out of 10 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders polled, or 86 percent, say racism is a serious problem in the United States. Half of those say they’ve been discriminated against based on their race and 16 percent say they’ve been a victim of a hate crime.Those are the results of a new survey conducted by APIA Data and AP/NORC.Another 34% of AAPI adults believe they’ve been subjected to verbal harassment, racial slurs or have been on the receiving end of threats of physical violence.Surveys were conducted online and via telephone in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean. 1,178 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States participated. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.2 percentage points.Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/40E2R5M Back View PDF November 16, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter
- Report A Hate Incident | APA Justice
"We encourage all who have witnessed or experienced micro-aggressions, bullying, harassment, hate speech, or violence to help us document. The more information we have, the better we can respond and prevent further incidents from occurring." Report Hate Incidents Stop AAPI Hate < > On July 10, 2020, retired Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick published an opinion Racism affects our nation's soldiers in CNN. He wrote about the racial bias he's faced as an African American in the US Army and highlights the story of Pvt. Danny Chen (陈宇晖), a Chinese American soldier who committed suicide in 2011 after enduring racially motivated hazing. "With images of statues being torn down bombarding our screens, it's hard not to feel, as a minority myself, that America is failing to address the real problem of racism. As I grapple with the wider challenges that racism presents for our country, its national security and myself personally, I continue to be haunted by my memories of a young US Army enlisted soldier named Danny Chen," Bostick wrote. "He was the only child of first-generation Chinese Americans in New York City. He wanted to join the Army, but he needed parental permission as a 17-year-old. His parents disapproved. Chen had high test scores and received a full scholarship to attend college. In January 2011, at 18 years old, while still in college and against his mother's wishes, he enlisted in the Army as an infantryman." "By October 2011, at a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Pvt. Danny Chen lay dead at 19, not by the hand of an expected US combat foe, but by an enemy even more insidious -- the ugly and irrational idea that one American is better than another based on the color of their skin." Danny Chen Harry Lew (廖梓源) was born in 1990 in Santa Clara, California. He enlisted in the Marines in 2009. In his second year, he was sent to Afghanistan in 2011 in his first combat deployment. On April 3, 2011, Lew was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. He had been on guard duty. His death was investigated by the Marines and determined to be suicide after being hazed by his fellow Marines. Harry Lew was a nephew of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu. Harry Lew Raheel Siddiqui was a 20-year-old Marine Corps recruit. He was born and raised near Detroit, Michaigan, as the oldest child and the only boy from a family who emigrated from Pakistan in the 1990s. In March 2016, he left for boot camp on Parris Island, S.C. Two weeks later, he was dead. Authorities on Parris Island say Raheel Siddiqui leaped over a third-story barracks railing, killing himself. But allegations soon arose that he’d been hit and hazed by a drill instructor, and was slapped, perhaps repeatedly, just before his death. Despite that, a South Carolina coroner deemed it a suicide — an act his family insists that Raheel, as a faithful Muslim and a doting son, was morally and constitutionally incapable of making. A year later, the New York Times Magazine published a comprehensive report on the death of Raheel Siddiqui. Raheel Siddiqui The stories of Danny Chen, Harry Lew, and Raheel Siddiqui Bruce Yamashita is a third-generation Japanese American lawyer who was born in Hawaii. He joined the Marines in February 1989 because he was attracted to the Corps elite force and believed that joining the Marines would validate his own status as a U.S. citizen. However, he was not only challenged by the brutality of the boot camp itself, he was also attacked with ethnic taunts by the training officers. On April 7, 10 weeks after his enrollment, Yamashita was kicked out of the Marine Corp "because of the color of his skin." On top of that, he was insulted by the commanding officer and the rest of the staff in the headquarters. Yamashita fought the racial prejudice and discrimination. He challenged the Marine Corps’ decision and won his case. He was commissioned as a captain in the United States Marine Corps on 18 March 1994. Yamashita wrote a book titled "Fighting Tradition " about his struggle to fight and expose the racial discrimination against Asian Americans and other minorities within various levels of the Corps. A documentary titled A Most Unlikely Hero was made in 2003 about his battle against racism in the Marine Corps. Fighting Tradition: A Marine's Journey to Justice
- Briefing with Senator Mark Warner
The APA Justice Task Force submitted a statement for a briefing with Senator Mark Warner and his staff on August 6, 2020. August 6, 2020 The APA Justice Task Force submitted the following statement for a briefing with Senator Mark Warner and his staff on August 6, 2020. updateonracialprofilingmarkwarner_20200805 .pdf Download PDF • 513KB The APA Justice Task Force submitted a statement for a briefing with Senator Mark Warner and his staff on August 6, 2020. Previous Next Briefing with Senator Mark Warner
- Professor Anming Hu Acquitted
On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Anming Hu of all charges in his indictment. September 9, 2021 On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Anming Hu of all charges in his indictment. Professor Hu is the first academic to go to trial under the "China Initiative." Read more about the latest developments and background of Professor Hu's case at Anming Hu . On September 9, 2021, Judge Thomas Varlan issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order and acquitted Professor Anming Hu of all charges in his indictment. Previous Next Professor Anming Hu Acquitted
- Community Networking | APA Justice
Community Networking This is a paragraph. Click to edit and add your own text. Add any information you want to share. You can use this space to tell users a story about the company or describe a special service it offers. Change the font, size or scale to get the look you want. Explore
- Academic Advocacy | APA Justice
Policy Advocacy See what we're doing Working with federal agencies and policy makers to advocate for social justice and rights. Social Justice The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the president on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. OSTP Developments This is a paragraph. Click to edit and add your own text. Add any information you want to share with users. Change the font, size or scale to get the look you want. Read More Item One Subtitle Goes Here This is a paragraph. Click to edit and add your own text. Add any information you want to share with users. Change the font, size or scale to get the look you want. Read More Item Two Subtitle Goes Here This is a paragraph. Click to edit and add your own text. Add any information you want to share with users. Change the font, size or scale to get the look you want. Read More Item Three Subtitle Goes Here On September 9, 2022, Dr. Steven Pei and Dr. Jeremy Wu, Co-Organizers of APA Justice, joined a virtual meeting with Senior Research Officers at the Association of American Universities (AAU). The meeting was moderated by Roger Wakimoto, Vice Chancellor for Research, UCLA. It included a 10-minute presentation by Steven and Jeremy on "Academic Freedom and Engaging Faculty on Campus - The Asian American Perspective " and a package of backgrounds and references , followed by questions and answers, and robust and productive discussions. The meeting continues our engagement and collaboration with AAU after Toby Smith, Vice President for Science Policy & Global Affairs, spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on June 6, 2022. Founded in 1900, AAU is composed of America’s leading research universities which collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society. PROPOSAL TO SENIOR RESEARCH OFFICERS OF THE AAU We suggested four wishes from the Asian American faculty perspective: Engage faculty in the development and implementation of NSPM-33 and similar policies on campus to make sure clear instruction, sufficient support, and proper training are provided to faculty, researchers, and administrative staff. “Establish (an independent or joint with faculty senate) committee (preferably led by a Chinese American faculty) to evaluate, define and protect the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of faculty and administration in cases involving the investigation of faculty by outside agencies” - a resolution passed by the faculty senate of a founding member of AAU Offer and publicize first response followed by independent legal assistance. Consider legal insurance in the long term. Help faculty, staffs, and students to resolve visa, border entry, and related issues. Dialogue with the AAU Warrantless Surveillance The U.S. Constitution protects its people against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the U.S. government engages in mass, warrantless surveillance of phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications. 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. Chinese American immigrants and scientific communities, have especially been targets for warrantless surveillance leading to wrongful and unjust prosecutions. Learn more The China Initiative From November 11, 2018 to February 23, 2022, the US national security program created to address economic espionage disproportionately targeted Asian American academics, scientists, and researchers for what were largely administrative errors, harming academic freedom. Learn more See what we've been fighting Advocating for the rights of APA academics, researchers, and scientists. Academic Advocacy
- CI Webinars | APA Justice
China Initiative Webinars China Initiative Webinar Series #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative” #1 The Human and Scientific Costs of The "China Initiative" #2 Policy Needs for U.S. Science and Scientists #3 Building Coalition Against “China Initiative” Discrimination: Fighting racial targeting of Asian Americans and communities of color, past & present #4 Legal Resources and Policy Advocacy: How to Combat Racial Profiling Under the “China Initiative" #5 The Mistrial of Professor Anming Hu under the "China Initiative" #6 The Aftermath in the Mistrial and Racial Profiling of University of Tennessee under the “China Initiative”


