Newsletter - #91 Rep. Lieu Questions AG; Letter to AG; 11/01 Meeting; New Red Scare; UTK; More #91 Rep. Lieu Questions AG; Letter to AG; 11/01 Meeting; New Red Scare; UTK; More Back View PDF October 25, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #266 Franklin Tao Wins Appeal; NBER Study; 1990 Workshop Video; Wisconsin Farmland; + #266 Franklin Tao Wins Appeal; NBER Study; 1990 Workshop Video; Wisconsin Farmland; + In This Issue #266 · Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao Wins Appeal · Study Shows Drastic Decline in US-China Scientific Exchange · 1990 Institute Teachers Workshop on U.S.-China Relations · WPR : Fears of China-owned Farmland in Wisconsin and US are Exaggerated · News and Activities for the Communities Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao Wins Appeal According to Reuters, Science, and multiple reports, on July 11, 2024, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver overturned the lone conviction of former University of Kansas (KU) Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao for making a false statement related to work he was doing in China.Professor Tao was one of the first academic scientists charged under the now-defunct China initiative launched in November 2018 by then-President Donald Trump to combat Chinese economic espionage. In 2019, DOJ had relied on information provided by one of Tao’s former colleagues — a visiting scholar at KU angry with Tao amid an authorship dispute. The colleague had demanded $300,000 from Tao or she would tell the FBI that Tao was a spy.The FBI investigation found no evidence of espionage involving Professor Tao. However, while still a tenured KU faculty member, he was arrested in August 2019 and spent 1 week in jail. In April 2022, a federal jury convicted him of three counts of wire fraud as well as making a false statement to KU about his ties to Fuzhou University in connection with grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The university fired him after the jury decision, but 5 months later U.S. District Court Senior Judge Julie Robinson threw out the fraud convictions, citing a lack of evidence. And in January 2023 she rejected the government’s request for jail time and a stiff fine as a penalty for the false statement conviction. Professor Tao was sentenced to time served and a two-year probation, which was later reduced to one year. Professor Tao appealed the jury’s decision on this last remaining count, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled in a 2-to-1 decision that Professor Tao was right. “We reverse his conviction … and agree with Tao that the government offered insufficient evidence for a rational jury to find that his statement to his employer was material to any DOE or NSF decision” affecting the status of his grants. U.S. Circuit Judge Nancy Moritz , wrote for the majority. Professor Tao is one of many China Initiative cases against U.S. academics that have fallen apart in court. President Joe Biden ’s administration officially ended the program in February 2022. But Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have campaigned for it to be reinstated.Professor Tao said in a statement issued by United Chinese Americans (UCA) after the appeal victory, "Today, I come to you with a mix of heavy and joyous feelings to update you on the outcome of our four-year struggle. The Tenth Circuit Court has removed the last remaining charge against me. These four years of fighting against ten baseless charges have been an unimaginable battle. Without the just legal assistance of our lawyers, Peter Zeidenberg and Mike Dearington , I could not have achieved today's victory. "I want to express my gratitude to our Chinese and Asian communities (including UCA, AAJC, Committee 100, APA Justice, Asian American Scholar Forum, CALDA, AFI, OCAA...) and the many Chinese friends who supported me. I am especially thankful for UCA's continued support and encouragement over these years. Special thanks go to UCA President Haipei Shue and his team for their tremendous support. Without President Shue's personal encouragement and support, we could not have fought to this day!" 2024/07/13 AP: Court voids last conviction of Kansas researcher in case that started as Chinese espionage probe 2024/07/12 CALDA: 陶教授无罪，华人无罪 2024/07/12 Science: Court exonerates Kansas professor in China research fraud case 2024/07/12 Kansas Reflector: Federal appellate court tosses final conviction in case against former tenured Kansas professor 2024/07/11 俄州亚太联盟 OCAA: 罪名被推翻，陶峰教授赢了！ 2024/07/11 美國華人聯盟 UCA: 快讯 | 华裔学者陶丰胜诉，联邦上诉法院推翻定罪 2024/07/11 Reuters: Kansas researcher wins reversal of conviction in Trump-era China probe APA Justice: Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰 Study Shows Drastic Decline in US-China Scientific Exchange In its June 2024 issue, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a working paper titled Building a Wall Around Science: "The Effect of U.S.-China Tensions on International Science Research." The paper examines the impact of rising U.S.-China geopolitical tensions on three main dimensions of science: STEM trainee mobility between these countries, usage of scientific works between scientists in each country, and scientist productivity in each country. The paper examines each dimension from a “U.S.” perspective and from a “China” perspective in an effort to provide evidence around the asymmetric effects of isolationism and geopolitical tension on science.The paper finds that between 2016 and 2019 ethnically Chinese graduate students became 16% less likely to attend a U.S.-based Ph.D. program, and that those that did became 4% less likely to stay in the U.S. after graduation. In both instances, these students became more likely to move to a non-U.S. anglophone country instead.Second, the paper documents a sharp decline in Chinese usage of U.S. science as measured by citations, but no such decline in the propensity of U.S. scientists to cite Chinese research. Third, the paper finds that while a decline in Chinese usage of U.S. science does not appear to affect the average productivity of China-based researchers as measured by publications, heightened anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S. appears to reduce the productivity of ethnically Chinese scientists in the U.S. by 2-6%.The results do not suggest any clear “winner,” but instead indicate that increasing isolationism and geopolitical tension lead to reduced talent and knowledge flows between the U.S. and China, which are likely to be particularly damaging to international science. The effects on productivity are still small but are likely to only grow as nationalistic and isolationist policies also escalate. The results as a whole strongly suggest the presence of a “chilling effect” for ethnically Chinese scholars in the U.S., affecting both the U.S.’s ability to attract and retain talent as well as the productivity of its ethnically Chinese scientists.According to a report by the University World News on July 11, 2024, in almost every area, the NBER paper shows that “geopolitical tensions at a much lower level than the formal expulsion of academics or violent warfare can lead to a significant shift in scientist mobility”. Professor Britta Glennon , who teaches management at the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and is one of the study’s four co-authors. “Over the past few decades, science has become more international across many dimensions. Science used to be concentrated in the West, but today there is a much more international scientific community," she said. “For instance, many academics are immigrants, so right there you have a very international community. There are many more international collaborations than there used to be. And, increasingly, citations in papers are from papers produced in other countries. Our study demonstrates in quantifiable terms how this large international scientific community is affected by the geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, which, from a scientific standpoint, are the major players." For their analysis of mobility using the Open Research and Contributor ID (ORCID), on which academics post their curricula vitae, Glennon and her colleagues constructed a database of 836,495 CVs in STEM fields (out of ORCID’s 14 million CVs).Using machine learning methods that infer ethnicity from names, they were able to classify scientists as being “ethnically Chinese”, which was the treatment group. The control group for those analyses was the non-ethnically Chinese complement, which was drawn from graduate students and professors in UK universities.The Pew Research Center reported in 2020 that anti-Chinese sentiment had risen 11 percentage points, from 55% to 66% in the five years since Trump began his first campaign for the presidency, which included significant anti-Chinese rhetoric, and the COVID-19 crisis, which Trump blamed on the Chinese calling it “the China virus”. Glennon and her colleagues also reference the 2021 study, “Racial Profiling among Scientists of Chinese Descent and Consequences for the US Scientific Community”, that found that Chinese scientists “reported considerable fear of US government surveillance” at almost five times the rate of non-Chinese scientists: 50.7% vs 11.7%. An additional chill was Trump’s “China Initiative”. Some 5,000 agents were assigned to the initiative tasked with preventing China from stealing technologies that were vital to America’s economic and military interests. In July 2020, FBI director Christopher A Wray stated that the bureau was “opening a China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours”. As of September 2021, federal prosecutors had charged 28 researchers under the China Initiative. Of these, there had been about a dozen convictions or guilty pleas. Of the dozen or so Chinese professors or professors of Chinese descent, the government had convicted only four – none for espionage or theft of trade secrets or intellectual property.President Joe Biden ’s justice department closed down the initiative in February 2022.Read the NBER paper : https://bit.ly/4602fKc . Read the University World News report: https://bit.ly/4bLXfKp . 1990 Institute Teachers Workshop on U.S.-China Relations Political campaigns have and continue to portray China through an adverse lens, affecting decades-long efforts to build constructive relations with national and global implications.On June 20, 2024, the 1990 Institute hosted a Teachers Workshop on "U.S.-China Relations: Untangling Campaign Rhetoric and Understanding Policy." APA Justice was one of the co-sponsors for the workshop.China scholars from Yale Law School, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University’s Steinhardt School spoke at the workshop, providing context with an overview of the history of U.S.-China relations and then delved into issues affecting this global relationship during this election year, including trade, technology, and Taiwan.Watch a recording of the workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8AisB1NZYo (video 1:30:03). Read the curated resources and lesson plans in the 1990 Institute's Reference Library. WPR : Fears of China-owned Farmland in Wisconsin and US are Exaggerated According to Wisconsin Public Radio on July 10, 2024, lawmakers and citizens are raising concerns about Chinese companies purchasing U.S. land. But a new analysis paints a different picture of who owns and leases American farmland.Wisconsin is among more than two-thirds of all states that are considering or have enacted laws limiting or banning foreign ownership of land. A Wisconsin state statute restricts foreign private investment in land. Wendon Zhang , an assistant professor of economics with Cornell University, and two other researchers recently published an article — “ Mapping and Contextualizing Foreign Ownership and Leasing of U.S. Farmland ” — in the 2024 Journal of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio , Zhang said his recent research found that China and other “adversarial countries” hold zero acres of land in the “Lake Region” of the U.S., a space that includes Wisconsin. His team found that Canada, Denmark and Portugal are the top three holders of Wisconsin’s foreign-held land.“The bottom line is, if you’re concerned about significant Chinese holdings of agricultural land in Wisconsin, the evidence seems to say the contrary,” Zhang said.The U.S. has 3.4 percent of all privately-held agricultural land owned or long-term leased by foreign companies. That percentage in Wisconsin is 2.4 percent. Eighty-five percent of all land in Wisconsin that has a foreign interest is forest land. So it is not cropland, not pasture land. It is actually nearly 400,000 acres of forest land, predominantly with Canadian ownership. When you are looking at the adversary countries — China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela — based on the public records voluntarily reported to USDA, all these countries do not hold any agricultural land in Wisconsin.However, Zhang also found that more than 51 percent of Wisconsin’s foreign-held agricultural land is categorized without a prominent country code, meaning investors in a particular property come from multiple countries. Zhang said it’s possible China or other countries might hold shares small enough in some types of holdings to fall outside of what is reported to the government, leaving them underrepresented in USDA data.Read the Wisconsin Public Radio report: https://bit.ly/3S3bwvc . Read the journal article: https://bit.ly/3xTZq0N News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/07/15 APIAVote: RNC Convention, AAPI Briefing &Reception, Milwaukee, WI2024/07/16-17 National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable - Capstone2024/07/17 C100 Career Ceiling Summit: Creating a Level Playing Field2024/07/25-28 Leadership Convention by NAAAP (National Association of Asian American Professionals) 2024/07/27-28 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony2024/08/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/08/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/08/19 DNC Convention, AAPI Briefing & Reception, Chicago, ILThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. Back View PDF July 15, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #134 PennLaw Acts on Amy Wax; US-China Hostility Hurts People; UCA Convention; 5/2 Meeting #134 PennLaw Acts on Amy Wax; US-China Hostility Hurts People; UCA Convention; 5/2 Meeting Back View PDF July 21, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #165 Ongoing Anti-Discrimination Efforts Stemming From Texas Senate Bills 147 and 552 #165 Ongoing Anti-Discrimination Efforts Stemming From Texas Senate Bills 147 and 552 In This Issue #165 This issue of the APA Justice newsletter is dedicated to the ongoing anti-discrimination efforts stemming from Texas Senate Bills 147 and 552. Houston March Against the Racist Texas Senate Bills 147 & 552 in Chinatown on February 11, 2023 New York Times Reports on Discriminatory Land Bills Los Angeles Times Reports on New Chinese Exclusion Agriculture.com Reports on Federal Bills Upcoming Mini Series of Two Webinars on Texas SB 147 and Alien Land Laws New Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus in Texas Notre Dame Expert on Bills Preventing Chinese Citizens and Companies from Purchasing Land Houston March Against the Racist Texas Senate Bills 147 & 552 in Chinatown on February 11, 2023 Texas State Representative Gene Wu and a coalition of community organizations led by Asian Americans Leadership Council (AALC), United Chinese Americans (UCA), Chinese Civic Center, Houston Chinese Alliance (HCA), DFW Chinese Alliance (DFWCA), APAPA TX, OCA-Greater Houston are organizing a Houston Rally on February 11, 2023, to protest against the proposed discriminatory Senate Bills 147 and 552. The march aims to raise awareness about these bills' implications and voice the immigrant communities' concerns and opposition to the New Chinese Exclusion Act.The proposed legislation classifies immigrants from four countries as security threats, ignoring that these individuals left their home countries in search of the American Dream. These pieces of legislation will strip immigrants of their right to purchase real property and grant the Texas Governor and the Texas Legislature unchecked power to classify any immigrant group as a security threat in the future. AALC and numerous other community organizations denounce these two bills that go against the very essence of the American Dream, which has always been about providing equal opportunities to all individuals, regardless of their background. The march will bring together over 500 attendees from the immigrant community to stand in solidarity against these racist bills and demand that their rights be protected. They will be joined by numerous Houston-area elected officials, community leaders and members. What: Anti-SB 147 Rally & March When: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 10:00AM - 12:00PM Where: Sterling Plaza 黃金廣場, 9888 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036 Contact: Dr. Fengxiang Qiao , 832-293-0914 New York Times Reports on Discriminatory Land Bills On February 7, 2023, the New York Times reported that states are pursuing bills to bar Chinese citizens from purchasing land. According to the report, Governor Greg Abbott announced his support for a bill to stop Chinese citizens and companies from buying land, homes or any other real estate in Texas. "We don't want to have holdings by hostile nations," Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said in a news conference last month. Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia made it part of his State of the Commonwealth speech soon after.In Texas, Democratic leaders said the broad measure now before the Legislature appeared to be prompted more by a rising anti-China political environment than by any legitimate concern over espionage or foreign ownership of the food supply. The bill as currently written would make it impossible for the large number of Chinese immigrants who have come to work in the tech sector or study at Texas universities to do something as basic as buy a home. A 2021 census survey estimated that about 150,000 foreign-born Chinese are living in Texas. Protesters have rallied against the bill in Houston and Dallas in recent weeks, saying that the legislative efforts could worsen the climate of anti-Asian violence and could be easily extended to include other immigrant groups. Lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said the measure was likely to run afoul of the federal government's prerogative to manage relations with other nations, and that it was unconstitutional. The discriminatory bill would prohibit members of the targeted communities from participating in the Texas economy, including dual citizens and legal permanent residents, such as green card holders. Some legal scholars are also skeptical. Such a bill would raise a host of constitutional issues because the measure does not distinguish between targeting people who are already here and those outside the United States. It raises serious due process and equal protection issues. The share of United States farmland owned by Chinese people and companies is small and has not been growing substantially. Chinese owners held about 350,000 acres at the end of 2020, and most of the farmland came from the Chinese acquisition of Smithfield Foods in 2013. Canadian owners, by contrast, held 12.4 million acres. (Source: Congressional Research Service: Foreign Ownership and Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land ) Read more about the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/40IuVEq . Los Angeles Times Reports on New Chinese Exclusion According to the Los Angeles Times on February 8, 2023, Republican leaders rumored to be open to 2024 presidential runs are eyeing more narrow property restrictions focused on agriculture as part of a tough-on-China push. Some Democrats, too, have expressed similar concerns. The Texas legislation will make some people more “willing to express their hatred toward certain race groups,” said Hao Zhu , an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “From COVID, already just because of our skin color, we were hated.” Zhu attended the rally with her husband and 2-year-old son, who was balanced in his dad’s arm holding tiny Texas and American flags. “Look around,” Zhu said, as families and businesspeople — many waving American flags and chatting in English or Mandarin — walked past the Capitol. The bill is not affecting a “security issue at the national level” but “regular people’s lives.” She started to bring up fears about her son going to school, then paused, in tears.A California bill, authored by a Democrat, to restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land passed the Legislature last year but was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom .Some experts wonder whether policies that turn away from America’s democratic strengths will only hurt the U.S. in the long term. “A ban that targets a person’s country of origin, particularly if it includes those on a pathway to U.S. citizenship, goes against everything that the United States stands for,” said Jessica Chen Weiss , a political scientist and government professor at Cornell University. At the Austin rally, people held signs that said, “STOP Chinese Exclusion,” evoking the Chinese Exclusion Act, a 19th century law that blocked citizenship to Chinese residents in the U.S., affirming the exclusion of Asian immigrants from a 1790 naturalization law. A speaker also referenced “alien land laws,” racist laws in California and other states that restricted Asian immigrants and others from owning property, including agricultural land.Lawmakers’ framing of the new bill as a national security measure also in some ways echoes the past. Madeline Hsu , a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said that in historically justifying anti-Chinese immigration laws, Chinese immigrants were portrayed “as this threat to the civilization of the United States.”Read the Los Angeles Times report: https://lat.ms/3XhN1u4 Agriculture.com Reports on Federal Bills According to Agricultute.com on February 3, 2023, Rep. Elise Stefanik , a member of the House Republican leadership, and 19 other representatives filed the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security bill in the House, while six senators offered the Senate version. Along with prohibiting China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from buying U.S. agricultural land or companies, the bill would make the Agriculture Department a member of the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which decides if projects would pose a national security risk. Federal law requires foreign individuals and entities to disclose ownership information to the USDA, but it does not restrict ownership of private U.S. agricultural land. Fourteen states restrict or prohibit foreign ownership. Read the Agriculture.com report: http://bit.ly/3I9hPJb Texas State Representative Gene Wu at January APA Justice Monthly Meeting Gene Wu is a Texas State Representative and a champion of immigrant rights serving in his sixth term at the Texas Legislature. As a proud immigrant himself, Rep. Wu has dedicated his career to serving the community and advocating for policies that promote equality and justice for all individuals, regardless of their background.On February 6, 2023, Rep. Wu explained the discriminatory nature and implications of Texas Senate Bill 147 and related legislations in the APA Justice monthly meeting. He has been a leading voice of the rallies in Texas."If the concern is about national security or foreign actors, we have already passed that law in 2021. It was Senate Bill 2116. It was signed into law, and it is already in effect," said Rep. Wu. He warned that the added provisions target individuals and its mentality is spreading across the nation. A lot of it is based on tensions between the U.S. and China, but it is really a rehashing of similar discriminatory laws that were passed against Asian Americans for the past century and a half, going back to the 1800s and into the 20th century. It is now revived in the 21st century. Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), reported that CAPAC members in Texas have brought up their concerns and asked to be kept informed about the developing situation. Nisha can be reached at nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov . Organizers of the Austin, Dallas, and Houston rallies were recognized in the meeting. Some gave remarks and joined the discussion.Watch Rep. Wu's talk and discussions in this YouTube video: https://bit.ly/3DVEdU6 (56:48) Upcoming Mini Series of Two Webinars on Texas SB 147 and Alien Land Laws It was announced during the January 9 APA Justice monthly meeting that a mini series of two webinars is being organized. It will be co-sponsored by United Chinese Americans (UCA, www.ucausa.org ), APA Justice ( www.apajustice.org ) and 1882 Foundation ( www.1882foundation.org ) The first webinar is tentatively scheduled around February 16-18. Invited panelists include (1) Texas State Representative Gene Wu , (2) Attorney Clay Zhu of the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), (3) Representative from the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), and (4) Representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. Rep. Judy Chu , Chair of Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), is invited to give the opening remark. The second webinar is tentatively scheduled for March 1, 2023, 6:30 PM ET/3:30 pm PT. It will provide a historical perspective to understanding the consequences and significance of laws as being proposed in Texas. Invited panelists include (1) Carol Suzuki , Professor of Law, University of New Mexico, (2) Madeline Hsu , Professor, Mary Helen Thompson Centennial Professorship in the Humanities, University of Texas at Austin, and (3) Texas State Representative Gene Wu . Janelle Wong , Director, Asian American Studies andProfessor, American Studies and Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, will serve as moderator. Ted Gong , Executive Director of the 1882 Foundation, will give opening remarks.More details will come soon. New Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus in Texas According to the Austin American-Statesman on January 31, 2023, State Reps. Gene Wu , Salman Bhojani , and Suleman Lalani announced that they intend to create an Asian American and Pacific Islander legislative caucus. The announcement coincided with the progressive organization Rise AAPI holding AAPI Legislative Day at the Capitol to discuss the obstacles and opportunities Asian American and Pacific Islander Texans have this legislative session.The committee will be co-chaired by Wu, D-Houston, and Angie Chen Button , R-Richardson. In addition to Bhojani, D-Euless, and Lalani, D-Sugar Land, Reps. Hubert Vo , D-Houston, and Jacey Jetton , R-Katy, will serve in the caucus. The legislators intend to register the caucus with the Texas Ethics Commission soon, according to Wu's office."The formation of the AAPI caucus is a big stepping stone, a big milestone for our community," Wu said.The Legislature hit new diversity milestones this year with the election of Lalani and Bhojani, the first Muslim state representatives in Texas.Read the Austin American-Statesman report: http://bit.ly/3jD7vQx Notre Dame Expert on Bills Preventing Chinese Citizens and Companies from Purchasing Land According to a press release by the University of Notre Dame on February 8, 2023, Kyle A. Jaros , Associate Professor of Global Affairs, said the following in response to the recent trend among states that are pursuing and supporting bills to prevent Chinese citizens and companies from purchasing land:“The intense politicization of state- and local-level ties with China during the past few years marks a major departure from past trends. State and local relations have moved from the background of U.S.-China relations to the foreground, becoming a driver of broader U.S.-China dynamics in their own right. Whereas a few years ago both sides regarded state- and city-level interactions as a stabilizing element in the larger relationship, this domain has now become a lightning rod. ”“However, in today's heated political atmosphere, many states and communities risk overreacting to what they perceive as an omnipresent menace of CCP influence. While targeted measures to address known security risks are sensible, adopting blanket restrictions on commercial, educational, and/or scientific interaction with Chinese businesses and citizens will come with huge collateral costs: further inflaming anti-Chinese and anti-Asian xenophobia, harming the economic development of states and localities, undermining the vitality of the U.S. higher education sector and accelerating the dangerous downward spiral in national-level relations.”Read the University of Notre Dame press release: http://bit.ly/3x9V9SQ 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 February 9, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #161 Franklin Tao; National Strategy; House Committees; Texas Bill; Asian Student Stabbed​ #161 Franklin Tao; National Strategy; House Committees; Texas Bill; Asian Student Stabbed In This Issue #161 Breaking News : Feng "Franklin" Tao Sentenced - No Prison and No Fine National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for AANHPI Communities Released House Select Committees Texas Bill Forbids Chinese Nationals from Purchasing Land Indiana University student stabbed in apparent anti-Asian attack Breaking News : Feng "Franklin" Tao Sentenced - No Prison and No Fine Kansas University (KU) Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰 was the first academic to be indicted under the now-defunct "China Initiative."Professor Tao was originally charged with eight counts of wire fraud and two counts of false statements. After voluntary dismissals and acquittals by the judge and jury on the other charges, Professor Tao was convicted by jury on one count of false statement. He faced sentencing in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, on January 18, 2023. According to a report by Science , a federal judge handed down the lightest possible sentence in the U.S. government’s case against Professor Tao. The decision is the latest rejection by U.S. courts of the government’s attempt to prosecute Chinese-born scientists for lapses in reporting their research interactions with China.U.S. District Court Senior Judge Julie Robinson imposed no jail time and no fine for Tao in sentencing him for making a false statement to KU in reporting his ties to Fuzhou University. Government attorneys had requested a 30-month sentence and a fine of $100,000. Tao, who has been on unpaid administrative leave from KU since his arrest in August 2019, faces 2 years of probation, but Robinson said that could be cut in half for good behavior.Speaking from the bench before the sentencing, Robinson made a point of separating Tao’s case from those of alleged economic espionage under the now-defunct "China Initiative," begun in 2018 during the administration of then-President Donald Trump. “This was not an economic espionage case,” Robinson said. Neither was Tao trying to rip off the government, the judge continued. “Frankly, I thought going into this case that I was going to hear evidence … [that Tao] hurt taxpayers,” Robinson said. Instead, the work Tao was doing “is the type of research that is fundamental research … something that is freely shared.”“Dr. Tao is immensely relieved that Judge Robinson agreed that a sentence of time served was appropriate,” his lawyer, Peter Zeidenberg , said in a statement after the sentence was handed down. Zeidenberg said Tao will ask an appellate court to throw out his conviction. Tao is also fighting the university’s efforts to terminate his employment as a tenured professor. Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum, was in the courthouse and provided live reporting via Tweeter . The courtroom was completely full of concerned community members and academics. There were not enough available seats with folks standing.A GoFundMe campaign to raise legal defense funds for Professor is here: https://bit.ly/2Uj7Z19 Read the Science report at https://bit.ly/3XKRQNr . Read about Professor Tao's case at https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK Another "China Initiative" Case Dropped. On January 16, 2023, CNN reported that Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn moved to dismiss charges against a New York Police Department officer who had been accused of acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the Chinese government. Baimadajie Angwang , a naturalized U.S. citizen of Tibetan ethnicity and a Marine Corps veteran, was charged in September 2020 with acting as a foreign agent for China without notifying American authorities, wire fraud, making false statements and obstruction of an official proceeding. The 2020 arrest was another case brought under the now-defunct "China Initiative.” Read more about the CNN report at https://cnn.it/3XIwbWa National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for AANHPI Communities Released On January 17, 2023, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) convened federal government officials and community leaders to mark the release of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first-ever National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Communities . At a special virtual event, senior Biden-Harris Administration officials outlined the details of 32 federal agency plans, which build on the Administration’s previous actions to promote safety and equity for AA and NHPIs. Community leaders also discussed additional steps the federal government can take to address critical priorities for AA and NHPI communities, including data disaggregation, language access, and combatting anti-Asian hate.Watch the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKGDADNmzqw (1:54:43) House Select Committees On January 18, 2023, Judge Rep. Grace Meng 孟昭文 , First Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), issued a statement on the creation of a Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Communist Party of China, for which she voted against. "I have concerns with the potential direction that Republicans could take this Select Committee, including using this platform to promote policies and language that endanger Chinese Americans and people of Asian descent living in the U.S. By creating a new committee that focuses only on one country, instead of working with already existing House committees that currently have jurisdiction over the exact same issues, it could lead to unnecessary targeting of Americans of Asian descent living in the U.S. ... My hope is that the Select Committee will avoid past mistakes and instead focus on specific policy concerns related to the government of the People’s Republic of China and our own national interests," said Rep. Meng in the statement. Read Rep. Meng's statement here: http://bit.ly/3XbMiLK On January 12, 2023, NBC News reported "Asian American Democrats jostle for top slot on new GOP China committee." According to the report, Asian American lawmakers are making the case to House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries that he should appoint one of their own as the top Democrat on the new GOP-controlled select committee to examine competition between the U.S. and China. Amid a rise in anti-Asian violence spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, they want to make sure the panel is striking the right tone, remaining sensitive to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and not further fanning the flames of xenophobia. Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , D-Calif., the chair of CAPAC, said she has spoken to Jeffries and recommended that Rep. Andy Kim , D-N.J., should be the ranking member. Kim, a former State Department official who later was a national security adviser in the Obama White House, has also spoken with Jeffries, D-N.Y., about the role, he said Thursday. Chu made it clear that she is advocating for Kim in her personal capacity — not on behalf of CAPAC, which held a lengthy meeting about the topic but has not endorsed a specific candidate for the job.At least two other CAPAC members have expressed interest in the ranking member slot: Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi , D-Ill., a member of the Intelligence Committee, and Ro Khanna , D-Calif., a former Commerce Department official who represents a heavily Asian American district in Silicon Valley. Democrats get seven slots on the committee. Rep. Chu said she has recommended that Jeffries place four CAPAC members on the special panel: Kim, Krishnamoorthi, Khanna and Mark Takano of California, the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Read the NBC News report here: https://nbcnews.to/3XalRpU On January 13, 2023, Science reported "Now in charge, House Republicans launch flurry of investigations." According to the report, the new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has created three investigative panels: (1) Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party due to "concerns in both parties that China has used economic espionage to help become a global leader in key high-tech fields, including energy storage, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing“, (2) Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to "focus on claims, unsupported by evidence, that a laboratory in Wuhan, China, either bioengineered or accidentally released SARS-CoV-2 obtained from bats," (3) Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to probe “how executive branch agencies collect, compile, analyze, use, or disseminate information about citizens of the United States, including any unconstitutional, illegal, or unethical activities committed against U.S. citizens.”Read the Science report here: https://bit.ly/3iAdsgt Texas Bill Forbids Chinese Nationals from Purchasing Land According to the Equal Justice Initiative , on May 3, 1913, California enacted the Alien Land Law, barring Asian immigrants from owning land. California tightened the law further in 1920 and 1923, barring the leasing of land and land ownership by American-born children of Asian immigrant parents or by corporations controlled by Asian immigrants.California did not stand alone. Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming all enacted discriminatory laws restricting Asians’ rights to hold land in America. In 1923, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed various versions of the discriminatory land laws—and upheld every single one. Most of these discriminatory state laws remained in place until the 1950s, and some even longer. On November 13, 2022, Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst introduced Texas Bill SB 147 on "Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities." It prohibits not only governmental and certain entities, but also individuals who are citizens of of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia to purchase or otherwise acquire title to real property in Texas, which includes legal permanent residents. The bill was filed after the Texas legislature unanimously passed the “Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act” banning all contracts or agreements with foreign-owned companies related to critical infrastructure in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott signed it into law in 2021. Read the Texas SB 147 bill at http://bit.ly/3XEQhQP Indiana University student stabbed in apparent anti-Asian attack On January 15, 2023, the Washington Post and NPR reported that a 56-year-old woman stabbed an 18-year-old Indiana University student while riding a public bus in Bloomington. The suspect told police she stabbed the victim because the victim was "Chinese," adding that it "would be one less person to blow up our country."The suspect, Billie R. Davis has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and battery with a deadly weapon.Security camera footage showed that Davis and the woman had not interacted before the attack. The footage showed Davis stabbing or attempting to stab her about seven times before returning to her seat on the bus. The student received treatment at a Bloomington hospital for several head wounds. Her condition was not released.Since the attack, Asian American students and staff at Indiana University have been grappling with grief, anger, anxiety, and fear, according to Melanie Castillo-Cullather, the director of the school's Asian Culture Center. "This has been a very traumatic experience for our Asian community," Castillo-Cullather told NPR. "We will never forget this."A total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were reported between March 19, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021, according to the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate. Of them, about 16 percent involved a physical assault. Most happened in public spaces, with about 8 percent of incidents reported taking place on public transportation.Read the Washington Post report https://wapo.st/3Hf3muQ . Read the NPR report https://n.pr/3QRl0bk 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 January 19, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #132 Repair Damage Done by DOJ; 2022/07/11 APA Justice Monthly Meeting; UCA Conventions #132 Repair Damage Done by DOJ; 2022/07/11 APA Justice Monthly Meeting; UCA Conventions Back View PDF July 5, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #116 "China Initiative" Briefing; AAASE Lecture; Editorials; 3/7 Meeting; Hate Crime Update #116 "China Initiative" Briefing; AAASE Lecture; Editorials; 3/7 Meeting; Hate Crime Update Back View PDF March 1, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #255 Registration Open for FBI Forum; Students from China; Bill Tracker; Trailblazers; More #255 Registration Open for FBI Forum; Students from China; Bill Tracker; Trailblazers; More In This Issue #255 · Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI · Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection · C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024 · Trailblazing Asian American Legislators · News and Activities for the Communities Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI WHAT: A Dialogue Between Academic & AAPI Communities and The FBI WHEN: June 6, 2024, 4:00 - 6:00 pm Central TimeWHERE: This is a hybrid in-person and virtual event (registration required) · In-person: O'Connor Building, Rice University, Houston, Texas HOSTS: · Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition (TMAC) · Science and Technology Policy Program, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Office of Innovation, Rice University · APA Justice Task Force OPENING WELCOME: · Sergio Lira, Vice President, TMAC; President, Houston Council, League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC) · Paul Cherukuri , Chief Innovation Officer, Vice President for Innovation, Rice University PANELISTS: · Jill Murphy , Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, FBI Headquarters · Georgette "GiGi" Pickering , Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office · Kelly Choi , Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Houston Field Office · Gordon Quan , Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Quan Law Group, PLLC; Former Houston City Mayor Pro-Tem · David Donatti , Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Department, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum SUMMARY REMARKS: · Douglas Williams, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office · Neal Lane , Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Former Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy MODERATOR: Steven Pei , TMAC and APA Justice Task Force DESCRIPTION: This event brings together Jill Murphy, the deputy assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, who oversees the FBI’s espionage investigations, and the leadership of the FBI Houston Field Office with members of the academic and Asian American communities to discuss the gaps between national science and technology policy and its implementation at the forefront of law enforcement, as well as to explore the possibility of a regular communication channel. REGISTRATION: · In-person. To be announced by Rice University · Zoom: https://bit.ly/3wjg759 Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection On May 8, 2024, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns posted a message on X welcoming students from China to study in the U.S. It is encouraging that the U.S. is welcoming Chinese students to come and study here again.However, marginalizing the secondary screening by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and related problems faced by the Chinese students at the border may inadvertently undermine the effort.Numbers can be misleading, depending on how they are used. There were about two dozen scientists and researchers prosecuted under the China Initiative. One may argue that it was a very small percentage of all the scientists and researchers in the U.S. (according to the National Science Foundation, there were 24 million employed as full-time scientists and engineers in 2019, https://bit.ly/3WxPIuM ). It is also true that the percentage is very small by that measure. But an issue is defined by how it is framed. The impact of the China Initiative can be very big from another perspective. When you look at the population of impacted persons under the China Initiative, those of Asian and particularly Chinese origin will stand out. The fair question to address the concerns at the border is: Among the students and scholars who faced secondary screening by CBP, what is the percentage of them being Asian or Chinese? How is their rejection rate compared with other groups of students and scholars? That may tell a different story.This observation was reported by U.S.-China Perception Monitor :2024/05/10 中美印象简报： 中国学生被关“小黑屋”是否被夸大 According to AP on April 13, 2024, far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that. Only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of close to 25,000 a decade ago. “We need young Americans to learn Mandarin. We need young Americans to have an experience of China,” Ambassador Burns said. Meanwhile, China is hosting American high school students under a plan Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled in November to welcome 50,000 in the next five years.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3WAUJTz C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024 Committee of 100’s ongoing effort to identify and monitor legislation that restricts property ownership by foreign governments, businesses, and people has been updated to cover the 2024 legislative session. It shows a continuing effort by state governments and Congress to limit the ability of such entities to own property in the U.S. As of April 25, 2024, · 151 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities have been considered by 32 states (115 bills) and Congress (36 bills). · Of the 151 total bills, 78 are under consideration that would prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning property. · Of the 151 total bills, 7 passed and were signed into law in Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska (2 bills), South Dakota, and Utah, respectively. · Of the 7 bills passed so far, 3 prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning some form of property: Indiana’s HB 1183, Nebraska’s LB 1301, and South Dakota’s HB 1231. C100 has also updated the interactive map to track legislative activities by state and Congress in 2024, especially those related to the People’s Republic of China. It also allow users to view legislation that has passed or is currently under consideration in 2023.Visit the C100 Alien Land Bill Tracker at https://bit.ly/3Hxta4B Two lawsuits have been filed against Florida's alien land law known as SB 264: · SHEN v. SIMPSON (4:23-cv-00208) , filed on March 22, 2023 · National Fair Housing Alliance, Inc. v. Secretary of Commerce (1:24-cv-21749) , filed on May 6, 2024 Trailblazing Asian American Legislators According to the New York Times on May 6, 2024, opposition from the Asian American community in Texas, including a former Republican lawmaker of Chinese descent, helped roll back some provisions in an alien land bill known as SB 147. That former state representative was Dr. Martha Wong, an iconic trailblazer in the Texas legislature. Dr. Wong, a native Houstonian, is a third generation Chinese American. She is the first Asian American elected to the Houston City Council (1994-2000) and the first Asian American woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives (2003-2007). She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and both a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Houston. She is 85 years old. On March 2, 2023, she testified in front of the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs on SB 147. "It's unusual for me to get up at 4:45 to get here and I see that I got here so late that I'm registered to be the last speaker," she remarked about her interest and importance of the matter. "The part regarding the security of our land is very important ... sometimes is that there are unintended consequences. The unintended consequences I think are what most people were speaking about today. The unintended consequences is causing many Asians to be discriminated against. It's not that the bill is discriminating, but it's that it's causing other people to be discriminating. I don't know how many of you know of which ethnicity I am - maybe only because of my name. I could be Korean, I could be Vietnamese, I could be Chinese, I could be Filipino."Watch Dr. Wong's testimony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMtMLubX_lY (14:06) Gene Wu was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012. Prior to being elected, he served as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where he sought justice for thousands of crime victims. He is currently an attorney in private practice. Rep. Wu has been the leading voice opposing not only alien land bills but also across the nation. "This is not just a Chinese problem this is not just a Russian problem or Iranian problem or North Korean problem this is a problem for every community that has been targeted," says State Representative Gene Wu. "Senate Bill 147 is unconstitutional and un-American, and it's bad for business I hope my colleagues will see the consequences on this bill and work with us to ensure that every single Texan has the opportunity to live their American dream."To read more about alien land bills and Rep. Wu's leadership role, visit https://www.apajustice.org/alien-land-bills.html . He also hosts a monthly town hall meeting. Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for his next meeting and how to attend.According to a blog by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Sam Park and his family immigrated from South Korea to Georgia in the early 1980s. That was made possible only after immigration quotas, which severely restricted immigration from Asian countries and date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, were abolished by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. He was raised by a single mother. By the power of the vote, Sam Park became the first Asian American Democrat elected to the Georgia Legislature in 2017. Since he was the only Asian American legislator serving in the Georgia Legislature, it was a lonely and challenging endeavor. Yet in knowing his history, Sam Park recognized that he stood on the shoulders of those who came before him and that he had a responsibility to continue the work of perfecting our union for all. He has learned that it is one thing to break a barrier, it is another matter to pave the way for others. Over the past eight years, Sam Parks has seen an increase in Asian American political participation, and more Asian Americans are running and getting elected to the Georgia Legislature, where it now has one of the largest Asian American legislative caucuses in the country. Read Rep. Park's blog: https://bit.ly/4dGfseJ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/05/22 Heritage, Culture, and Community: The Future of America's Chinatowns2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/06/06 A Dialogue Between Academic/AAPI Communities with The FBI2024/06/20-22 Social Equity Leadership Conference2024/06/27-30 2024 Chinese American Convention Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Did You Know? There were 10 charter members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) when it was formed 30 years ago in 1994: Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (Inaugural Chair), Rep. Patsy T. Mink , Del. Robert Underwood , Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi , Sen. Daniel Akaka , Sen. Patty Murray , Sen. Daniel Inouye , Rep. Neil Abercrombie , Rep. Robert Matsui , and Del. Eni Faleomavaega? Read the CAPAC press release: https://bit.ly/4ao5A6G 3. Sampling of AANHPI Heritage Month Activities and Articles 2024/05/16 Smithsonian Magazine: Explore Amazing Contributions Made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Four Smithsonian Stories 2024/05/16 The Dallas Morning News: Richardson’s Chinatown: The history, development and needs of an Asian American enclave 2024/05/16 South Seattle Emerald Opinion: The History and Heritage of Asian and Pacific Islander Communities Belong in Our Classrooms 2024/05/01 PBS: What to Watch | Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Library of Congress: Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month! Smithsonian: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Back View PDF May 20, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #301 1/6 Monthly Meeting; Honoring President Carter; 12/11 C100 Webinar; AAAS Updates; More #301 1/6 Monthly Meeting; Honoring President Carter; 12/11 C100 Webinar; AAAS Updates; More In This Issue #301 · 2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Honoring Former President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) · 2024/12/11 Webinar on Alien Land Bills · Updates from AAAS · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, January 6, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Dr. Kai Li , Vice President, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), invited and confirmed speakers are: · Congresswoman Judy Chu , Chair Emeritus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) (invited) · Judith Terayu , Executive Director, CAPAC · Sudip Parikh , Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals · Robert S. Chang , Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, University of California Irvine School of Law · Yawei Liu , Senior Advisor, China Focus, Carter Center 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 APAJustice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . ***** Dr. Yawei Liu , Senior Advisor, China Focus, Carter Center, has agreed to speak at the January 6 monthly meeting Yawei has ben involved with the Carter Center for over 25 years. He directs the Center’s China Focus Program. He is also chief editor of the Center’s U.S.-China Perception Monitor and China-America Stories websites. Yawei will give his tributes as we honor the legacies of former President Jimmy Carter and describe the China Focus Program and its activities. Honoring Former President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) President Joe Biden has declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning, ordering federal offices to close and flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days to honor former President Jimmy Carter 's legacy. Memorial Schedule: · January 4-7: President Carter's remains will lie in repose at the Carter Center in Atlanta, allowing the public to pay their respects. · January 7: A motorcade will transport his remains to Washington, D.C. · January 7-9: President Carter will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, providing an opportunity for national mourning. · January 9: A state funeral service is scheduled at the Washington National Cathedral, with President Joe Biden expected to deliver the eulogy. · Post-Funeral: Following the Washington service, President Carter's remains will return to Georgia for a private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, culminating in his interment at his home. Legacies of President Jimmy Carter His many legacies include: 1. Camp David Accords : President Carter brokered a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt in 1978. The Camp David Accords, signed on September 17, 1978, marked a groundbreaking achievement in Middle East diplomacy. Carter's tireless efforts brought Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat together for 13 days of intense negotiations at Camp David. The resulting treaty ended decades of conflict between Israel and Egypt, establishing a framework for peace that has endured for over four decades. 2. Human Rights Advocacy : President Carter emphasized human rights as a core aspect of U.S. foreign policy. His commitment to human rights marked a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy. He established the State Department's Human Rights Bureau and made human rights a central consideration in diplomatic relations. President Carter's advocacy helped raise awareness about human rights abuses worldwide. 3. Post-Presidency Humanitarian Work : President Carter's dedication to humanitarian causes has improved lives worldwide. Since leaving office, he has continued to work tirelessly on humanitarian initiatives through the Carter Center. Founded in 1982, the Center focuses on promoting democracy, human rights, and global health. Carter's efforts have helped eradicate diseases, promote fair elections, and support human rights defenders worldwide. His commitment to humanitarian work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. 4. Environmental Protection : President Carter's commitment to environmental protection led to significant legislative achievements. His administration prioritized environmental protection, resulting in landmark legislation including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the Superfund law. ANILCA protected millions of acres of wilderness, while the Superfund law enabled the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. His environmental policies set a precedent for future administrations. 5. Energy Policy : President Carter's administration developed a comprehensive national energy policy. In response to the 1970s energy crisis, his administration developed a comprehensive national energy policy to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, promote energy conservation, and develop alternative energy sources. Key initiatives included deregulating the energy industry, imposing fuel efficiency standards, and investing in renewable energy technologies. Carter's energy policy laid the groundwork for future efforts to address energy security and climate change. 6. Panama Canal Treaties : President Carter successfully negotiated the transfer of the Panama Canal from U.S. to Panamanian control. The Panama Canal Treaties, signed in 1977, provided for the transfer of ownership of the Panama Canal from the United States to Panama by the end of 1999. This diplomatic achievement demonstrated Carter's commitment to respecting the sovereignty of other nations and promoting peaceful cooperation. 7. Diplomatic Relations with China : President Carter established formal diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1979, ending decades of isolation. The breakthrough paved the way for expanded economic, cultural, and strategic cooperation between the two nations. 8. Carter Center's Election Monitoring : The Carter Center promotes democracy worldwide by monitoring elections and ensuring their integrity. The Carter Center has become a leading authority on election monitoring, promoting democratic elections and transparent governance worldwide. Since 1989, the Center has observed over 100 elections in more than 30 countries, helping to ensure the integrity of electoral processes and promoting peaceful transitions of power. 9. Habitat for Humanity : President Carter's partnership with Habitat for Humanity has helped provide affordable housing for countless individuals and families worldwide. Since 1984, he has worked with Habitat for Humanity to build and renovate homes for low-income families. His commitment to affordable housing has inspired countless volunteers and helped improve the lives of millions. 10. Moral Leadership : President Carter's commitment to moral leadership and his willingness to take unpopular stands have inspired generations. Throughout his career, his leadership style, guided by a strong sense of morality and justice, has inspired generations of leaders and citizens. His moral leadership has been recognized globally, earning him numerous awards and accolades. 11. Advancements in Healthcare : The Carter administration's healthcare initiatives, including the creation of the Department of Health and Human Services, improved healthcare access and quality. This reorganization streamlined healthcare policy and administration, improving access to healthcare services for millions of Americans. His administration expanded community health centers, increased funding for healthcare research. 12. Federal Government Reform : President Carter's efforts to reform the federal government, including the creation of the Department of Education and the Senior Executive Service, aimed to increase efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and promote accountability. Key initiatives included the creation of the Department of Education and the Senior Executive Service (SES). The SES reformed the federal government's personnel management system, providing more flexibility in hiring and promoting top executives. Additional Information President Carter is survived by his children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy ; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Married in 1946, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter 's enduring marriage and partnership have been a hallmark of their remarkable lives. They shared a lifelong commitment to public service, human rights, and humanitarian work. Their 77-year marriage came to a close with Rosalynn's passing on November 19, 2023, at the age of 96.President Carter is known to be a man of unwavering integrity, compassion, and humility. His strong Christian faith and rural Georgia upbringing have instilled in him a deep sense of morality, empathy, and responsibility. He has a quick wit and a gentle smile, exuding a quiet confidence and authenticity that has earned him the respect and admiration of people around the world. His home in Plains, Georgia, holds a special place in his heart. The modest, two-story house, built in 1961, has been the Carter family's residence since 1960. After leaving the White House in 1981, Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to Plains, where they continue to live part-time. The house is now part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.Members of the public are encouraged to visit the official tribute website to the life of President Carter at www.jimmycartertribute.org . This site includes the official online condolence book as well as print and visual biographical materials commemorating his life.The Carter family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Carter Center, 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307. 2024/12/11 Webinar on Alien Land Bills On December 12, 2024, the Committee of 100 and APA Justice co-hosted a webinar titled "From Past Prejudice to Present Policy: The Impact of Land Ownership Exclusion Laws on Diverse Communities." It focused on the resurgence of "alien land laws," historically discriminatory policies that are reemerging in state legislatures across the United States. The discussion covered whether the alien land laws properly address national security concerns or serve as a pretext that infringes upon civil rights and liberties under the guise of protection. The webinar marked the first joint event where APA Justice partnered as a member-driven, "powered by" affiliate with the Committee of 100. Cindy Tsai , Interim President of the Committee of 100, gave opening remarks and moderated the webinar. Panelists included · Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor at the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) · Ashley Gorski , Senior Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) · Gene Wu , Chair, Texas House Democratic Caucus; Member, Texas House of Representatives Congressman Ted Lieu , Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, gave summary remarks. Jeremy Wu , Founder and Co-Organizer of APA Justice and Member of the Committee of 100, gave closing remarks.Alien land laws are discriminatory policies that historically targeted specific immigrant groups, particularly Asian communities, by restricting their ability to own property. These laws were originally enacted to prevent Japanese immigrants from owning land, reflecting deep-seated racial prejudices of the time. The resurgence of such laws in recent years has raised significant concerns. Florida enacted a law banning non-resident Chinese nationals from purchasing property. The reintroduction of these laws is a stark reminder of how history can repeat itself if we are not proactive in safeguarding civil rights. These laws not only perpetuate racial discrimination but also violate constitutional protections against discrimination. Read more about the webinar and background: https://bit.ly/3CEWK9p . Watch the video of the webinar at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfjrVAZrjj8 (1:00:56).Professor Robert S. Chang , Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, University of California Irvine School of Law, will speak at the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025, to provide a basic description of a recent District Court preliminary injunction against two state laws that restricted foreign ownership of property and data centers in Arkansas.If you have been impacted by the alien land laws in your state or have a story to tell, please contact us at contact@apajustice.org . Updates from AAAS Dr. Sudip Parikh , Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals, will also speak at the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025. He last spoke at the September 2023 APA Justice monthly meeting, covering open science, basic research, and US-China collaboration when the renewal of the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement was delayed. Founded in 1848, AAAS was the first permanent organization established to promote the development of science and engineering at the national level and to represent the interests of all its disciplines.Sudip said in a recent AAAS statement, "at a time of tremendous scientific promise, scientific advances are critical to ensuring future prosperity and to solving problems that jeopardize the health of the planet and the wellbeing of people. But, as knowledge and expertise are increasingly called into question, our ability to seize this momentum is at risk. To maintain U.S. global competitiveness and put the world on positive footing, we must redouble our collective efforts to advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all. This means stepping out of silos to connect researchers with leaders across sectors, across the country, and across the globe. AAAS is uniquely positioned to lead the way. In our 176-year history, we have stood at the intersection of science across disciplines and public good. We have built essential relationships that have prepared us for this next era and the challenges and opportunities it will bring to our community." The 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting with the theme of "Science Shaping Tomorrow" is scheduled to take place from February 13 to 15, 2025, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Read more about the event at: https://bit.ly/3BQVi3y Sudip will update us about these and other AAAS activities and developments at the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 6, 2025. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/01/05 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/01/15 Master Class: Maintaining the Effectiveness of Organizational Equity Initiatives in the Current Environment2024/01/16 Master Classes: Asian American Career Lessons2025/01/19 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/13-15 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting2025/02/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. No 大年三十 This Year - Blame the Moon! January 29 will be New Year Day for the start of the Year of Snake, but there is no 大年三十 (da nian san shi) – the 30th day of the 12th lunar month. In fact, there will be no da nian san shi until February 2, 2030, when the Year of the Rooster makes way for the Year of the Dog. In the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the first day of each month begins with a new moon, where the moon is least visible to us. A full moon appears around the fifteenth day of each month, and the moon wanes as the month ends.On January 1, 2025, the South China Morning Post provided an explanation. Read https://bit.ly/4gTrthE As the moon’s orbit around Earth does not follow a perfect circle, the interval from one new moon to the next is not fixed. Instead, a lunar month ranges from around 29.27 days to 29.82 days, with an average length of 29.53 days. To correct for, and adjust to, the differences, the traditional Chinese calendar divides the year into “big months” lasting 30 days and “small months” lasting 29 days. The last lunar month is typically a big month, which is why the eve of Lunar New Year is referred to colloquially as “the 30th day of the big year” – da nian san shi. But having a shorter twelfth lunar month is not particularly rare – the month was also a small month in 2022, 2016, and 2013. What makes the coming one special is that it marks the first of five consecutive years to have the twelfth lunar month only lasting 29 days. This means that technically, according to the traditional Chinese calendar, there will be no Lunar New Year’s Eve again until 2030.Interestingly, because of the quirk in the lunisolar calendar, calculations suggest there will be two Lunar New Years in the year 2262.Blame The Moon! Now that we have that cleared away, let's start preparing the celebrations! # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF January 2, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #337 7/7 Monthly Meeting; Coalition Open Letter; Harvard Lawsuit; APA Museum Commission; + #337 7/7 Monthly Meeting; Coalition Open Letter; Harvard Lawsuit; APA Museum Commission; + In This Issue #337 · 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Coalition Open Letter to Marco Rubio on Revocation of Chinese Student Visas · Support of Harvard Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Cuts · National Asian Pacific American Museum Commission Sworn In · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/07/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, July 7, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Joanna YangQing Derman, Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed invited speakers are: · Lynn Pasquerella , President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), has accepted our invitation to speak at the meeting. On April 22, 2025, AAC&U issued a public statement calling for Constructive Engagement to address concerns of government overreach and political interference in higher education. Over 650 current leaders of colleges, universities, and scholarly societies have signed on to the statement. · Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Founder and President, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance, who recently obtained a nationwide temporary restraining order in Chen v. Noem (4:25-cv-03292) with possible additional legal actions defending the rights of international students from China. · Paul Cheung 鄭文耀 , President, Committee of 100. (See News and Activities for the Communities below for additional information) · Tony Chan 陳繁昌 , Former President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (2018-2024) and Former President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2009-2018). 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 . Coalition Open Letter to Marco Rubio on Revocation of Chinese Student Visas (Madeleine Gable, APA Justice Communications Intern, contributed to this report.)On June 16, 2025, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian American Scholar Forum, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) & Stop AAPI Hate announced a coalition letter representing 64 organizations was sent to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio . The letter calls for the halt of implementation of the May 28, 2025, policy announcement to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese international students, including in “critical fields”. The Secretary of State’s new planned visa policy, issued without meaningful clarity, hurts the safety and well-being of students, undermines our American values, and jeopardizes the nation’s academic, technological, and economic leadership.Read the coalition letter at https://bit.ly/4jQjjYr . APA Justice is a co-signer of the letter.Questions about how to support this action should reach out to Gisela Perez Kusakawa at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org , Joanna YangQing Derman at jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org , or Kenny Nguyen at knguyen@stopaapihate.org .Several media outlets, including Axios , Inside Higher Ed , Los Angeles Times , reported that President Donald Trump stated on social media that Chinese students would be welcome in the U.S. as part of a proposed trade deal with China involving rare earth mineral exports. Following two days of negotiations in London, the U.S. and China announced a tentative “framework” agreement on trade and export restrictions. However, there has been no official confirmation from either U.S. or Chinese authorities regarding any reversal of Secretary Rubio’s prior announcement. Amid ongoing policy uncertainty, confusion is growing at the university level, leaving many students in limbo. According to the Purdue Exponent , several Chinese graduate students at Purdue University had their applications denied after already receiving funding offers months prior. In February 2025, many prospective graduate students received emails offering them research assistantships in the STEM department of their choice. Three months later, at least 100 students received emails rescinding the offer, with the news that their applications had been denied.While initial offers serve as a departmental recommendation for both admission and funding, final approval rests with the Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars. By the time rejection emails were sent, many students had already declined other opportunities and were unable to apply elsewhere due to closed application cycles.This situation is particularly dire for international students, who must now secure another academic program or job within 90 days or face possible deportation. Among the affected applicants, at least 10 are Chinese nationals. Brantly McCord , a doctoral student in education and member of the university’s graduate labor organization, expressed concern about the apparent pattern, noting that the most troubling aspect is “the demographic of students who received this en masse.”Many students received only a brief rejection notice, while others received no explanation at all. Support of Harvard Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Cuts According to Forbes , Harvard Crimson , Higher Ed Dive and other media reports, 18 research colleges formally expressed their support of Harvard University’s legal challenge against the Trump administration for cutting or freezing roughly $2.8 billion of the institution’s grants and contracts. In a legal filing in the case of President and Fellows of Harvard College v. US Department of Health and Human Services (1:25-cv-11048) on June 6, 2025, the colleges requested to file an amicus brief in support of the Ivy League institution, even though the lawsuit only addresses the federal cuts facing Harvard. “Academic research is an interconnected enterprise,” the filing argued. “The elimination of funding at Harvard negatively impacts the entire ecosystem.”The request was granted and additional amicus briefs have been submitted since June 6 in support of the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment, including—but not limited to—the following: · Conference of Boston Teaching Hospital, Inc. · Columbia Alumni for Academic Freedom · Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression · Lauren G. Milgroom on behalf of 12,041 Harvard Alumni · Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee · A Jewish Voice for Peace · Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, The District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin · American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Massachusetts, Inc., Cato Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Rutherford Institute · American Council on Education and 27 other amici · Muslim Legal Fund of America · Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc. · Former U.S. Agency Officials · Jewish Scholars of Jewish Studies For up-to-date information on the Harvard lawsuit, read the CourtListener legal docket: https://bit.ly/4jVrJhk National Asian Pacific American Museum Commission Sworn In On June 12, 2025, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture held a ceremonial swearing-in of its congressionally appointed members at the Library of Congress, formally launching its mandated mission to assess the feasibility of establishing the first national museum dedicated to preserving Asian Pacific American history and culture. The Honorable Elaine L. Chao , former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, and the first Asian American woman appointed to a President’s Cabinet, led the event. Established by Public Law 117-140 (H.R. 3525) on June 13, 2022, the bipartisan Commission is charged with delivering a report to the President and Congress that will lay the foundation for the possible creation of a national museum. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Grace Meng introduced H.R. 3525. Over the coming months, the Commission will engage the Asian Pacific American community nationwide, consulting with leading experts and institutions, and assessing key considerations–including site locations in our nation’s capital, costs, and operations of the future museum. The bipartisan Commission includes eight members appointed by the Speaker and Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the U.S. Senate. The Commissioners, who were selected for their leadership in public service, museum development, and community engagement, include: · Dr. Jay Xu (California), Chair – Director Emeritus, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco · Chiling Tong (Maryland), Chair – President and CEO, National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship · Joanne Kwong (New York), Vice Chair – President, Pearl River Mart · Tina Wei Smith (Kentucky), Vice Chair – Former Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders · Dennis Cheng (New York) – Former Deputy Political Director, The White House · The Honorable Rodney Davis (Illinois) – Former U.S. Representative (IL-13) · Kevin D. Kim (New York) – Former Commissioner, New York City Department of Small Business Services · The Honorable Michelle Steel (California) – Former U.S. Representative (CA-45) The Commission also announced that Krystal Ka‘ai Hetherington will serve as its Executive Director. Ka‘ai Hetherington previously served as Executive Director of both the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Through listening sessions and convenings, the Commission will invite broad participation from the Asian Pacific American community to explore how a museum could best serve the nation. Commissioners will also consult with community leaders and experts, regional museums, academic institutions, historical societies, and cultural organizations to develop recommendations on establishing, funding, and maintaining a museum in the nation’s capital. The Commission’s work will conclude with the delivery of a final report to the President, Congress, and the American people outlining a plan for a future museum. Members of the public will be able to track updates from the Commission through its new website ( nationalapamuseum.org ) and on social media at @apamuseum. Read the announcement: https://bit.ly/44eNxQj Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit—independent of the Commission and the Smithsonian—formed to garner requisite authorization and to create the Museum. Handel Lee and Anne Chao serve as Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Board of Directors. Grace Y. Toh serves as Executive Director. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/06/15-18 2025 Applied Statistics Symposium2025/06/16-24 Discover China 2025: Summer Youth Exchange to the Greater Bay Area2025/06/28-30 2025 ICSA China Conference2025/06/29 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. C100 Names Paul Cheung President; Cindy Tsai Executive Vice President The Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit organization of prominent Chinese Americans, has announced the appointment of Paul Cheung as its new President, effective May 31, 2025. The organization also named Cindy Tsai , who served as Interim President during the transition, as the new Executive Vice President.Paul brings more than 25 years of expertise in media, technology innovation, philanthropy and nonprofit leadership to his work. Most recently, Paul served as the CEO for the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that spotlights the corrosive effects of inequality. Cindy Tsai, who has served as Interim President since June 2023, and General Counsel since joining the organization in September 2021, will now transition to the role of Executive Vice President. Read the Committee of 100 announcement: https://bit.ly/4l2mvkI . 3. AAJC Is Hiring Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC is hiring. It is looking for dedicated and passionate individuals for these positions: · Chief Operating Officer · Vice President, Human Resources · Assistant Director, Strategic Communications · Manager of Immigration Advocacy · Digital Engagement Associate · Technology, Telecommunications, and Media Policy Associate Visit https://bit.ly/43FJgoT for more information and send your resume and materials to HR@advancingjustice-aajc.org . # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF June 18, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #29 12/2 Webinar; "China Initiative" Reports And Statistics; 2020 Census #29 12/2 Webinar; "China Initiative" Reports And Statistics; 2020 Census Back View PDF November 19, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #274 Alien Land Laws; 08/05 Meeting Summary; US-China Agreement; Hate Incidents in NYC; + #274 Alien Land Laws; 08/05 Meeting Summary; US-China Agreement; Hate Incidents in NYC; + In This Issue #274 · Present and Historical Impacts of Alien Land laws · Summary of August 2024 Monthly Meeting Posted · FT : China-US Tensions Erode Co-operation on Science and Tech · Two Unsettling Anti-Asian Hate Incidents in NYC · News and Activities for the Communities Present and Historical Impacts of Alien Land laws According to NBC News on August 19, 2024, Wen Raiti , a long-time Republican and small business owner in Jacksonville, Florida, switched her party affiliation to Democrat after Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 264, which bans Chinese citizens from purchasing property in Florida. For Raiti, the law was the “last straw” after all the hostile rhetoric and scapegoating that Republicans have directed at Asian Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s in our Constitution to treat everyone with equality and justice so that everyone can live here without fear,” she said. “The Republican Party has abandoned these principles.” “This bill alone helped activate a lot of people in the Chinese American community who historically are not engaged with the government, especially the state government,” said state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando), who has been an outspoken critic of SB 264.The alien land law, which has angered the Chinese American community, has led to increased political engagement and voter mobilization among Chinese Americans, particularly in the lead-up to Florida's August 20 primary. The bill has been seen as discriminatory, drawing comparisons to historical anti-Asian land laws, and has pushed some conservatives to defect from the GOP.The Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) has been actively working to educate and mobilize voters, with many in the community now more involved in the electoral process. “After the law passed, we realized that Asian Americans really have no voice,” said Echo King , president of FAAJA, a nonprofit organization that was established last year to fight anti-Asian discrimination. “We’re contributing to this country, so why are we being targeted?” Legal experts compared SB 264 to century-old alien land laws that barred Asian Americans from owning land; Florida was one of the last states to repeal its law, in 2018. Chinese American conservatives have also been subjected to rampant anti-communism, or Red Scare tactics. In June, Bowen Kou , a Republican candidate in a state Senate race, sued Senate Republicans over attack ads that claimed he accepted contributions from Chinese donors linked to the Communist Party. In April, a federal appeals court heard a challenge to the law after four Chinese immigrants in Florida, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, sued the state last summer. Advocates say they are hoping for an injunction ruling. The Justice Department supported the Chinese plaintiffs in a filing last June.Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3yO5EzH On August 12, 2024, UCLA Professor Paul Ong and two co-authors at the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge published a paper titled "Lessons from California's Historical Alien Land Law: Racial Xenophobia and Homeownership." According to the paper, Florida enacted a controversial law known as SB 264 to prohibit foreigners from purchasing real estate, ostensibly for national security reasons. However, this legislation disproportionately targets individuals from Asian countries and risks creating a chilling effect on all Asians. Similar laws passed by other states echo this trend, unfortunately mirroring historical patterns of discrimination. The efforts, however, are not the first efforts targeting Asians. California and other states enacted alien land laws during the first half of the twentieth century. Rooted in deep-seated anti-Asian sentiments and hostilities, particularly directed at Japanese Americans, these laws combined a toxic blend of racism and xenophobia, further marginalizing Asians socially, politically, and economically. While instigated by the anti-Japanese movement, California’s law broadly applied to all aliens ineligible for citizenship -- a category exclusively encompassing Asians.A direct consequence of California’s law was an extremely low homeownership rate among Asians, far below that of other major racial and ethnic groups from 1910 to 1940. Ownership increased as some Asians found ways to circumvent the unfair law and as the number of U.S.-born Asians grew; nonetheless the rate remained significantly lower than that of non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Even after controlling for income, nativity and other factors, Asians were still several times less likely to own homes compared to NHW in 1940.While overt anti-Asian sentiment may be less intense today, Asian Americans continue to face discriminatory treatment, as evidenced by the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This animus often stems from the perception of Asians as perpetual foreigners, exacerbated by rising global tensions with Asian nations. While the current wave of alien land laws may not explicitly target Asians, they have the potential to harm Asian Americans by restricting property ownership rights and fueling anti-Asian rhetoric.Read the report: https://bit.ly/3AsgDzc Summary of August 2024 Monthly Meeting Posted The August 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at https://bit.ly/3AHFSO1 . We thank the following speakers for their reports and updates: · Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Casey Lee , Policy Director for CAPAC, provided an update on recent activities, thanking Professor Franklin Tao and his wife for participating in a press conference celebrating their recent victory. CAPAC remains committed to supporting Professor Franklin Tao’s reinstatement at the University of Kansas. Casey also highlighted CAPAC’s efforts to remove the China Initiative language from the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, which passed out of committee in July but was not considered by the full House before recess. CAPAC will collaborate with lawmakers and advocacy groups to ensure the provision is excluded from the final bill. · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC. Joanna voiced strong support for Casey's remarks and highlighted Advancing Justice | AAJC's efforts to oppose the reinstatement of the China Initiative, particularly focusing on language in the House's Commerce and Justice Appropriations report. Fortunately, the Senate version lacks this language, offering hope for a positive outcome in conference discussions. AAJC is closely collaborating with CAPAC and other allies to monitor developments. They are also tracking the Department of Treasury’s proposed rulemaking related to CFIUS and may submit comments to ensure protections against national origin discrimination. Additionally, AAJC is coordinating with coalition partners to align their advocacy efforts and recently held a press briefing celebrating Professor Tao’s legal victory. Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF). Gisela reported that AASF has been actively working with allies on policy impacts while fostering community engagement. The inaugural Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony, held in partnership with Stanford University's Asian American Activity Center, was a resounding success, drawing over 1,300 attendees. The event featured prominent figures in AI, life sciences, and leadership, including Nobel and Turing Award laureates, with participation from industry leaders and academic figures like Stanford University President John Levin. The symposium highlighted the contributions of Asian Americans, aligning with AASF's broader civil rights efforts. AASF's high school competition, which encouraged students to create videos about medal recipients, further promoted understanding of Asian American history. AASF remains committed to supporting Dr. Franklin Tao and continues to collaborate with civil rights partners to ensure Asian American perspectives are represented in federal policymaking. Membership is now open to all scholars who support AASF's mission. Anne S. Chao , Co-founder, Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum; Program Manager, Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA), Rice University. Anne S. Chao co-founded HAAA, recognizing the lack of records documenting Asian American lives in one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. Over the past 15 years, HAAA has grown to include around 500 interviews, various awards, performances, and exhibits, capturing the multifaceted lives of Asian Americans in the Greater Houston area. The archive includes interviews with notable figures such as Judge Theresa Chang, astronaut Leroy Chiao, and renowned physicist Paul Chu, among others. Anne shared the story of the Gee family's contributions to Houston, with plans for a book and curriculum on their legacy. On the national level, Anne highlighted the need for an Asian Pacific American Museum on the National Mall, noting the absence of such a museum despite existing museums for African Americans, Latinos, and women. Although Congress passed H.R. 3525 in 2021 to study the feasibility of creating an Asian Pacific American Museum, the commission cannot start work until all eight commissioner positions are filled. To advance this effort, Anne co-founded the Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Museum, aiming to mobilize support, fundraising, and coordination to fast-track the museum's establishment. The organization is engaging museum experts and academics nationwide to contribute to the museum's development. · Franklin Tao 陶丰 , former Professor of Kansas University, Victim of China Initiative; Hong Peng 彭鸿 , Wife of Professor Tao. Professor Tao shared an emotional account of his five-year ordeal, beginning with his arrest under the China Initiative in 2019, based on false accusations. Despite being acquitted of all charges by the 10th Circuit Court, the experience has devastated his life and career, costing him nearly everything, including his position at Kansas University (KU), which terminated him in breach of an agreement. Tao and his wife, Hong Peng, faced immense financial and emotional strain, borrowing heavily and nearly going bankrupt, while Hong worked multiple jobs to support their family. Their children also suffered, with trauma from FBI surveillance and the overall impact of the situation. In the past few years while he was fighting his case, Professor Tao published 30 papers and retained the capability of working as a faculty member. Hong Peng echoed her husband’s account, detailing the intense hardship they endured, including the toll on their children's mental health. She worked tirelessly to keep the family afloat, all while watching Franklin struggle with depression. The family's suffering was compounded by the immense legal and financial burdens they carried. Despite the challenges, justice was ultimately served with Franklin's acquittal, and they remain hopeful that KU will reinstate him, allowing them to rebuild their lives. Both Franklin and Hong expressed deep gratitude for the support they received from their community, legal team, and various organizations, which played a crucial role in achieving this victory. · Ron Barrett-Gonzalez , Committee A Co-Chair, Kansas Conference of the American Association of University Professors (KCAAUP); and Rob Catlett , Committee A C-Chair, KCAAUP. The AAUP is a state-wide body representing over 400 faculty members from various higher education institutions across Kansas. The Conference, led by volunteer officers, addresses issues such as due process denial, governance, and tenure disputes. Recently, Kansas University (KU) Professor Ron Barrett-Gonzalez and Emporia State University Professor Rob Catlett met with a KU administrator to advocate for the reinstatement of Dr. Franklin Tao. Ron and Rob approached the meeting with a strategy focused on persuading the KU administration to reinstate Dr. Tao quietly but effectively, emphasizing the ethical and legal imperative to correct this wrong. They outlined a plan to reinstate Dr. Tao during a time when national attention would be elsewhere, offering KU an opportunity to rectify the situation without significant public backlash. The administrator seemed receptive, taking detailed notes and promising a response by August 19. If KU does not act, the newly formed KU Faculty Union, supported by 87% of voters, could escalate the issue, potentially turning it into a rallying cause, attracting media attention, and strengthening the union's influence. Ron and Rob remain hopeful, given their past successes with the same administrator, that justice will prevail, and Dr. Tao will be reinstated. Read the August APA Justice monthly meeting summary: https://bit.ly/3AHFSO1 . Read previous monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP FT : China-US Tensions Erode Co-operation on Science and Tech According to the Financial Times on August 19, 2024, rising tensions between the US and China threaten to sever a 45-year-old science and technology pact due for renewal later this month, hindering the superpowers’ collaboration in critical areas. The science and technology agreement between the U.S. and China, originally signed in 1979, has been a significant framework for bilateral cooperation in various fields like energy, agriculture, and disaster management. However, renewing this agreement has become increasingly difficult due to escalating geopolitical tensions, including U.S. concerns over China's access to sensitive technologies and issues related to intellectual property and espionage. Although researchers advocate for continued collaboration in areas like climate change and AI safety, the strained political climate, especially in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election, complicates the prospects of a long-term extension. The potential cancellation of the accord could have a chilling effect on future joint research projects and academic collaborations, underscoring the importance of maintaining ties between researchers to address global challenges.The agreement expired in August 2023. It has been extended temporarily for six months twice. The current extension expires on August 27, 2024.Read the Financial Times report: https://on.ft.com/4dR8Tp4 . Two Unsettling Anti-Asian Hate Incidents in NYC Two unsettling incidents involving racially motivated attacks against Asian Americans occurred in New York City in recent months, highlighting concerns about racism, bigotry, and anti-Asian hate, as well as the work to fight against them still has a long way to go. Shiva Rajgopal , an Indian descent and Kester and Byrnes Professor at Columbia Business School, published a post on his LinkedIn account, sharing the disturbing attack that he suffered on August 19, 2024.“Completely unprovoked, a well toned white male with a red mountain bike slaps me on the face on 112th and Broadway. My glasses go flying. Then he goes on to hurl racial epithets:‘ you think I am afraid of you lot. You f..ing Indians.’ Another white person comes to my rescue. And I just ran like hell,” wrote Rajgopal.Rajgopal was rattled by what he had experienced. He said this was the first time that he had suffered explicit racial abuse in his 32 years in the United States. “No wonder so many of my colleagues are leaving the upper west side of New York City for the suburbs,” Rajgopal concluded.In a separate case, Ben Chang , a Columbia University spokesperson and vice president for communications, was assaulted near campus by a man who struck him with a metal water bottle and yelled xenophobic remarks. Despite attempting to avoid the confrontation, Chang was pursued by the attacker until he managed to alert a public safety officer. Chang, who was born and raised in the U.S., found the experience jarring and emphasized the importance of reporting such attacks to prevent them in the future. These incidents reflect continuing concerns about anti-Asian racial tensions and violence in New York City. Amid the pandemic and its aftermath, a number of high-profile, unsettled, anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents happened in New York City. It is unclear what motivated the attacker to assault Rajgopal. It is worthwhile to note that Indian Americans have risen quickly in the nation’s political arena. Democratic party's presidential nominee, Kamala Harris , has a mother of Indian descent. And Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance ’s wife Usha Vance is also an Indian American. Juan Zhang , editor at US-China Perception Monitor, contributed this report. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/09/01 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/09/19 1990 Teachers Workshop: Asian American Identity2024/09/19-20 AANHPI Unity Summit2024/1002 C100: Asian American Career Ceiling Initiative2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly MeetingThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. New Research Prize: Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research The Chen Institute and Science launched the "Chen Institute and Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research" in August 2024. This initiative aims to drive advancements in artificial intelligence that can expand scientific research. Young scientists from around the world are invited to submit AI-driven projects that demonstrate significant potential to improve research and lives. The competition will award a Grand Prize of $30,000, with the winner's essay published in Science and an accompanying five-year AAAS membership. Additionally, up to two runners-up will receive $10,000 each, with their essays published on Science Online and the same membership benefits, promoting sustained engagement with scientific progress.Deadline for application is December 13, 2024. For more information and apply for the prize, visit https://bit.ly/3WRwDCB Back View PDF August 22, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter