Newsletter - #186: 6/5 Meeting; Alien Land Bills Update; Xiaoxing Xi v FBI; "NIH China Initiative"; News+ #186: 6/5 Meeting; Alien Land Bills Update; Xiaoxing Xi v FBI; "NIH China Initiative"; News+ In This Issue #186 2023/06/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills Warrantless Surveillance - Professor Xiaoxing Xi's Lawsuit vs FBI Moves Forward The Other "China Initiative" at The National Institutes of Health News and Events for the Communities 2023/06/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, June 5, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), speakers include: Elizabeth Goitein , Senior Director, Liberty & National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, on Warrantless Surveillance - Reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance 华美维权同盟, with updates on Civil Lawsuit Against Florida Alien Land Law, with comments by Ashley Gorski , Senior Staff Attorney, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Bethany Li , Legal Director, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALEDF) (invited) Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans, with updates on Alien Land Bills and comments by Gene Wu 吳元之 , Member of the Texas House of Representatives. The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Latest on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills 1. Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act Introduced On May 25, 2023, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and CAPAC Housing Task Force Chair Representative Al Green (TX-09) introduced House Bill 3697 the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act . According to the CAPAC announcement , the legislation would preempt at the federal level state laws, like Florida’s S.B. 264, that prohibit or otherwise restrict the purchase of real property of an individual based on their country of citizenship, and tasks the Attorney General and Department of Justice with enforcement.Many states, driven by concerns about national security or commercial influence, have laws that place restrictions on the acquisition or possession of real property by foreign governments or entities. However, a recent law passed in Florida and legislation introduced elsewhere, including Texas and South Carolina, contain flat prohibitions on the purchase or acquisition of real property by the individual citizens of foreign nations. Often, the individuals targeted by these laws are citizens of Russia, North Korea, Iran, and the People’s Republic of China.Laws like Florida’s S.B. 264 are not unique to the present-day. In the 19th century, certain Americans feared that a growing population of Chinese immigrants would steal American jobs, land, and resources. This xenophobia led to the bans of Chinese individuals from land and property ownership in multiple state constitutions, and eventually to the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This federal law did not just prevent Chinese individuals from coming to the United States, but also forced Chinese Americans at home to carry papers with them at all times. Just a few decades later, during World War II, lawmakers shifted the target to Japanese immigrants, who were also subjected to exclusionary alien land laws in different states and were incarcerated due to alleged—and never proven—disloyalty.“We cannot repeat these shameful chapters of our past,” concluded Chair Chu. “That is why Congressman Green and I are introducing the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act, so that state laws that discriminate against individuals based on their citizenship and encourage racial profiling will be preempted at the federal level. We must ensure that we allow everyone here a fair shot at building a life and achieving their American dream.” According to CAPAC, at least 28 organizations have endorsed the legislation so far, including APA Justice. Federal Preemption: A Legal Primer. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service on May 18, 2023, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause provides that federal law is “the supreme Law of the Land” notwithstanding any state law to the contrary. This language is the foundation for the doctrine of federal preemption, according to which federal law supersedes conflicting state laws. The Supreme Court has identified two general ways in which federal law can preempt state law. First, federal law can expressly preempt state law when a federal statute or regulation contains explicit preemptive language. Second, federal law can impliedly preempt state law when Congress’s preemptive intent is implicit in the relevant federal law’s structure and purpose. 2. APA Justice Updates Its Tracking of State Alien Land Bills and Laws As of May 28, 2023, APA Justice has identified 33 states to have introduced some form of alien land bills during its current or recent legislative session. Nine states - Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia - have enacted them into laws. Oklahoma sent its bill to the governor for signature on May 22, 2023.Nine other states are still in active legislative session although most states have the option of calling special sessions. At this time, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York have showed limited movement with their respective bills. The remaining five states are: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina (in special session).In addition to its own research, APA Justice collects, integrates, and updates the tracking information from multiple sources. The updated map and tracking file by state are posted here: https://bit.ly/3oo5zxF . The crowdsourcing methodology is explained here: https://bit.ly/43cSRRt . Readers are encouraged to send their questions, comments, and local updates to contact@apajustice.org . 3. Oklahoma Passes and Sends Senate Bill 212 to Governor According to LegiScan and the Oklahoma Senate , Oklahoma Senate Bill 212 was passed and sent to the Oklahoma Governor for signature on May 22, 2023. No alien or any person who is not a U.S. citizen may directly or indirectly, through a business entity or trust, own land in Oklahoma unless otherwise authorized by current law. The measure requires any deed recorded with a county clerk to include an affidavit executed by the person or entity coming into title attesting that the person, business entity, or trust is lawfully obtaining the land and that no funding source is being used in the sale or transfer in violation of any states’ laws or federal law. The bill further requires an affidavit before a county clerk may record any deed. The attorney general would create a separate affidavit for individuals and for business entities or trusts to comply with this legislation. Businesses engaged in regulated interstate commerce in accordance with federal law would be exempt from this prohibition. 4. Missouri 2023 Legislative Session Ended Without Passing Alien Land Bills Missouri's 2023 legislative session ended on May 12, 2023, without passing any of the eight known alien land and property bills. According to the Kansas City Star on May 19, 2023, most big GOP priorities, including on agriculture, were blocked by filibusters and Republican infighting in the state Senate. Lawmakers are expected to try again early next year. 5. With New “Alien Land Laws” Asian Immigrants Are Once Again Targeted by Real Estate Bans According to Just Security on May 26, 2023, in Congress and in statehouses throughout the United States, lawmakers continue to introduce legislation designed to bar citizens of foreign adversaries from being able to purchase real property. Ostensibly aimed at preventing a short list of enemy governments from controlling the American food supply or spying on military facilities, these laws’ most cited rationale is fear of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence on American soil. Sponsors argue that such legislation would safeguard agricultural land, defense, and critical infrastructure from malign foreign influence. However, much of the legislation introduced so far extends well beyond this ambit, restricting even those with no discernable ties to the CCP or other organs of Chinese state power.These bills – which are opposed by groups including the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association - raise significant concerns regarding the balancing of national security equities against civil liberties, federal preemption grounds, and present a host of unintended consequences with the potential to harm the economies of affected states. Opponents of these bills have described such legislation as a revival of unconstitutional anti-Asian land laws — a class of law once called “alien land laws” — and an ongoing threat to the civil rights of all Asian Americans, regardless of ethnic background.Read the Just Security report: https://bit.ly/3OIpwd2 Warrantless Surveillance - Professor Xiaoxing Xi's Lawsuit vs FBI Moves Forward According to multiple media reports including AsAmNews , NBC News , Philadelphia Inquirer , and 星島日報 , Temple University Xiaoxing Xi -- a naturalized U.S. citizen and world-renowned expert in the field of superconductivity -- who was falsely accused of spying for China, will be able to bring a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). A federal appeals court ruled in favor of Xi, allowing the physicist to move forward with his case against the U.S. government for wrongful prosecution and violating his family’s constitutional rights by engaging in unlawful search, seizure and surveillance. In their 37-page ruling, the Third Circuit judges disagreed with a lower court judge who dismissed the original case, citing legal protections shielding government employees from many types of civil suits. They maintained that while those protections give investigators wide latitude to conduct their work without second guessing by the courts, it did not give them free rein to investigate, search, and prosecute people without probable cause.“I’m very, very glad that we can finally put the government under oath to explain why they decided to do what they did, violating our constitutional rights,” Professor Xi said in an exclusive interview with NBC News . “We finally have an opportunity to hold them accountable.” The case will now be kicked back to the district court, continuing a long legal battle. Xi, who’s represented in part by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), attempted to bring a suit against the government in 2017, alleging that FBI agents “made knowingly or recklessly false statements” to support their investigation and prosecution. Xi also claimed that his arrest was discriminatory, and that he was targeted due to his ethnicity, much like other scholars of Chinese descent. A district court dismissed his case in 2021, but Xi appealed the decision last year. With the recent decision, Xi said he hopes more Asian Americans will become more activated and hold those in power accountable. “For Chinese, it used to be that people try to keep quiet and just move on with their life and just don’t do anything, don’t say anything. But now I can see that more and more people are willing to speak up,” Xi said. “I hope what I have been doing has, in some way, encouraged people to do that and of course take legal action against the government — that’s another big step on top of speaking up.” According to a press release by ACLU on May 24, 2022, the Xi family will ask the court to award damages against the U.S. government and to hold that the FBI violated the family’s constitutional rights against illegal searches and surveillance. As the complaint explains, the government used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to spy on Professor Xi without a warrant — in direct violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.Read the Xiaoxing Xi story: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Xiaoxing_Xi The Other "China Initiative" at The National Institutes of Health In March 2023, Science published an investigative report by Jeffrey Mervis that not only chronicled five cases of individuals, mostly Chinese or of Chinese descent, whose research careers were disrupted or ended by personnel actions taken by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), but also provided an account of NIH's secretive and widespread "China Initiative" that was conducted in parallel to the Department of Justice's "China Initiative." On May 25, 2023, Science published an open letter titled " US 'China initiatives' promote racial bias ." The 15 authors represent thousands of members of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, the Asian American Scholar Forum, the Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network, and the Chinese Biological Investigators Society. "Hundreds of Chinese American scholars’ lives and careers have been disrupted or ruined, the letter said. "Both scientists and nonscientists in the United States must remain vigilant to ensure that history does not repeat itself.""Tensions between the United States and China are likely to increase, but Chinese Americans should not be treated as collateral damage. Systems that promote bigotry against individuals of any ethnic background should not be tolerated and have no place within the US government. The United States, as a leader in science and technology, must adhere to the principles that foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and equity. This focus will help attract the best and brightest talents from abroad, including China. The NIH policies described in the News story have negatively affected Asian Americans and eroded U.S. leadership in science and technology."It was not coincidence that Michael Lauer , the NIH official most closely associated with the NIH "China Initiative," invited Science Editor-in-Chief Holden Thorp to visit him after Thorp's editorial on "Eroding Trust and Collaboration" and Mervis' report came out in March. In his editorial on May 25, 2023 , Thorp described his off-the-record session with Lauer that was followed by an on-the-record interview and a letter by Lauer and his colleague Patricia Valdez . Lauer's sudden openness is encouraging, but it is too little and too late for those who have already been ruined or adversely impacted. They have yet to be heard. We heard the story of Li Wang in Mervis's report. Within a week of receiving an email from Lauer on November 6, 2018, University of Connecticut (UConn) officials had removed Wang -- a tenured professor of physiology and neurobiology -- from her NIH grant and denied her access to the mice she used to study liver metabolism.But UConn senior administrators soon decided NIH’s claims that Wang held a position at Wenzhou Medical University and had received a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China did not hold up. “There is sufficient evidence to show that Dr. Wang is not formally affiliated” with Wenzhou, UConn’s then–vice president for research, Radenka Maric , wrote Lauer on November 21, and that the grant “was in fact awarded to a different Li Wang.” Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Mervis reported that Lauer was not willing to accept those results. Instead Lauer suggested UConn officials to contact the FBI. There was no parallel criminal action by the Department of Justice in this case to tie Lauer's hands. Wang was forced to resign on September 19, 2019. She was lucky to find another way to fight back: A collective bargaining agreement gives UConn faculty the right to seek outside, binding arbitration in employment disputes. The quasi-judicial process, which includes testimony from both sides, was conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and in November 2021 its arbitrator ruled in Wang’s favor. In a 56-page decision, AAA ordered UConn to pay Wang $1.4 million in compensation for being suspended and terminated “without just cause.”Wang declined to speak with Science , and her lawyer said a nondisclosure agreement prevents him or Wang from discussing the case. Was Li Wang counted by Lauer as a success statistic of the "NIH China Initiative?" How many Li Wangs are involved in the "NIH China Initiative?" How many of them cannot speak up and tell their stories because of nondisclosure agreements and fear of further damage? Independent reviews and reforms to present policies and practices are needed to provide realistic assurance and prevent future recurrence. The nomination of a new NIH Director is an opportunity to have a fresh start and restore the lost trust and credibility in NIH for the good of U.S. leadership in science and technology. So is a possible congressional directed study by the National Academy of Public Administration. NAPA Issues 2022 Annual Congressional Report On May 22, 2023, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) released its 2022 Annual Congressional Report. NAPA is an independent, nonprofit, and non-partisan organization established in 1967 and chartered by Congress in 1984. NAPA President and CEO, Terry Gerton , talked about some of the report's highlights in a video, highlighted by the NAPA vision for a just, fair, inclusive government that strengthens communities and protects democracy. NAPA offers the public administration expertise of nearly 1,000 Academy Fellows — including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, career public administrators, and nonprofit and business executives — in producing independent research, trusted thought leadership, and strategic advice to government leaders at all levels. Social equity including increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility across government is a major focus and serves as the Academy's top strategic goal. NAPA also strives to increase intergovernmental collaboration, expand agile government practices, and grow philanthropic support for its work. Read the 2022 NAPA Annual Congressional Report: https://bit.ly/3OBi6s0 . Watch the video: https://bit.ly/3MzFmUE (3:38). News and Events for the Communities 1. Columbus Asian Festival and Distribution of Yellow Whistles The Columbus Asian Festival kicked off with a Dragon Boat Race in Columbus Downtown's Bicentennial Park on May 21, 2023. Twenty teams competed for the winner’s trophy. Each team had twenty people. There were performances at the park's amphitheater. About 2,000 people were at the opening event. Vincent Wang , Co-Organizer of APA Justice and Chair of both Asian American Coalition of Ohio and Ohio Chinese American Association, is an organizer of the festival. There was also a tent at the festival to distribute yellow whistles and register voters. The Columbus Asian Festival is arguably the largest in the nation, drawing 150,000 over the Memorial Day weekend every year. The in-person event was cancelled for three years due to COVID. Additional pictures of the opening event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZCg9bE4gUmLJLtjs7 2. Meet Ming-Tung “Mike” Lee - Newly Appointed President of Sonoma State University On May 24, 2023, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees appointed Ming-Tung “Mike" Lee to serve as president of Sonoma State University. Lee has served as the university's interim president since August 2022. Lee joined Sonoma State in 2022 after a long and distinguished career at Sacramento State where he led university divisions on different occasions. Lee earned a bachelor's degree in literature from Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan, and a master's degree in international commerce and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Kentucky. Read the CSU announcement: https://bit.ly/424gTga 3. Meet Helen Xia - One Woman Fought Bigotry and Helped Change the Way Asian Americans See Themselves According to the Los Angeles Times on May 24, 2023, Helen Zia 谢汉兰 -- journalist, writer, activist -- fought with her father to go to college. She went on to become one of the first women to graduate from Princeton in 1973. While there, she successfully lobbied to start an Asian American Students Association. A few years later, she demanded that authorities in Detroit handle the slaying of a Chinese American man, Vincent Chin , as a hate crime. Later, her books and articles would showcase the violence and discrimination faced by Asian Americans. “Where we are today,” she continued, “is a consequence of so many things that we, some of us, have been predicting for some time.” Among those changes is the growing numbers of people of color, which some members of society find threatening. To Helen, the important thing is her work, not herself. “I’m an example of speaking up,” she said. “Never a role model.” In January 2002, she co-authored with Wen Ho Lee My Country Versus Me, which reveals Lee's experiences as a Los Alamos scientist who was falsely accused of being a spy for the People's Republic of China in the "worst case since the Rosenbergs." Read the Los Angeles Times report: https://lat.ms/42bQXio and visit her personal website . 4. Meet Joe, Mathias, and Stephenson - Asian Americans in Major League Baseball On May 23, 2023, MLB.com reported that on April 21, 2023, Connor Joe , Mark Mathias and Robert Stephenson combined to, in the words of Mathias, “put on for the community.” Joe, who identifies as Chinese American, reached base four times and scored twice. Mathias, who also identifies as Chinese American, recorded a two-run single. Stephenson, who identifies as Filipino American, pitched a scoreless seventh inning, recording his third hold. On this night, three Asian American men donning the black and gold played roles in a 4-2 Pirates win -- a win that served as a testament to the increasing influence of Asian Americans not just in baseball, but sports as a whole. Joe, Mathias and Stephenson are among the many Asian Americans who have played in the Majors this season, a list that includes names such as Christian Yelich , Lars Nootbaar , Anthony Volpe , Travis d’Arnaud , Kolten Wong and Steven Kwan . The presence of Asian Americans in Major League Baseball dates back to 1956, when Bobby Balcena (Filipino American) became the first Asian American to play in the league. In 1983, Lenn Sakata (Japanese American), became the first Asian American to participate in -- and win -- a World Series. In 2008, Don Wakamatsu became MLB’s first Asian American manager. Dave Roberts and Travis Ishikawa (Japanese American) orchestrated two of the millennium’s most memorable postseason moments. Read the MLB.com report: https://atmlb.com/429j1mG Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF May 29, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #382 UCLA Research; CAPAC; Perpetual Foreigner; US Universities Retreat; Science on Science #382 UCLA Research; CAPAC; Perpetual Foreigner; US Universities Retreat; Science on Science In This Issue #382 · UCLA Research Series: The Human Cost of Trump's Mass Deportation Drive · 03/10 CAPAC, Minnesota Leaders and Organizations Virtual Press Conference · 03/25 Webinar: The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype · SCMP : As U.S. Universities Retreat from China, Others Step In · Science : National Science Foundation and NIST · News and Activities for the Communities UCLA Research Series: The Human Cost of Trump's Mass Deportation Drive Over the past several months, the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge has released a series of three data-driven reports documenting the dramatic escalation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement under the Trump administration. Drawing on ICE administrative records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the reports paint a sobering picture of who is actually being targeted — and what it means for communities of color across the country. Report 1 (October 2025): Latino ICE Arrests Surge Under Trump The first report found that during President Trump's first 100 days, Latino arrests by ICE averaged 558 per day — more than double the rate under the Biden administration. Arrests surged further after White House adviser Stephen Miller directed ICE to make 3,000 arrests per day, peaking at a 253% year-over-year increase in June 2025. One of the most significant shifts was the dramatic rise in community arrests — occurring at worksites, schools, and public spaces — which grew by 255% and comprised 42% of all Trump-era arrests, up from 27% under Biden. Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans accounted for the largest shares, while Venezuelan arrests surged 361%. Notably, the data show that arrest rates were not tied to local crime levels, but instead appeared shaped by political alignment and the size of Latino noncitizen populations. Read the report on Latino ICE Arrests Surge Under Trump: https://bit.ly/UCLA_ICESeries1 Report 2 (December 2025): Asian ICE Removals Under Trump The second report examined the impact on Asian communities, finding that the number of Asians removed by ICE was one and a half times higher during the first six months of the Trump administration than the same period under Biden, rising steadily from over 400 per month in February 2025 to over 700 by July 2025. Over two-thirds of those removed came from India and China, with Vietnamese and Nepali removals surging twelvefold and tenfold, respectively. Non-criminals continued to make up 74% of Asian removals. More troubling still, the administration increasingly targeted ex-convicts who had long since served their sentences and reintegrated into their communities — the median time between conviction and deportation jumped from 2.5 years under Biden to 5.5 years under Trump, and removals of those convicted a decade or more ago increased sixfold. Read the report on Asian ICE Removals: https://bit.ly/UCLA_ICESeries2 Report 3 (January 2026): Latino ICE Detentions Dramatically Reshaped Under Trump The third report shifted focus to what happens after arrest. The number of noncriminal Latino detainees entering ICE custody each month increased sixfold during the first eight months of the Trump administration — from an average of 900 per month under Biden to about 6,000, peaking at nearly 10,500 in September 2025. Nearly three quarters of all immigrants detained had never been convicted of a criminal offense, directly contradicting the administration's claim that enforcement targets "the worst of the worst." Conditions worsened considerably: the median length of detention rose from one to three days under Biden to over 25 days under Trump, and 55% of noncriminal Latino detainees were transferred out of state — up from 18% — in some cases to obstruct access to legal support. Only 9% of noncriminal Latino detainees were released back into their communities under Trump, compared to 42% under Biden, while 88% were deported. Read the report on Latino ICE Detentions Dramatically Reshaped Under Trump: https://bit.ly/UCLA_ICESeries3 . The Bigger Picture Taken together, the three reports document a systematic escalation that goes far beyond targeting criminals or recent arrivals. The researchers warn that enforcement has created four overlapping harms: direct hardship for those detained, financial and emotional devastation for their families, widespread fear that discourages Latino and AAPI community members from going to work, school, or medical appointments, and broader damage to the U.S. economy through the loss of immigrant labor. For the AAPI community specifically, the data show that enforcement has already swept up hundreds of Korean workers, Vietnamese families, Chinese nationals, and others — and there is no sign of it slowing down. Sources: UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, in collaboration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, using ICE data from UC Berkeley School of Law's Deportation Data Project. 03/10 CAPAC, Minnesota Leaders and Organizations Virtual Press Conference WHAT : CAPAC, Minnesota Leaders and Organizations Highlight Impact of Trump’s Immigration Policies on Asian Communities WHEN : Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 4:00 pm ET WHERE : Virtual Press Conference HOSTS : · U.S. Representative Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Minnesota State Asian Pacific Caucus · Minnesota-based community organizations Speakers: · Rep. Grace Meng , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Minnesota State Representative Liz Lee , Secretary of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL) · Minnesota State Representative Ethan Cha , Chair of the MN Asian Pacific Caucus · Xay Yang , Executive Director of Transforming Generations · Kaziah Josiah , Executive Director of Urban Village · Quyen Đình , Executive Director of Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) · Chhaya Chhoum , Executive Director of Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN) · Along with other organizations DESCRIPTION : This is a virtual press conference to highlight the devastating impacts of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies on Asian communities. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/3P2gt96 03/25 Webinar: The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype WHAT : The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype: New Data on Asian American Experiences WHEN : March 25, 2026, 2:00-3:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOSTS: Committee of 100, NORC at University of Chicago Speakers: · Teresa Hsu , PhD, Founder and Executive Director of SPEAK (Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans & Kins) · Vivien Leung , PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Santa Clara · Katie Soo , Trustee of the Asia Society Global Board of Trustees and Board Chair of Asia Society Southern California DESCRIPTION : This webinar is a conversation highlighting new findings from the second report in the 2025 State of Chinese Americans survey four-part series, examining how the assumption of foreignness shapes experiences of belonging for Chinese Americans and broader Asian American communities. The data reveals a troubling pattern: U.S.-born Asian Americans continue to be viewed as perpetual outsiders, facing race-based discrimination and questioning of their belonging at higher rates than any other racial group in the nation. For those who regularly encounter these assumptions, feelings of exclusion nearly triple, and psychological distress is almost twice as high. This stereotype can lead to dampened political engagement, and thus, decreased responsiveness from policymakers to Asian American community needs. Our panelists will explore what these findings and what can be done: REGISTRATION: https://www.committee100.org/events/perpetual-foreigner-stereotype/ SCMP : As U.S. Universities Retreat from China, Others Step In What began in 1978 with a small delegation of Shanghai professors visiting American universities — a trip personally approved by Deng Xiaoping 邓小平 — grew into decades of landmark U.S.-China academic partnerships. Today, that era is quietly coming to an end. On March 8, 2026, The South China Morning Post reports that elite Sino-American joint ventures are collapsing under the weight of geopolitical pressure, with casualties including the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University joint institute, the Georgia Tech-Shenzhen Institute, the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, and the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute. A 2025 House of Representatives report called for the termination of nearly 50 U.S.-China academic partnerships deemed "high risk," targeting programs at NYU Shanghai, Johns Hopkins, Temple University, and the University of Minnesota, among others. But the void left by American institutions is not going unfilled. China's Ministry of Education approved a record 285 joint education programs in 2025, drawing in universities from Russia, Britain, Italy, South Korea, Germany, and New Zealand. This brings the total number of active Sino-foreign partnerships to 1,589. As Denis Simon , former executive vice-chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, observed: "The US anxieties leave space or become harder to work with, and others step into it. China also wants a portfolio that reduces dependence on any single country — especially one in a contested strategic relationship." The shift carries long-term implications. Peterson Institute analyst Li Zhuowen noted that demand for elite STEM education in China remains strong regardless of where it comes from: "If the US cuts supply, students and universities will simply look elsewhere. These partners do not replicate US strengths one to one, but they are sufficient for China's current needs." Li was equally blunt about the future of flagship U.S.-China academic ventures: "The era of the 'flagship' US-China joint university is likely over for the near future. The trust required to build a new institution from scratch simply does not exist right now." Meanwhile, Chinese students are increasingly turning to joint-venture universities inside China as a cost-effective alternative to studying abroad, with enrollment at institutions like NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan hitting record highs even as Chinese enrollment at U.S. universities has fallen from a peak of 372,000 to 277,000. For many students, the calculus is straightforward. As one student told the SCMP : "The geopolitical climate and safety were major considerations … studying in the US was completely off the table for me." The consequences of America's academic retreat extend well beyond individual campuses. As the U.S. pulls back, it is ceding influence over the next generation of global talent — and handing competitors a strategic opening that may take decades to reclaim. Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4bcEu4H Science : National Science Foundation and NIST According to Science , from gutted fellowship programs to restricted foreign scientists, the Trump administration's interventions at two of the nation's premier research agencies are raising urgent alarms across the scientific community. A convergence of policy changes at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is painting a troubling picture for the future of American science. Over the past year, the Trump administration has moved aggressively to reorient federal research agencies around its political priorities—artificial intelligence and quantum computing—while simultaneously curtailing the very talent pipelines that have long powered U.S. scientific leadership. The consequences are being felt from graduate school applications to laboratory benches. NSF's Graduate Fellowship: A 70-Year Legacy at Risk Since 1952, NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program has been a launchpad for American scientific talent—producing over 50 Nobel laureates and providing three-year stipends exclusively to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The administration first cut the program nearly in half from its customary 2,300 awards. After a public outcry, 500 fellowships were restored, but skewed heavily toward AI and quantum computing. This year, NSF went further, returning at least 50 applications without review—most in biology and the life sciences. The paradox is glaring: a program designed entirely to cultivate domestic scientists is being gutted in the name of prioritizing American researchers. Meanwhile, China now supplies one-third of drugs licensed by Western pharmaceutical companies. Cutting the life sciences pipeline cedes that ground further. "The administration's actions fly in the face of its apparent goal of restricting federal funding only to domestic scientists." Read the Science editorial: https://bit.ly/4rPAcY6 NSF Leadership Confirms White House Control Over Grantmaking In a rare public briefing to the National Science Board, Acting Director Brian Stone and Chief Management Officer Micah Cheatham acknowledged that the White House has fundamentally reoriented NSF's $9 billion portfolio. When asked how the agency might respond to board recommendations—such as investing in food cost research—Stone was candid: NSF's role is to demonstrate alignment with administration priorities, not to generate them. The staffing toll is severe. NSF has lost 35% of its workforce in the past year, falling to roughly 1,300 employees. Only rotating scientists with AI or quantum expertise had contracts renewed. The agency's new "frontier initiatives" framework contains just two areas: AI and quantum. Annual grant solicitations have been cut in half. "I see it as the administration exerting political control over what has traditionally been NSF's ability to fund the best science." — Former senior NSF administrator Even the setting of the briefing underscored the disruption: NSF was evicted from its Alexandria headquarters in December 2025 to make room for HUD and was forced to hold its board meeting at the American Chemical Society—in a room too small for press or public. Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/3NlD1kI NIST Moves to Expel Hundreds of Foreign Researchers NIST is implementing sweeping restrictions on international researchers at its campuses in Boulder and Gaithersburg. Foreign scientists have already lost after-hours lab access without a federal escort, and a proposed rule would cap visiting researchers at a three-year maximum—a threshold most Ph.D. students cannot meet. Up to 500 foreign graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scientists could ultimately lose access, including green card holders. Scientists from "high-risk" countries—China, Russia, Iran, and others—face lab access reviews as early as March 31. The rollout has drawn sharp criticism for its opacity. Former NIST Director Patrick Gallagher noted there has been no written policy, no formal public statement, and minimal notice to affected researchers. House Democrats Zoe Lofgren and April McClain Delaney wrote to acting Director Craig Burkhardt in February calling the stonewalling "unacceptable" and noting that a recent GAO security report recommended nothing close to changes this drastic. The stakes extend well beyond NIST's campuses. Founded in 1901, the institute underpins American standards in everything from computer chips to atomic clocks—and has won five Nobel Prizes. Experts warn that gutting its international talent pool could cost the U.S. its hard-won lead in quantum science and AI. Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/4bsLZpw ***** Taken together from these Science reports, these developments at NSF and NIST represent a compounding threat to American scientific competitiveness. The administration has simultaneously restricted the entry of foreign-born talent through tighter visa policies, reduced the pipeline of domestic scientists through cuts to programs like the GRFP, and concentrated research funding in a narrow band of politically favored technologies. All of this is unfolding against a backdrop of deep cuts to federal research budgets and an exodus of experienced staff from the agencies that manage science funding. The paradox is hard to escape: an administration that says it wants to make America preeminent in science and technology is systematically dismantling the institutions and talent pipelines that built that preeminence. The United States' scientific leadership over the past century was not accidental—it was the product of open institutions, international collaboration, and long-term investment in basic research across all disciplines. Whether those foundations can be rebuilt, if damaged further, remains an open question. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/03/17 Equity Pulse: Is Your Citizenship at Stake? 2026/03/24 Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know 2026/03/25 The Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype: New Data on Asian American Experiences 2026/04/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/04/08 Perspectives on Careers in Arts and Entertainment 2026/04/14 Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Anla ChengVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. USCET Is Hiring 2026 Summer Interns! This is an ideal opportunity for students passionate about advancing the U.S.-China relations and cross-cultural dialogue. Interns gain hands-on experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic nonprofit environment dedicated to fostering mutual understanding between the United States and China. US-China Education Trust (USCET) encourages eligible undergraduate juniors, seniors, and graduate students to apply. The application is currently rolling with a deadline of Wednesday, March 25, 2026. To learn more, visit: https://uscet.org/internships/ . # # # 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 March 10, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has urged FBI Director Christopher Wray to "hold biannual meetings with national leaders of Chinese American and Asian American organizations." April 2, 2020 On April 2, 2020, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and urged him to "hold biannual meetings with national leaders of Chinese American and Asian American organizations regarding issues of importance to those communities as you work to counter the foreign intelligence threat from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC)." On May 29, 2020, the Assistant Director of the FBI Office of Congressional Affairs replied with this letter to Senator Warner. A previous meeting between the Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division and Asian American leaders was cited as productive in the letter. The background and context of the December 7, 2018 meeting is available here . Senator Mark Warner, Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has urged FBI Director Christopher Wray to "hold biannual meetings with national leaders of Chinese American and Asian American organizations." Previous Next Senator Warner Letter to FBI Director Wray

Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) has launched the Anti-Racial Profiling Project (ARPP). October 6, 2020 On October 6, 2020, Advancing Justice | Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) launched the Anti-Racial Profiling Project (ARPP). Watch the press briefing here . On October 7, 2020, Advancing Justice | AAJC launched the first webinar for ARPP for the public and followed with a detailed message about the project on October 9. How You Can Get Help Legal Referral . Contact AAJC via the Signal app with the number 202-935-6014 or text ONLY a name and phone number to 202-935-6014 and wait for an AAJC staff member to make direct contact. Know Your Rights . Covering 3 areas: (a) When approached by law enforcement (including the FBI, Special Agents from an agency’s Office of Inspector General or security office, or other Federal, state or local police); (b) When law enforcement comes to your house; (c) SPECIFIC PRECAUTIONS FOR SCIENTISTS, SCHOLARS AND RESEARCHERS How You Can Help Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Advancing Justice | AAJC . AAJC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Sign up for the APA Justice newsletter to keep informed on the latest developments Spread the word about the Anti-Racial Profiling Project Stories from Impacted People Dr. Wei Su : Concern for the younger generation: The targeting and profiling of Chinese and Asian Americans and Immigrants Dr. Xiaoxing Xi : Spying charges against Chinese American scientists spakr fears of a witch hunt Ms. Sherry Chen : Ohio scientist accused of spying sues government after charges dropped Dr. Wen Ho Lee : The Making of a Suspect: The Case of Web Ho Lee Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) has launched the Anti-Racial Profiling Project (ARPP). Previous Next Anti-Racial Profiling Project Launched

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session launched the China Initiative to combat national security threats and economic espionage emanating from the People’s Republic of China. Without a definition of what constitutes a China Initiative case, it drifted to profile and stigmatize Asian Americans and individuals of Asian descent, creating severe damage and a chilling effect on scientific collaboration and harming U.S. leadership in science and technology. November 1, 2018 Table of Contents Overview FBI Director’s Profiling Approach NIH’s Own “China Initiative” Criminalizing China The Ethnic Targeting of Chinese Scientists Links and References Overview On November 1, 2018, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session announced the launch of the China Initiative to combat national security threats and economic espionage emanating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). “This Initiative will identify priority Chinese trade theft cases, ensure that we have enough resources dedicated to them, and make sure that we bring them to an appropriate conclusion quickly and effectively.” Sessions said. President Donald Trump fired Sessions less than a week later, but the China Initiative remained in operation for 1,210 days until it was ended by the Joe Biden Administration on February 23, 2022. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had no definition of what constitutes a China Initiative case. DOJ created an online report on what it considered to be Chinese Initiative cases. The online report was last updated on November 19, 2021, three months before the initiative officially ended. According to MIT Technology Review , there have been 77 known China Initiative cases impacting 162 individuals. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the cases, MIT Technology Review concluded that the initiative had increasingly charged academics with “research integrity” issues. Nearly 90% of the defendants charged were of Chinese heritage, lending credence to wide-spread allegations that scientists and researchers of Chinese origin were racially profiled and targeted under the China Initiative despite denials by the government. The DOJ China Initiative cases included only indictments and prosecutions. It did not include investigations or surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and other federal law enforcement agencies and grant agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH ran its own China Initiative. By March 23, 2023, a year after the official end of the China Initiative, NIH’s own “China initiative” had upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers. In contrast to the very public criminal prosecutions of academic scientists under the China Initiative, NIH’s version was conducted behind closed doors. FBI Director’s Profiling Approach The first thunder of the New Red Scare came on February 13, 2018, when FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing and targeted all students, scholars and scientists of Chinese origin as a national security threat to the United States. Wray responded to a question in the hearing, “I think in this setting I would just say that the use of nontraditional collectors, especially in the academic setting, whether it’s professors, scientists, students, we see in almost every field office that the FBI has around the country. It’s not just in major cities. It’s in small ones as well. It’s across basically every discipline.” Asian American advocates were outraged by Wray’s presumption that every Chinese professor, scientist, and student was guilty of collecting intelligence for the Chinese government until proven innocent. Conflating the stereotype of “perpetual foreigners” and the loyalty of Asian Americans to the United States, Wray pledged to pursue a “whole-of-society” approach to address the threat of China. His use of the term “non-traditional collectors” for spies parallelled “thousand grains of sand” during the prosecution of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and “fifth column” in referral to Japanese Americans during World War II. Qian Xuesen, also known as Hsue-shen Tsien, a founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, became a victim of the Second Red Scare during the Cold War era, facing accusations of “communist sympathies” despite his contributions to American scientific advancement. Fourteen Asian American community organizations wrote to Wray on March 1, 2018, and called for “an opportunity to discuss how well-intentioned public policies might nonetheless lead to troubling issues of potential bias, racial profiling, and wrongful prosecution.” Wray never responded to the letter. References and Links Wikipedia: Qian Xuesen 2020/02/02 The Intercept: The FBI’s China Obsession - The U.S. Government Secretly Spied on Chinese American Scientists, Upending Lives and Paving the Way for Decades of Discrimination 2019/12/31 Bloomberg: As China Anxiety Rises in U.S., Fears of New Red Scare Emerge 2019/07/20 New York Times: A New Red Scare Is Reshaping Washington 2018/03/23 Huffington Post: FBI Director Defends Remarks That Chinese People In U.S. Pose Threats 2018/03/08 Washington Post Opinion: America’s new — and senseless — Red Scare 2018/03/01 14 Coalition Organizations: Coalition letter to FBI Director Wray 2018/03/01 Committee of 100: Community Organizations Call for Meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray Regarding Profiling of Students, Scholars, and Scientists with Chinese Origins 2018/02/27 Asia Times: FBI director’s grave mistake on targeting Chinese-Americans 2018/02/16 纽约都市新闻网: 华裔议员严厉谴责Rubio和Wray针对中国学生的极端言论 2018/02/15 CAPAC: CAPAC Members on Rubio and Wray’s Remarks Singling Out Chinese Students as National Security Threats 2018/02/14 Inside Higher Ed: The Chinese Student Threat? 2018/02/13 Advancing Justice | AAJC: FBI Director’s Shock Claim: Chinese Students Are a Potential Threat 2018/02/13 U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: Hearing on Global Threats and National Security 2016/05/25 60 Minutes: Collateral Damage 2015/05/10 New York Times: Accused of Spying for China, Until She Wasn’t 2000/09/14 New York Times: Statement by Judge in Los Alamos Case, With Apology for Abuse of Power . 1999/12/11 Washington Post: China Prefers the Sand to the Moles 1964/02/02 New York Times: F.B.I. Chief Warns of Red China Spies NIH’s Own “China Initiative” According to the Science Magazine, Francis Collins, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sent a missive to more than 10,000 institutions on August 20, 2018, asserting that "threats to the integrity of U.S. biomedical research exist" and highlighted the failure to disclose "substantial resources from other organizations, including foreign governments." Collins wrote that "in the weeks and months ahead you may be hearing from [NIH] regarding … requests about specific … personnel from your institution." Dubbed as NIH’s own “China Initiative,” NIH began sending letters to dozens of major U.S. research universities in March 2019, asking them to provide information about specific faculty members with NIH funding who are believed to have links to foreign governments that NIH did not know about. Universities reportedly scrambled to respond to the unprecedented queries. Some academic administrators worry the exercise could cast a chill over all types of international scientific collaborations. Others fear that the inquiry may become a vehicle to impugn the loyalty of any faculty member—and especially any foreign-born scientists—who maintain overseas ties. At some institutions, every researcher flagged by NIH was Chinese American. The vaguely worded letters did not contain specific accusations, nor did it explain any aspect of the process. By March 23, 2023, a year after the official end of the China Initiative, Science reported that NIH’s “China initiative” has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers. In contrast to the very public criminal prosecutions of academic scientists under the China Initiative, NIH’s version was conducted behind closed doors. More than one in five of the 246 scientists targeted were banned from applying for new NIH funding for as long as 4 years—a career-ending setback for most academic researchers. And almost two-thirds were removed from existing NIH grants. Some 81% of the scientists cited in the NIH letters identify as Asian, and 91% of the collaborations under scrutiny were with colleagues in China. In only 14 of the 246 cases—a scant 6%—did the institution fail to find any evidence to back up NIH’s suspicions. NIH is by far the largest funder of academic biomedical research in the United States, and some medical centers receive hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the agency. So when senior administrators heard Michael Lauer, NIH deputy director for extramural research, say a targeted scientist “was not welcome in the NIH ecosystem,” they understood immediately what he meant—and that he was expecting action. “If NIH says there’s a conflict, then there’s a conflict, because NIH is always right,” says David Brenner, who was vice chancellor for health sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), in November 2018 when the institution received a letter from Lauer asking it to investigate five medical school faculty members, all born in China. “We were told we have a problem and that it was up to us to fix it.” In a panel discussion hosted by the University of Michigan in March 2024, Professor Ann Chih Lin, asserted that NIH made it clear that if they couldn’t resolve concerns regarding a faculty member and a grant, NIH would not only require universities to repay the grant, but also investigate universities’ entire portfolio of NIH grants. Fearing the loss of grant money, universities often approached the implicated professors and encouraged them to resign voluntarily or retire early. This strategy aimed to avoid a public disciplinary hearing or grievance process, which could bring unwanted attention to the case. Professors involved in such investigations typically refrained from discussing their cases to protect both themselves and the universities, often choosing to depart quietly. References and Links 2024/03/29 University of Michigan News: US universities secretly turned their back on Chinese professors under DOJ’s China Initiative 2023/02/23 Science: Pall of Suspicion 2019/03/01 Science: NIH letters asking about undisclosed foreign ties rattle U.S. universities Criminalizing China The name of China Initiative by itself is problematic. "Using 'China' as the glue connecting cases prosecuted under the Initiative's umbrella creates an overinclusive conception of the threat and attaches a criminal taint to entities that possess 'China-ness,' based on PRC nationality, PRC national origin, Chinese ethnicity, or other expressions of connections with 'China.,'" Professor Margaret Lewis wrote in her article "Criminalizing China" in 2020. Her article further contends that, when assessed in light of the goals of deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, and retribution, it is worrisome that the prosecution and punishment of people and entities rests in part on a connection with “China.” A better path is to discard the “China Initiative” framing, focus on cases’ individual characteristics, and enhance the Department of Justice’s interactions with nongovernmental experts. Margaret K. Lewis, Criminalizing China , 111 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 145 (2020). https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/jclc/vol111/iss1/3 The Ethnic Targeting of Chinese Scientists On November 19, 2020, The China Project produced a video titled “ The China Initiative: The ethnic targeting of Chinese scientists and the subsequent brain drain .” (7:30) The China Project talked to lawyers, academics, and victims of the China Initiative for their perspective. Many Chinese and Chinese American researchers feel that the program has placed a target on their back, and that they are being unfairly targeted for their Chinese ethnicity. There are also critics who say the Initiative has done little more than drive talent away from the U.S. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ1__sV_F7s Jump to: Overview FBI Director’s Profiling Approach NIH’s Own “China Initiative” Criminalizing China Ethnic Targeting of Chinese Scientists U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session launched the China Initiative to combat national security threats and economic espionage emanating from the People’s Republic of China. Without a definition of what constitutes a China Initiative case, it drifted to profile and stigmatize Asian Americans and individuals of Asian descent, creating severe damage and a chilling effect on scientific collaboration and harming U.S. leadership in science and technology. Previous Next 1. DOJ launched China Initiative

Newsletter - #75 5 "China Initiative" Cases Dropped; Combating Racial Profiling; Yellow Whistles #75 5 "China Initiative" Cases Dropped; Combating Racial Profiling; Yellow Whistles Back View PDF July 26, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #81 DOC Internal Review Report; 09/13 Meeting; APS Webinar; Yellow Whistles And More #81 DOC Internal Review Report; 09/13 Meeting; APS Webinar; Yellow Whistles And More Back View PDF September 7, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #369 1/5 Meeting; 2025 Changed Research; CAPAC 2025 Review; ACLU Update; Summaries Posted;+ #369 1/5 Meeting; 2025 Changed Research; CAPAC 2025 Review; ACLU Update; Summaries Posted;+ In This Issue #369 · 2026/01/05 Monthly Meeting · The Year That Changed Research · CAPAC: 2025 End-of-Year Report · Update from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) · December and August Meeting Summaries Posted · News and Activities for the Communities 2026/01/05 Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Rep. Grace Meng 孟昭文 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, is invited to deliver a new year message and a review of 2025. In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Attorneys from Bloch & White LLP on Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 (invited) · Attorneys from Despres, Schwartz, & Geoghegan, Ltd. on Jane Ying Wu 吴瑛 (invited) · Paul Cheng 鄭文耀 , President, Committee of 100 · Hua Wang 王华 , Chair; Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans · Sharon Wong , National Chair; Thu Nguyen , Executive Director, OCA National 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 APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . The Year That Changed Research According to Inside Higher Ed on December 19, 2025, a year of mass federal grant terminations and sweeping policy changes to the nation’s research enterprise broke many scientists’ trust in the government. And those changes offer insight into what may come next year. For federally funded researchers, 2025 was widely described as chaotic, destabilizing, and demoralizing. Early in President Trump’s second term, federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Education, and Department of Energy (DOE) froze or terminated hundreds of research grants, disrupting projects across biomedical science, climate research, education, democracy studies, and public health. Many terminations explicitly targeted work involving diversity, equity, gender, or marginalized communities, framing such research as incompatible with agency priorities. Lawsuits warned that these actions would delay scientific advancement, compromise health outcomes, and drive talent away from U.S. research. By some estimates, more than $17 billion in NIH funding alone was disrupted, and thousands of federal agency staff layoffs left researchers with little guidance amid shifting rules. Beyond grant terminations, the administration proposed sweeping policy changes that further eroded trust: attempts to cap indirect cost reimbursements, freezes on funding to elite universities over unrelated political disputes, and executive orders giving political appointees greater control over grant awards and cancellations. Although courts blocked some measures and forced partial restoration of grants, the damage was already done. Universities froze hiring and admissions in anticipation of cuts, trainees lost support, and many researchers began questioning whether long-term academic careers in the U.S. were viable. Even when grants were reinstated, they often returned with reduced funding, delays, or new ideological restrictions, reinforcing the sense that science was no longer insulated from politics. Litigation and advocacy produced some important pushback. Courts halted indirect cost caps, agencies restored thousands of grants, and Congress signaled resistance to the most drastic proposed cuts—suggesting modest increases for NIH rather than the steep reductions sought by the administration. Yet uncertainty remains high heading into 2026. Agencies are scaling back peer review due to staffing shortages, experimenting with automated screening tools, and using text analysis to flag proposals for terms like “health equity” or “structural racism.” Researchers across fields report lasting psychological and professional impacts, including self-censorship, reluctance to pursue ambitious projects, and concerns about the future of evidence-based policymaking. Despite these challenges, the research community also demonstrated resilience and collective action. Scientists, universities, professional associations, and advocates mobilized through lawsuits, public letters, and sustained engagement with Congress. Many emphasized that openness, fairness, and global collaboration—not isolation—are the foundations of U.S. scientific leadership. While 2026 is expected to remain difficult, the partial successes of 2025 show that coordinated advocacy can still defend the integrity of American research. In this context, the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) underscored an important victory: the proposed SAFE Research Act was removed from the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act. AASF’s advocacy helped prevent a measure that would have chilled collaboration, unfairly targeted researchers, and weakened America’s global competitiveness in science—demonstrating that principled, collective action can still make a decisive difference. C APAC: 2025 End-of-Year Report On December 18, 2025, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released its 2025 End-of-Year Report that includes a summary of actions CAPAC has taken to support thriving families and communities, advance equity and defend our rights, and promote economic opportunities for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). “This has been a challenging year for so many across our country. But our community has proven that we are most powerful when we stand together—to defend our rights, hold the administration accountable, and ensure our voices are heard at every level of government,” said Rep. Grace Meng 孟昭文 , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “This report showcases some of CAPAC’s work to protect our community from harmful policies and to create a world where the next generation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders is more successful than the last. There’s more work ahead of us, but CAPAC will not stop until we deliver on the promise of the American Dream for the millions who call this great nation home.” In 2025, CAPAC grew its total membership to 83 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate —the largest in history. CAPAC also released its policy framework for the 119th Congress to ensure the caucus is laser-focused on meeting our communities’ most pressing needs and launched the Spill the Tea with Chair Meng video series to discuss important topics impacting AANHPIs. The Caucus also took legislative action to uphold birthright citizenship, defend language access, stand up for immigrants, protect access to affordable health care, oppose the Republicans’ “China Initiative,” and more. Read the CAPAC press release: https://bit.ly/4qdx32Z Bill to Reunite and Protect Immigrant Families Reintroduced Rep. Judy Chu 趙美心 and Senator Mazie Hirono reintroduced the Reuniting Families Act of 2025 to address severe backlogs and outdated rules in the U.S. family-based immigration system, which currently leaves nearly four million people with approved visa applications waiting—often for more than a decade—to reunite with loved ones. The bill seeks to modernize a system that has not seen meaningful reform in over 30 years by recapturing unused visas, rolling them into future years, expanding the definition of family to include permanent partners, increasing the total number of family preference visas, raising per-country limits, and establishing a firm cap so no approved applicant waits more than 10 years for a visa. Lawmakers and a broad coalition of civil rights, immigrant advocacy, faith-based, and community organizations argue the legislation would make immigration more humane, efficient, and fair while strengthening families and communities across the country. Supporters emphasize that family unity is a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy and that prolonged separations harm not only immigrant families—including Asian American, Southeast Asian, African, and LGBTQ+ communities—but also the nation’s social and economic fabric. The bill has garnered endorsements from dozens of national and local organizations, reflecting broad support for restoring compassion and functionality to the family-based immigration system. Read the press release from Rep. Judy Chu’s office. Update from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) During the APA Justice monthly meeting on December 1, 2025, Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) returned to provide an in-depth briefing on two major areas of ongoing ACLU litigation: the challenge to Florida’s discriminatory housing law (SB 264) in Shen v. Simpson, and the national-security–related litigation surrounding the federal government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. Both issues, he noted, remain of high importance to Asian American communities and immigrant-rights advocates across the country. Patrick began by reminding the audience that the ACLU is engaged in a wide range of immigration and civil rights litigation, including work related to birthright citizenship, which had been referenced earlier in the meeting. For purposes of this briefing, however, he focused on the two cases in which he is personally involved. I. Shen v. Simpson – Florida’s SB 264 Housing Restrictions Patrick first summarized developments in Shen v. Simpson, a challenge to Florida’s SB 264, a law that restricts property ownership by immigrants from China and six other “countries of concern.” The law prohibits non-citizens and non-green-card-holders from these countries from buying property in large parts of Florida, with only narrow exceptions. The ACLU—together with AALDEF, CALDA, the DeHeng Law Firm, Quinn Emanuel, and the ACLU of Florida—represents four individual Chinese immigrant plaintiffs and a real estate company that serves primarily Chinese clients. On November 4, 2025, the Eleventh Circuit declined to issue a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of SB 264, which Patrick described as “disappointing.” However, he highlighted an important clarification in the ruling: the court narrowed the law’s application and found that it does not apply to certain Chinese immigrants who live in Florida and intend to remain there indefinitely. That clarification, he explained, provides meaningful—but limited—relief to affected communities. He emphasized the broader context. SB 264 echoes a long history of “alien land laws” targeting Asians and other immigrant groups under the guise of national security. The ACLU views the law as part of a nationwide resurgence of discriminatory state-level property restrictions, which mirror policies from the early 20th century. Looking ahead, Patrick explained that next steps remain uncertain. The Eleventh Circuit must first issue a formal order returning the case to the district court. Once that occurs, the ACLU will submit a status update outlining possible avenues for continuing litigation. He assured the audience that updates will be provided as the case progresses. II. Alien Enemies Act Litigation Patrick then turned to the ACLU’s ongoing challenges to the federal government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a Civil War–era statute allowing deportation of nationals from countries with which the U.S. is at war. In March of this year, he explained, the government used the Act to deport roughly 250 Venezuelan nationals. These individuals were transported first to El Salvador and detained in the notorious “Terrorism Confinement Center,” before later being transferred to Venezuela. Many had no opportunity to contest their designation or removal. 1. The Fifth Circuit Case (for individuals still in the U.S.) The ACLU represents Venezuelan nationals who remain in the United States and continue to face potential deportation under the Act. In June, the ACLU argued the case before a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit, which issued a 2–1 decision ruling the government’s use of the Act unlawful. The government then requested an en banc hearing before the full Fifth Circuit, which was granted. Briefing is underway, and oral argument is scheduled for late January. Because the case raises significant questions about executive power and wartime authorities, Patrick noted that Supreme Court review is likely. Importantly, deportations are currently paused while the litigation proceeds. 2. District Court Litigation in Washington, D.C. (for individuals already deported) A second challenge focuses on those who were removed in March with no due process. The ACLU is seeking a new preliminary injunction that would allow deported individuals the opportunity to bring habeas and due-process claims that they were unable to pursue before being transported out of the country. Toomey noted that many were deported “under cover of darkness,” without notice, hearings, or the ability to consult counsel. These cases, he stressed, raise profound constitutional questions about due process, wartime authority, and the treatment of immigrant communities. Both remain active and will likely continue into 2026. Conclusion Patrick closed by encouraging attendees to stay engaged as litigation moves forward. He invited follow-up questions through the chat or by email and reaffirmed the ACLU’s commitment to defending the civil rights and liberties of immigrant communities targeted by discriminatory laws and emergency powers. The outcomes of these cases, he noted, will have significant implications for Asian American comunities, Venezuelan migrants, and the broader legal landscape governing immigration enforcement. December and August Meeting Summaries Posted Summary for the December 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted at . We thank these distinguished speakers for sharing their insightful remarks and updates: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · Kin Yan Hui , National President, Chinese American Citizens Alliance · Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) · Edgar Chen , Special Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Summary for the August 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted at https://bit.ly/45gnvw6 . We thank these distinguished speakers for sharing their insightful remarks and updates: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Munira Abdullahi , Member, Ohio House of Representatives · Guangya Liu , Member, North Carolina House of Representatives · Min Fan , Executive Director, U.S. Heartland China Association We apologize for the lateness in posting this summary. Past monthly meeting summaries are posted at: https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/librarynewsletters-summaries News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/01/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2026/01/13 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes: Leroy Chiao 2026/01/29-30 The Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations2026/02/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the 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 December 22, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #281 Rejecting China Consensus; Balanced Policies; Alarm on Anti-Asian Laws; Newsletters; + #281 Rejecting China Consensus; Balanced Policies; Alarm on Anti-Asian Laws; Newsletters; + In This Issue #281 · The Case Against the China Consensus · A Program for Progressive China Policy · China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach · Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past, Present, and What's Coming · APA Justice Newsletters Web Page Moving to New Website · News and Activities for the Communities The Case Against the China Consensus Jessica Chen Weiss is David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute Center for China Analysis, and a former member of the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning Staff.In Jessica Chen Weiss's latest article on Foreign Affairs on September 16, 2024, "The Case Against the China Consensus," she critiques the prevailing U.S. approach to China, emphasizing open-ended competition without a clear definition of success.Weiss argues that bipartisan rhetoric increasingly treats China as an existential threat, pushing aside nuanced debate and overshadowing diplomatic and cooperative opportunities. She warns that such a zero-sum mindset risks escalating tensions, including a potential conflict over Taiwan, and could undermine U.S. values and interests. "If policymakers overplay competition with Beijing, they risk more than raising the likelihood of war and jeopardizing efforts to address the many transnational challenges that threaten both the United States and China. They also risk setting the United States on a path to what could become a pyrrhic victory, in which the country undermines its own long-term interests and values in the name of thwarting its rival," wrote Weiss.Instead, Weiss advocates for a balanced strategy that combines credible deterrence with diplomacy, economic integration, and cooperation on shared global challenges. She stresses the importance of pragmatic engagement and avoiding policies that isolate the U.S. from Chinese innovation and global supply chains. As for the issue of Taiwan, Weiss wrote, "deterrence, particularly in the Taiwan Strait, can be achieved only with the backing of strong diplomacy that combines credible threats and credible assurances. And both deterrence and prosperity require some degree of economic integration and technological interdependence." The article highlights the need for a strategic recalibration in U.S.-China relations, focusing on coexistence rather than dominance, and emphasizes the risks of overplaying competition, which could harm both nations' long-term prosperity and security. "U.S. policymakers should seek a more durable basis for coexistence, striking a careful balance to ensure that efforts to address the real threats from China do not undermine the very values and interests they aim to protect, " Weiss wrote.In her article, Weiss especially pointed out the negative impact of deteriorating bilateral relations on Chinese Americans. She wrote, "People born in China or of Chinese descent should not be categorically treated as a fifth column in the United States; the diaspora has been a hotbed for resistance, which is precisely why the Chinese Communist Party is so bent on monitoring and intimidating it. And if the United States were to go so far as to enact bans or visa restrictions on the basis of national origin, it would compromise the very principles of nondiscrimination and equality before the law that embody the American ideal "Read the Foreign Affairs article: https://fam.ag/3TzhV21 . Juan Zhang , editor at US-China Perception Monitor, contributed this report. A Program for Progressive China Policy During the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 9, 2024, Sandy Shan , Director, Justice Is Global, and Tori Bateman , Director of Advocacy, Quincy Institute, gave a joint presentation on Quincy Institute Brief #62 , "A Program for Progressive China Policy." Sandy Shan began the discussion by highlighting the urgency for a constructive U.S. policy toward China. She emphasized the need to move away from the current confrontational and hawkish stance, which has exacerbated tensions between the two nations and fueled xenophobia against Asian and Asian American communities in the U.S. The forum took place as the House launched “China Week,” underlining the timeliness of the conversation.The Quincy Institute brief was authored by Jake Warner and co-produced by Justice Is Global and the Institute for Policy Studies. It reflects five years of dialogue among progressive groups, drawing on the expertise of specialists in climate, labor, peace, and Asian Pacific American communities. The brief seeks to address gaps in current U.S. policies, dominated by nationalist and militaristic rhetoric, by offering a more thoughtful framework for dealing with China's rise.The brief acknowledges legitimate concerns about China’s actions, including its human rights record and the impact of its policies on American workers. However, it warns that a confrontational approach risks empowering authoritarian forces in both the U.S. and China while undermining broader progressive goals like global economic equity and environmental sustainability. Instead, the brief advocates for a policy that reduces geopolitical tensions and promotes shared prosperity.Tori Bateman expanded on this framework, describing the Quincy Institute’s transpartisan focus on foreign policy. She expressed concern about the growing hawkish rhetoric on Capitol Hill, especially during "China Week." Tori emphasized that while many bills address real issues, they often fail to solve underlying problems and instead increase tensions. The Quincy Institute is engaging with lawmakers to promote a more balanced approach, urging Congress to focus on areas like climate cooperation and educational exchanges instead of exclusionary policies. A summary for the September 2024 monthly meeting is being prepared and will be posted at https://www.apajustice.org/ after review by the speakers. Past monthly meeting summaries are available at https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP .Read the Quincy Institute brief at https://bit.ly/3T2XJVY China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach On October 10, 2024, the U.S. Heartland China Association (USHCA) and the Kansas University (KU) Department of Political Science will co-host a hybrid event on "China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach."As China’s influence grows around the world, skepticism in the United States grows in tandem with it. Evidence of this is seen throughout the Heartland of America, where anti-China legislation and rhetoric have grown over the years. Professor Jack Zhang of the KU Department of Political Science will be joined by Susan Thornton , Vice Chair of the U.S. Heartland China Association and a retired senior U.S. diplomat with decades of experience in Eurasia and East Asia, and Kyle Jaros , an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, for a discussion on building a balanced approach for relations with China.In June 2024, the 4th Annual U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable was held in China for the first time. Co-organized by USHCA and multiple Chinese partners, the broad-based bilateral agricultural platform drew senior leaders spanning government, trade, business, education, and think tanks from both countries to convene around the theme: Global Food Security and Agricultural Cooperation. Major American agriculture players and producers of soy, rice, corn, sorghum, dairy, and beef from 9 different states were among those who traveled to China to participate.First launched in 2021, the annual U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable honors three legendary agriculture scientists who made significant contributions to our world: Norman Borlaug , Yuan Longping , and George Washington Carver . USHCA launched the first U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable virtually with the belief that U.S.-China cooperation is essential for our planet to successfully deal with the critical global challenges of our time. The 4th Annual U.S.-China Agricultural Roundtable reinforced the ongoing agriculture partnership between China and the U.S. while elevating the importance of collaboration to tackle global challenges through sustainable practices, technological innovation, and educational exchanges. Amid global food security concerns, this collaboration serves as a vital demonstration of international cooperation to enhance global food stability and foster understanding. Given both the U.S. and China’s pivotal roles as leading agricultural producers, consumers, and importers, sustained dialogue between the two nations is crucial for shaping resilient food systems and protecting food security worldwide.The in-person portion of the October 10 event is at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045. Watch the event online at https://bit.ly/3zkTyhT . Min Fan , Executive Director of USHCA, has accepted our invitation to speak at the next APA Justice monthly meeting to be held on Monday, October 7, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past, Present, and What's Coming On September 8, 2024, Texas State Representative Gene Wu hosted a Town Hall on "Anti-Asian Laws in America - Past. Present, and What's Coming." During the Town Hall, State Rep. Gene Wu outlined the resurgence of anti-Asian and anti-immigrant laws, particularly targeting Chinese and Japanese communities, in states like Texas. He referenced a history of such laws, dating back to the late 1800s, which banned immigrants from owning property, participating in business, and obtaining citizenship. Though many of these laws were repealed by the 1960s, new legislation in Texas and other states mirrors these discriminatory laws, signaling a renewed threat to Asian Americans.State Rep. Gene Wu emphasized that current laws echo historical patterns, portraying Asian immigrants as spies or traitors without evidence. Project 2025, a comprehensive conservative policy document that focuses heavily on China, mentions China 800 times compared to Russia’s 100 mentions. Project 2025 seeks to impose restrictions on Chinese nationals and Asian Americans, particularly in areas of land ownership, business, and education.The community was urged to wake up to this threat, as these new legislative efforts have already been introduced in multiple states. For instance, Texas has established new committees solely to push bills that restrict Chinese land ownership and educational access, following a broader national trend. This is compared to past laws that targeted Japanese Americans during World War II, even when most were U.S.-born citizens. The urgency is underscored by Project 2025's broader intent to reshape national security policy with a disproportionate focus on China, while impacting Asian Americans domestically.State Rep. Gene Wu has accepted our invitation to speak at the next APA Justice monthly meeting to be held on Monday, October 7, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET.Watch State Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall: https://bit.ly/4edgbDV (50:44). Read his presentation: https://bit.ly/3ZzweHR APA Justice Newsletters Web Page Moving to New Website As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we are moving the Newsletters webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters . Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2024/09/23 Media Training for Election Season2024/09/23 President's Advisory Commission on AANHPI Public Meeting 2024/09/25 C100: State of Chinese American Survey 2024 2024/09/25-26 APAICS Technology Summit2024/09/26 White House Initiative AA& NHPI Policy Summit2024/09/27 The War for Chinese Talent in America: The Politics of Technology and Knowledge in Sino-U.S. Relations2024/09/29 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/02 C100: Asian American Career Ceiling Initiative2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/10/08 Media Training for Election Season2024/10/10 China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced ApproachThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Committee of 100 Next Generation Leaders Program Class of 2025 Committee of 100, a non-profit organization of prominent Chinese Americans, announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Next Generation Leaders (NGL) class. The 2025 NGL class will be announced and spotlighted at Committee of 100's 2025 Conference & Gala, which will take place in Los Angeles in April 2025. Launched in 2014, Committee of 100's NGL program convenes an exceptional group of change-makers and rising leaders from diverse sectors, leveraging a collective sense of service and purpose to elevate the impact of each individual. Currently, there are over 200 NGL alumni across a multitude of sectors who make up a vibrant and diverse network. Individuals who demonstrate a remarkable history of professional and personal excellence and are between 25-40 years old are encouraged to apply. To apply for the Committee of 100 Next Generation Leaders Class of 2025, click here . Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found here . The deadline to submit applications is January 10, 2025 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. 3. Incoming and Outgoing Executive Directors of WHIAANHPI Helen Beaudreau has been appointed as the incoming Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), succeeding Krystal Ka‘ai , who held the position since May 2021. Back View PDF September 23, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #69 06/30 Congressional Roundtable; "Ridiculous Case"; Petition To NYU; "China Initiative" #69 06/30 Congressional Roundtable; "Ridiculous Case"; Petition To NYU; "China Initiative" Back View PDF June 25, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #392 5/4 Meeting; Legacy of APAICS; Schwarzman Scholars; Trump's Tirade; FISA Section 702+ #392 5/4 Meeting; Legacy of APAICS; Schwarzman Scholars; Trump's Tirade; FISA Section 702+ In This Issue #392 · 2026/05/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · The Enduring Legacy of APAICS · Ten Years of Schwarzman Scholars · Trump’s Tirade Against Chinese and Indian Immigrants · More on FISA Section 702 · News and Activities for the Communities 2026/05/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored to welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Dave Min , Member, U.S. House of Representatives · Robert Underwood , former CAPAC Chair; President Emeritus, University of Guam; Co-Founder, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) · Madalene Mielke , President and CEO, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) · Martin B. Gold , Partner, Capitol Counsel, LLC The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Vincent Wang 王文奎 and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . ***** We are honored that Congressman Dave Min will deliver the opening remarks to launch the 2026 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Elected in 2024 to represent California’s 47th Congressional District in the heart of Orange County, Rep. Min is the son of Korean immigrants and a proud graduate of California public schools. He previously served in the California State Senate from 2020 to 2024. Prior to his public service, he was a law professor at the University of California, Irvine. The Enduring Legacy of APAICS The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) stands today as one of the most consequential institutions shaping Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) political leadership in the United States. Its story is inseparable from a broader movement to transform representation in American democracy—one that began in 1994 under the visionary leadership of Norman Mineta and Dr. Robert Underwood and continues today under President and CEO Madalene Mielke . APAICS was founded alongside the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) at a time when AAPI representation in government remained limited and fragmented. Mineta and Underwood recognized a structural gap: while advocacy existed, there was no sustained institutional pipeline to recruit, train, and elevate AAPI leaders into public service. Originally known as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Institute (CAPACI), APAICS was conceived as a nonpartisan, educational organization dedicated to civic participation and leadership development. Its mission remains to promote AANHPI engagement at every level of the political process—from community service to elected office. For Mineta, whose life journey spanned wartime incarceration to Cabinet leadership, the stakes were deeply personal. For Underwood, the imperative was equally clear: to ensure that Pacific Islander voices—often overlooked even within broader AAPI narratives—would have a durable presence in national policymaking. Before and after his congressional service, Underwood built a distinguished career in education, including serving as president of the University of Guam. His scholarship on Chamorro identity, cultural preservation, and education reflects a lifelong commitment to empowerment through knowledge—principles that are deeply embedded in APAICS’ mission. Over the past three decades, APAICS has evolved into a comprehensive leadership pipeline. Its programs—including congressional fellowships, national and regional leadership academies, and mentorship initiatives—have trained and supported generations of AANHPI leaders now serving across government, nonprofit, and private sectors. The results are increasingly visible. AAPI representation in public office and policy leadership has grown meaningfully, and with it, the expectation that AANHPI voices will be present not as exceptions, but as integral participants in governance. Under the leadership of Madalene Mielke, APAICS has entered a new phase of strategic growth and national influence. With deep experience in political development and fundraising, Mielke has expanded the organization’s reach while reinforcing its core focus: preparing leaders not only to enter public service, but to lead effectively once there. As APAICS marks more than 30 years of impact, its founding vision remains highly relevant. From the pioneering leadership of Norman Mineta and Robert Underwood to today’s institutional strength, APAICS continues to translate access into opportunity—and opportunity into public leadership. We are especially honored that both Robert Underwood and Madalene Mielke will be featured speakers at the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 4, 2026. Their perspectives offer a timely opportunity to reflect on the progress of AANHPI political engagement and the work that lies ahead. For more information about APAICS, visit https://www.apaics.org/ Ten Years of Schwarzman Scholars At a time when geopolitical tensions and mutual misunderstanding increasingly shape U.S.–China relations, the Schwarzman Scholars (苏世民学者) program offers a different model—one grounded in education, dialogue, and long-term relationship building. Since its launch in 2016, the program has emerged as one of the most prominent global leadership initiatives of the 21st century. Founded by Stephen A. Schwarzman 苏世民 , the program is based at Tsinghua University in Beijing and is designed to prepare the next generation of leaders to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Each year, approximately 150 scholars from around the globe are selected for a fully funded, one-year master’s degree in Global Affairs, with a focus on leadership, public policy, economics, and international studies. Throughout the past decade Schwarzman Scholars has empowered over 1,300 young leaders from more than 100 countries with the skills to navigate the challenges of the 21st century. Often compared to the Rhodes Scholarship, Schwarzman Scholars was conceived as a modern counterpart. Its core premise is straightforward but ambitious: that future leaders must develop not only technical expertise, but also cultural fluency, geopolitical awareness, and the ability to engage across differences. The program brings together a highly diverse cohort and immerses them in a rigorous academic and leadership curriculum. Scholars live and study together, creating an environment where dialogue lives on a daily basis. A defining feature of the program is its emphasis on exposure. Scholars engage directly with senior policymakers, business leaders, and academics from China and around the world. Through lectures, mentorship, internships, and travel, participants gain firsthand insight into China’s political system, economic development, and societal changes. Equally important are the informal exchanges—conversations among peers that challenge assumptions and build mutual understanding. In an era where narratives about China and the United States are often shaped by distance and distrust, these interpersonal connections can have lasting impact. Whether one views the program as a bridge, a laboratory, or a strategic investment in global leadership, its significance is clear: it is an effort to shape how future leaders understand—and engage with—one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world. For more information about the program, visit https://www.schwarzmanscholars.org/ten-year-anniversary/ Trump’s Tirade Against Chinese and Indian Immigrants According to AsAmNews , The Guardian , and The New York Times , President Donald Trump sparked widespread backlash after posting a transcript and video from a podcast by Michael Savage that described China and India as “hellhole” countries and made negative claims about immigrants from those nations. Although Trump added no commentary, critics in the U.S. and abroad viewed the post as endorsing the remarks. The Indian government publicly criticized the comments as inappropriate, while U.S. lawmakers, including Grace Meng and Ami Bera , condemned the rhetoric as harmful and inflammatory, particularly amid rising anti-Asian sentiment. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued a public statement expressing outrage by the racist and xenophobic post. The controversy comes as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship in early April, an issue central to his immigration agenda. The White House defended the post as part of a broader critique of current citizenship policies. “These are no longer dog whistles,” Jon Lewis , a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said. “They’re bullhorns. It sends that emboldening message to neo-Nazis and White supremacists that the government is on your side.” More on FISA Section 702 After an extension of 10 days, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire on April 30, 2026, unless it is renewed by Congress. According to NPR on April 24, 2026, Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced a new proposal to extend the surveillance authority for three years, but it is largely unchanged from two earlier attempts that failed in the House. Johnson’s latest bill does not include a warrant requirement, instead proposing increased reporting and penalties for misuse. "This is not a reform bill and it's not a compromise," Elizabeth Goitein , a privacy advocate and senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, wrote on X . "It's a straight reauthorization with eight pages of words that serve no serious purpose other than to try to convince members that it's NOT a straight reauthorization." On April 23, 2026, the Washington Post published an editorial titled “Want to read an American’s emails? Get a warrant. ” Congress can break its deadlock over Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by adopting a simple compromise grounded in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution: continue warrantless surveillance of foreigners abroad, but require a warrant before searching Americans’ communications collected under the program. It emphasizes that while foreign intelligence gathering is essential and lawful, the current system allows the government to search Americans’ emails and messages without judicial approval—effectively creating a “backdoor” around constitutional protections. Internal oversight reforms are insufficient, the editorial argues, because only a judge can provide independent review. The editorial rejects claims that a warrant requirement would harm national security, noting emergency exceptions are available and that similar protections already apply in domestic law enforcement. Ultimately, it frames the issue as a fundamental civil liberties question: whether Section 702 will remain a necessary intelligence tool or continue to function as a loophole that weakens Americans’ constitutional rights. Resources: · 2026/04/16 Brennan Center for Justice: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): 2026 Resource Page · 2026/03/24 APA Justice Webinar: Mass Surveillance and the ICE Crackdown: What the AAPI Community Needs to Know (1:04:32) · APA Justice timeline: Timeline Visualization of U.S. Mass Surveillance · APA Justice webpage: Warrantless Surveillance News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2026/05/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2026/05/11 Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Steven Chu 2026/05/12-14 Celebrating 250 - Building America’s Future Together 2026/05/13 The Model Minority Trap: How ‘Positive’ Stereotypes Harm Asian Americans 2026/06/01 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Upcoming “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” Events WHAT : Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Steven Chu WHEN : May 11, 2026, 6:00-7:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator : Peter Young , Chair of the Conversations Initiative and Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board Member Speaker: Steven Chu , Nobel Prize Recipient in Physics, former Secretary of Energy, and Stanford University professor REGISTRATION : https://c100-5-11-2026.eventbrite.com ***** WHAT : Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes - Calvin Tsao WHEN : June 10, 2026, 6:00-7:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator : Peter Young , Chair of the Conversations Initiative and Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair and Board Member Speaker: Calvin Tsao , leading architect, philanthropist, and educator REGISTRATION : https://c100-6-10-2026.eventbrite.com 3. The Model Minority Trap: How ‘Positive’ Stereotypes Harm Asian Americans WHAT : The Model Minority Trap: How ‘Positive’ Stereotypes Harm Asian Americans WHEN : May 13, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOST : Committee of 100 Speakers: · Derald Wing Sue , Professor of Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University · Emma Zang , Associate Professor of Sociology, Yale University DESCRIPTION: The model minority stereotype is often dismissed as a "compliment" but creates real harm for Chinese Americans and Asian Americans more broadly. New data from the 2025 State of Chinese Americans survey reveals Chinese Americans who regularly encounter these assumptions report significantly more psychological distress than those who face no discrimination at all. These seemingly positive assumptions mask significant disparities—and the harm compounds. This is the third installment of C100's 2025 State of Chinese Americans webinar series, featuring new survey data on how these “positive” stereotypes are associated with measurable psychological distress and mask significant mental health disparities within Asian American communities. Professors Derald Wing Sue and Emma Zang, will unpack why this stereotype persists, who it hurts most, and what practitioners and policymakers can do differently. REGISTRATION : https://committee100-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/2117768023399/WN_wonLo_NmSoSBL5DCldJvKQ#/registration 4. Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony WHAT : Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony WHEN : August 7-9 2026 WHERE : Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University HOST : Asian American Research Center at Stanford, Asian American Scholar Forum DESCRIPTION : The goal of the Pioneer Project is to educate the public on the history of Asian American pioneers and scholars who have made transformative contributions to our country and the world. FOR MORE INFORMATION : Visit https://www.aasforum.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 April 27, 2026 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #131 Toby on AAU; Senate Targets Faculty Foreign Gift; Labs PostDoc Shortage; Twitter #131 Toby on AAU; Senate Targets Faculty Foreign Gift; Labs PostDoc Shortage; Twitter Back View PDF June 29, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter