Newsletter - #307 2/3 Meeting; Birthright Citizenship Campaigns; Section 702 of FISA Ruling; 1/6 Summary #307 2/3 Meeting; Birthright Citizenship Campaigns; Section 702 of FISA Ruling; 1/6 Summary In This Issue #307 · 2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Nationwide Mobilization to Defend Birthright Citizenship · Cato: Federal Court Rules FISA Section 702 “Back Door” Searches Unconstitutional · 2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, February 3, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Kai Li 李凯 , Vice President, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Gary Locke 骆家辉 , Chair, Committee of 100; former U.S. Ambassador to China; former U/S. Secretary of Commerce; former Governor of the State of Washington · Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 , Founder and Executive Chair, US-China Education Trust; former U.S. Ambassador · Bethany Li , Executive Director, Asian American Legal Defense Education Fund (AALDEF) · Scott Chang , Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Nationwide Mobilization to Defend Birthright Citizenship ACLU and Stop AAPI Hate have launched campaigns calling on the public to urge Congress to protect birthright citizenship after President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to deny citizenship to countless children and babies born in the U.S. · Join the ACLU campaign: https://bit.ly/3PLukO7 · Join the Stop AAPI Hate campaign: https://bit.ly/3PMApKc The United States is a nation founded and built by immigrants. While some were brought here against their will, others arrived in pursuit of the American Dream or for various other reasons.Birthright citizenship is firmly rooted in the U.S. Constitution through the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all individuals born on American soil, a principle upheld by Supreme Court rulings like United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898). It provides legal certainty and equality, ensuring that all children born in the U.S. have equal status regardless of their parents’ origins or immigration status, preventing statelessness and promoting fairness. It has been a cornerstone of American society since 1868, fostering national unity, social stability, and a clear, inclusive pathway to citizenship in a nation built by immigrants.On January 21, 2025, the case CASA v. Trump, docket number 8:25-cv-00201-DLB, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The plaintiff, CASA, Inc., a nonprofit organization, challenges the Trump administration's executive order concerning birthright citizenship. Read the CASA announcement: https://bit.ly/4azYPQJ . This is the fourth known lawsuit on the executive order: · 2025/01/20 New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Trump (1:25-cv-00038) https://bit.ly/40sjdhU · 2025/01/20 Doe v. Trump (1:25-cv-10136) https://bit.ly/40tjtNI · 2025/02/21 State of Washington et al v. Trump et al (2:25-cv-00127) https://bit.ly/3PPcee8 · 2025/02/21 CASA Inc. et al v. Trump et al (8:25-cv-00201) https://bit.ly/4aG6nBG According to AP , New York Times , Washington Post , and other media reports, on January 23, 2025, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s executive order, dealing the president his first setback as he attempts to upend the nation’s immigration laws and reverse decades of precedent. In a hearing held three days after Trump issued his executive order, Federal District Court judge, John C. Coughenour , sided at least for the moment with four states in State of Washington et al v. Trump et al (2:25-cv-00127). “This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” he said. “Frankly,” he continued, challenging Trump administration lawyers, “I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind.”The decision applies nationwide and prevents the Trump administration from taking steps to implement the executive order for 14 days. In the meantime, the parties will submit further arguments about the merits of Trump’s order. Judge Coughenour scheduled a hearing on February 6 to decide whether to block it long term as the case proceeds. On January 24, 2025, the Committee of 100 issued a public statement on President Trump’s executive order. “This Executive Order is a blatant attack on a fundamental constitutional right—a right upheld by the landmark case of a son of Chinese immigrants, United States v. Wong Kim Ark,” said Cindy Tsai , Interim President, Committee of 100. “For generations, the Chinese American community has faced exclusionary policies, systemic racism, and violence, despite generations of contributions to this nation. Revoking birthright citizenship represents a troubling return to discriminatory practices, disturbing settled law, and decades of progress toward inclusivity. Targeting this right is an assault on the core American values of liberty and equality. The Committee of 100 stands firmly in solidarity with all communities impacted by this unjust and divisive policy.”"President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship is an affront to the core principles of equality and opportunity that have guided this nation for generations," said Stewart Kwoh , Co-Founder of The Asian American Education Project and Committee of 100 Member since 1999. "As educators, we know firsthand how the fear and uncertainty created by such policies harm our students and their families, particularly in immigrant communities. This order threatens to marginalize and disenfranchise children born on U.S. soil, many of whom belong to the AAPI community, and it risks undoing the progress we've made toward a more inclusive and equitable society." On January 24, 2025, San Francisco District Attorney David Chiu joined a dozen community leaders, local experts and historians at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) to reflect on the community’s history of fighting discriminatory immigration policies. CCBA, also known as the Chinese Six Companies, was founded in 1882 as a coalition of associations by immigrants with shared roots in southern China. It raised funds and hired prominent lawyers to bring Wong Kim Ark’s case to the Supreme Court. “Donald Trump has repeatedly and blatantly disregarded the rule of law and our Constitution,” said Chiu. “This is not a one-off case,” said community historian David Lei , adding that the community spearheaded some 10,000 civil rights lawsuits in the first 23 of the more than 60 years the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect. “The real story was: We fought back,” Lei said. In their suit, Doe v. Trump (1:25-cv-10136), against the birthright citizenship order, plaintiffs including the city of San Francisco. “It’s not just a Chinese issue,” said Bill Ong Hing , a professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco. Hing noted that the anti-Chinese sentiment from a century ago has resurfaced in new forms, now also targeting immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Norman Wong , the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, echoed Hing, saying that other family members who were not of Chinese descent were affected by past discriminatory policies. Wong’s mother, who is Japanese American, was forcibly taken to an incarceration camp with her family under Executive Order 9066 during World War II. “These are the consequences of these unequal laws,” Wong said. City Attorney David Chiu said he expects the lawsuits to prevail in appellate court, but that the Trump administration will likely appeal the appellate rulings all the way up to the Supreme Court. Read the San Francisco Public Press report: https://bit.ly/40zGRJo . Read the AP News report: https://bit.ly/3Wzps2l Cato: Federal Court Rules FISA Section 702 “Back Door” Searches Unconstitutional According to Cato Institute on January 22, 2025, a December 2, 2024, ruling by Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall of the Eastern District of New York marked a significant development in surveillance law, finding that the FBI’s use of warrantless "back door" searches under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) violated the Fourth Amendment. These searches allow the FBI to query communications collected without a warrant from non-U.S. persons abroad, but they often incidentally include Americans’ communications. The court’s decision underscores longstanding concerns over privacy and the scope of government surveillance powers. Despite acknowledging the constitutional violation, the court denied defendant Agron Hasbajrami ’s motion to suppress the evidence obtained through these searches, citing separate legal grounds. Hasbajrami, a lawful U.S. resident originally from Albania, was charged in 2011 with providing material support to a terrorist organization. While the evidence obtained through Section 702 queries played a key role in the investigation, the court determined that excluding the evidence was not warranted under the circumstances of the case.The ruling has drawn significant attention from civil liberties advocates. Patrick Toomey , an attorney with the ACLU, remarked, “While the new opinion holds that the FBI’s Section 702 queries violated the Fourth Amendment, the court ultimately denied the defendant’s motion to suppress the resulting evidence on separate grounds.” This decision highlights the ongoing debate over balancing national security interests with constitutional protections and could have implications for the upcoming reauthorization of Section 702, a key provision of U.S. intelligence law set to expire in December 2025. Xiaoxing Xi, a Chinese American physics professor at Temple University, and his family filed a lawsuit in 2017, challenges the FBI’s baseless arrest of him and its surveillance methods as well as its discriminatory targeting of Chinese American scientists. ACLU represents Professor Xi, who is suing the government over its dismissed prosecution of him for supposedly sharing sensitive technology with scientists in China. The dangers of giving the government sweeping surveillance powers are real and unmistakable. Professor Xi's case is a glaring example of an innocent American’s privacy rights being grossly violated, with disastrous consequences for him and his family.Read the Cato Institute report: https://bit.ly/3Q8Depn . Read the ACLU summary of Professor Xi's lawsuit: https://bit.ly/3GlCCqS 2025/01/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The January 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at . We thank the following speakers for their reports and updates: · Judy Chu , Chair Emeritus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) with video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNT61PApwQ (8:17) · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Kai Li , Vice President, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · Sudip Parikh , Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Executive Publisher of the Science family of journals · Robert S. Chang , Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, University of California Irvine School of Law · Yawei Liu , Senior Advisor, China Focus, Carter Center Read the January 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting summary: https://bit.ly/40J9cOY . Read previous monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/01/30 USCET Women in China Policy: Tech and US-China Competition2025/01/30 ACLU Know Your Rights Training: Mass Deportation2025/02/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2023/02/03 Getting China Right: Launch of ACF Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University2025/02/13-15 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting2025/02/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2025/03/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Get Help Today on LA Fires Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance: · Online at DisasterAssistance.gov · Calling 800-621-3362 · By using the FEMA smart phone application · Assistance is available in over 40 languages · If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Please share with your families, friends, and colleagues in the Los Angeles area. 3. 2025/01/30 USCET Women in China Policy: Tech and US-China Competition WHAT : Women in China Policy: Tech and US-China Competition WHEN: January 30, 2025, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm ET WHERE: Room 505, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University HOST: US-China Education Trust, Women's Foreign Policy Group, and the American Mandarin Society PANELISTS : · Nina Palmer , Senior Principal Data Scientist for Strategic Economics, MITRE · Samantha Payne , Defense Fellow, Office of U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX). DESCRIPTION: This insightful discussion will explore the critical intersection of technology and U.S.-China competition, offering unique perspectives on this complex topic. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3PNW0lI 4. 2025/01/30 ACLU Know Your Rights Training: Mass Deportation WHAT : ACLU Know Your Rights Training: Mass Deportation WHEN : January 30, 2025, 8:00 pm ET WHERE : Training via Zoom HOST : ACLU DESCRIPTION : The Trump administration has been gearing up for mass deportations since day one, threatening the safety of millions of families. Join the ACLU's People Power Immigration/Deportation Know Your Rights Training to learn how you can protect immigrant communities facing these escalating threats. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/3PLEvCl # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF January 27, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #57 Heritage Month Activities; Goverment's Own Bias; Yellow Whistle Campaign Grows #57 Heritage Month Activities; Goverment's Own Bias; Yellow Whistle Campaign Grows Back View PDF April 30, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #353 10/6 Meeting; Tariffs/AAPI; AASF Update; Detention Target Millions; Julia Chang Bloch+ #353 10/6 Meeting; Tariffs/AAPI; AASF Update; Detention Target Millions; Julia Chang Bloch+ In This Issue #353 · 2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Asian American Businesses Hit Hard by Trump Tariffs · Update from Asian American Scholar Forum · Mass Detention and Deportation Target Millions · The Honorable Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, October 6, 2025, 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 by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Mike German , Retired Fellow, Liberty & National Security, Brennan Center for Justice · Margaret Lewis , Professor, Seton Hall University School of Law · Pat Eddington , Senior Fellow, Homeland Security and Civil Liberties, Cato Institute The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Asian American Businesses Hit Hard by Trump Tariffs On September 19, 2025, AsAmNews and South China Morning Post reported that Asian American businesses nationwide are bearing disproportionate costs from President Trump’s newly imposed tariffs. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) warned that many small businesses—already operating on thin margins—now face steep cost increases that force them to raise prices, cut staff, or risk closure. Asian Americans own about 11 percent of U.S. small businesses, according to Pew Research. Yet many rely on imported goods not produced domestically, leaving them little choice but to absorb tariff hikes. As of August 6, the Yale Budget Lab estimated average U.S. tariffs at 27.9 percent on Chinese goods and 15.6 percent on imports from the rest of the world (excluding Canada and Mexico). Real-World Impacts · Chinatown Restaurants : A New York establishment reported that spice and seasoning costs have doubled since tariffs began. · Family Importers : A small business importing medicinal oils saw shipping fees spike from US$500 to US$13,000 per shipment. “At this point, Asian American businesses and communities are being treated as collateral damage,” said Rep. Grace Meng (NY), CAPAC chair, at a Capitol Hill event. Rep. Judy Chu (CA), CAPAC chair emerita, called the tariffs a “cruel betrayal” that inflicted “needless pain and uncertainty” on her constituents. Legal and Political Battles CAPAC members are pressing the administration to reverse course, warning that the tariffs threaten cultural and economic lifelines in communities like Chinatown and beyond. Meanwhile, the courts are weighing the legality of Trump’s policies: on August 29, a federal appeals court ruled that most of the tariffs were illegal, yet allowed them to remain in place while appeals proceed. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider the case on an expedited timeline in early November. Until then, the uncertainty continues to weigh heavily on small businesses and consumers alike. Impact Nationwide Under the banner “We Pay the Tariffs”, more than 100 small-business owners held a concurrent rally on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, joined by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Speakers warned that ballooning import costs jeopardize long-standing family enterprises and force layoffs, deepening strain on vulnerable communities. Tiffany Williams , a third-generation owner of the Luggage Shop of Lubbock, Texas, questioned Trump’s promises of long-term benefits: “What exactly does that mean? And is it worth risking the survival of small local businesses like ours?” Travis McMaster of Cocoon USA, an outdoor goods retailer in Washington state, said he shifted production from China to India—only to face new 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports: “We need to put a stop to this whiplash. Our business isn’t run on a whim, and our country shouldn’t be either.” Update from Asian American Scholar Forum During the APA Justice Monthly Meeting on September 8, 2025, Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), commended the Civil Society Letter that AASF—alongside Advancing Justice | AAJC, Stop AAPI Hate, and Chinese for Affirmative Action—has been leading. She urged everyone, in their personal capacities, to contact their Congressional representatives to oppose the revival of the China Initiative. AASF fellows, led by Professors Peter Michelson and Steven Kivelson , circulated a faculty letter to over 1,400 colleagues, urging them to reach out to Congress and educate lawmakers on the harms of the China Initiative. Gisela noted that the scientific community is both directly impacted by its return and uniquely qualified to explain why it undermines U.S. competitiveness in science and technology. A template letter from an academic perspective has been shared, and more than 70 individuals have already confirmed they contacted their representatives. Legislative and Advocacy Work: AASF is reviewing legislation at the intersection of national security, immigration, and academic freedom, with a focus on how scientists, scholars, and researchers are being unfairly targeted. Annual Symposium : AASF recently hosted its annual symposium at Stanford University with over 2,000 registrants, including three former Secretaries of State, industry leaders such as Jensen Huang , multiple Nobel laureates, and pioneers in science and technology. The symposium highlighted not only the need to protect civil rights but also to celebrate the vast contributions of Asian Americans and immigrants—whose innovations span from cell phones to platforms like Zoom. Celebrating Contributions : Gisela emphasized that defending a community is not enough—we must also uplift and spotlight its members as pioneers of the nation. To that end, AASF announced a forthcoming documentary, produced in collaboration with NBC’s Richard Lui and Alex Lo , featuring Dr. David Ho , whose groundbreaking work has saved over 25 million lives. The film will also profile other AASF medalists across diverse fields. A private screening of the trailer was shared at the symposium, with public release to come. Looking Ahead : Gisela stressed the importance of telling these stories so future generations understand how Asian Americans and immigrants have shaped American life. Countering scapegoating, misinformation, and fear-mongering requires knowledge of our shared history and recognition of contributions that strengthen the nation.Summary of the September 8 meeting has been posted at https://bit.ly/42MYKGy . We sincerely thank the following speakers for sharing their updates and thoughts at the meeting: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) · Cindy Tsai , Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Committee of 100 (C100) · Rosie Levine , Executive Director, U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET) · Bob Sakaniwa , Director of Policy and Advocacy, APIAVote · Thu Nguyen , Executive Director, OCA National Center The coalition of AASF, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Stop AAPI Hate continues to oppose the revival of the China Initiative and urges supporters to call their senators and track the responses. Mass Detention and Deportation Target Millions According to Politico (September 20, 2025), the Trump administration has launched a sweeping detention policy requiring nearly all undocumented immigrants—regardless of how long they have lived in the U.S. or their criminal history—to be held in custody during deportation proceedings. Since July 8, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reclassified long-time residents as “applicants for admission,” eliminating their ability to seek bond. Judges nationwide have overwhelmingly struck down the policy as unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional, ordering many detainees released.The administration defends the policy as central to Trump’s mass deportation strategy, framing detention as both a deterrent and a mechanism to encourage “self-deportation.” Federal courts, however, have described it as a radical misinterpretation of immigration law and a violation of due process. The administration has also relied heavily on “automatic stays” to block release orders—tactics sharply criticized by judges as an abuse of power.This approach has swept up long-settled immigrants with deep U.S. roots, including parents of American-born children and individuals with no criminal records. With lawsuits mounting, a pivotal ACLU case in California could determine whether the policy is blocked nationwide. The administration, however, is betting on a favorable Supreme Court ruling to preserve its strategy.On September 13, 2026, The Guardian drew a direct line between ICE’s militarized raids and earlier chapters of American xenophobia, showing how generations of immigrants have been subjected to systemic exclusion. It profiled four Californians— Christine Valenciana , Felicia Lowe , Satsuki Ina , and Eliseo Medina —whose lives and family histories span forced Mexican repatriation in the 1930s, the discriminatory interrogations of Chinese “paper sons” at Angel Island, Japanese American internment during World War II, and labor struggles in immigrant communities.Their stories illustrate how today’s raids echo the past: mass roundups, fear-based tactics, racial profiling, and detention without due process. Yet the interviewees also voice cautious optimism. In an era of digital media and public accountability, they believe visibility, memory, and activism can help communities resist repetition of these cycles—and push the nation toward a more just and inclusive path. NIAC Deportation Defense Training and Tracker On September 17, 2025, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), along with Asian Law Caucus and the New York Civil Liberties Union, hosted a special training on building community power to equip the communities for successful defense against unjust detentions and deportations. Visit https://bit.ly/47Vdtmo to view the training video and presentation package. NIAC has also started a regularly updated tracker on Iranian nationals detained by ICE in 2025. The Honorable Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 The Honorable Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 is a featured speaker in the inaugural webinar titled "Bridging Nations: People-to-People Exchange in U.S. China Relations" on Thursday, October 16, 2025, starting at 8:00 PM ET. Register to attend the webinar by scanning the QR code above or clicking this link: https://bit.ly/20251016Webinar Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch was the first Asian American to serve as a U.S. Ambassador and the first Asian American Peace Corps Volunteer. She began her distinguished career in 1964 as a Volunteer in Malaysia and rose to become U.S. Ambassador to Nepal in 1989. Her public service included presidential appointments at the U.S. Agency for International Development, leadership roles in the U.S. Senate and U.S. Information Agency, and fellowships at Harvard University. She is recognized among 147 notable women in U.S. history in A to Z of American Women Leaders and Activists.After 25 years in government, Ambassador Bloch entered the private sector in 1993 as Group Executive Vice President at Bank of America, where she led Public Relations, Government Affairs, and Public Policy. She later served as President and CEO of the United States-Japan Foundation and, beginning in 1998, shifted her focus to China as a visiting professor and academic leader at institutions including Peking University, Fudan University, and the University of Maryland. She is the Founding President and Executive Chair of the US-China Education Trust (USCET) and co-founder of both the Organization of Chinese American Women and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group.A more personal story: Julia's family immigrated to the United States when she was nine, settling in San Francisco. Her father, Chang Fuyun 張福運 , a Boxer Indemnity Scholarship 庚子賠款獎學金 recipient, was the first Chinese national to graduate from Harvard Law School. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/10/01 C100: Obstacles and Opportunities in Media and Entertainment2025/10/03 Covering China—Journalism, Scholarship, and the Global Conversation2025/10/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/10/07 Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: David Henry Hwang2025/10/16 Bridging Nations: The Power of People-to-People Exchange in U.S.-China Relations2025/10/23 C100 Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative: Asian American Women in the LawVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. C100: Obstacles and Opportunities in Media and Entertainment WHAT : Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative: Obstacles and Opportunities in Media and Entertainment WHEN : October 1, 2025, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm ET WHERE : Webinar HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator: Peter Young , Chairman of the Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative and Committee of 100 member Speakers : · Albert Cheng , Vice President, Head of Prime Video · Richard Lui , NBC/MSNBC News Anchor · Nicole Dungca , Reporter, The Washington Post and President, Asian American Journalists Association DESCRIPTION : This is the 49th Committee of 100 Asian American Career Ceilings Initiative event on "Obstacles and Opportunities in Media and Entertainment". There will be a one hour virtual panel with Q&A, followed by a 30 minute virtual networking event. This event will feature insights from accomplished panelists who have expertise on this topic from their current professional responsibilities as well as their own personal careers. REGISTRATION : https://c100-10-1-2025.eventbrite.com # # # 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 September 26, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #166 Webinar/Texas; Wen Ho Lee/Xiaoxing Xi, NYPD Angwang; 1/9 Meeting Summary; Arrowood #166 Webinar/Texas; Wen Ho Lee/Xiaoxing Xi, NYPD Angwang; 1/9 Meeting Summary; Arrowood In This Issue #166 Update on Houston Rally and Mini Series Webinars From Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to Today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Yet Another Victim of The "China Initiative" - Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 2023/01/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted Biden Administration Will Not Renominate Casey Arrowood Update on First Webinar and Houston Rally Against Racist Bills "A Call to Stop SB 147 and All Alien Land Laws" Webinar on February 17, 2023 The first of two webinars in a mini series on the discriminatory Texas Senate Bill 147 and historical alien land laws will be held on Friday, February 17, 2023, starting at 5 pm ET/4 pm CT/2 p.m. PT. Panelists for the webinar include Gene Wu 吳元之 , Representative, Texas House of Representatives Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Attorney, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) Jamal Abdi , President, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) David Donatti , Staff Attorney, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), is invited to give the opening remark.The webinar is co-sponsored by United Chinese Americans (UCA, www.ucausa.org ), APA Justice ( www.apajustice.org ) and 1882 Foundation ( www.1882foundation.org )Register for the webinar here: http://bit.ly/3jXSPv9 Houston Rally Against Racist Bills on February 11, 2023 Texas State Representative Gene Wu 吳元之 and a coalition of community organizations led a rally in Houston on February 11, 2023, to protest against the proposed discriminatory Senate Bills 147 and 552. Joining the rally and speaking to condemn the discriminatory bills were Sheila Jackson Lee , Al Green , and Lizzie Fletcher , members of U.S. Congress; Rep. Ron Reynolds , Vice Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus; Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner ; Alice Chen 谭秋晴 , City Council Member, City of Stafford, Texas; David Donatti , Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas; and members of the Chinese, Korean, Iranian, and other immigrant communities.Professor Steven Pei 白先慎 , Co-Organizer of APA Justice, was on the ground and spoke at the rally. He provided the organizers with 1,000 yellow whistles with the message of "We Belong" for distribution to rally participants. The whistles added significant volume to the voices at the rally. The event was livestreamed at Facebook and can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3HYqVaj (video 2:01:07). A photo album on the rally is here: http://bit.ly/3YFVl86 Media Reports on Houston Rally and More On February 11, 2023, Click2Houston reported on the rally by the Asian American community and leaders to express outrage for Texas Senate Bill 147. According to the report, “This type of legislation. This growing anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment is a direct attack on our community and on our city, quite frankly,” Texas State Representative Gene Wu 吳元之 said. “Senate Bill 147 should not be addressed at the state level,” Congressman Al Green said. “This is something we can do at the federal level because we have a committee on foreign investments to do just this.”Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says one-quarter of the city is foreign-born and comes from outside of the US. He says the bill sets the wrong tone. “And then how do you enforce it? Do you assume? Or put the burden on every Asian American to demonstrate that they do not have any affiliation with one of those countries,” he said.Watch and read the Click2Houston report: https://bit.ly/3YsAkOv According to YahooNews on February 9, 2023, foreign ownership of farmland and other real estate, particularly by Chinese citizens or businesses, is becoming a hot issue in the United States, and not only in Texas. Florida, Arkansas, South Dakota and eight other states are considering legislation to restrict foreign ownership.Texas, though, may be a bellwether. With 28.8 million citizens, Texas is the second most populous state. Of its residents, 1.4 million define their ethnicity as Asian, and 223,500 say they are of Chinese origin, US census data shows. Houston, the fourth largest US city, has 156,000 residents who identify as Asian. They include US citizens with Asian heritage but also Chinese permanent residents -- or green card holders -- who are not naturalized citizens. Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst , sponsor of Texas Senate Bill 147, said that her proposed bans would not affect people with US citizenship or permanent resident status nor anyone "fleeing the tyranny" in their homelands. For Ling Luo 罗玲 , a first-generation Chinese immigrant and director of the Asian Americans Leadership Council, such statements are not convincing -- even to US citizens like herself."Who knows if you're a citizen or you aren't a citizen? It's not written on your face. Your Chinese face is what makes people come and abuse us, hate us, to beat us up," she said.Read the YahooNews report: https://yhoo.it/3E31Z0o From Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to Today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Sharyl Attkisson is a five-time Emmy Award winning investigative journalist. She hosts the Sinclair Broadcast Group TV show Full Measure , as well as a Podcast.According to Attkisson Podcast 173 on February 2, 2023, from Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 , the FBI has for decades been wrongly accusing numerous innocent Chinese American scientist of being spies. This episode includes never-before-discussed background on the Wen Ho Lee story, which Attkisson broke on CBS News as a young reporter. Attkisson advises that when the government leaks a story, do not accept it at face value, conduct research, and check with reliable and trusted sources. Attkisson cited Wen Ho Lee as a case in point. More than 20 years ago, she received a tip that the People's Republic of China had stolen the design plan for the W-88 American thermonuclear warhead, but there was no suspect or how it was lost. When the government leaked the identity of a suspect in the name of Chinese American nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, a Chinese American nuclear scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, before an arrest or charges were made, Attkisson was skeptical and did not follow other media in repeating the government's story as if Lee was already guilty. Based on the sources Attkisson had talked to, she concluded that the government used Lee as a scapegoat out of the embarrassment that the FBI and the government did not know how the W-88 secrets were lost. Attkisson then went on to tell the horrific behavior of the FBI falsifying information about Lee's lie detector tests. Wen Ho Lee either passed or failed his spy-related polygraph test depending on who was interpreting the results. Attkisson's video report is no longer available online, but the written report titled Wen Ho Lee's Problematic Polygraph is online here: https://cbsn.ws/3YM5qk7 Wen Ho Lee took a polygraph test on December 23, 1998, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Because Lee, a Taiwanese American had recently been to Taiwan, had visited China in the past, and purportedly had access to America's top nuclear secrets, the FBI focused on him as the prime suspect in the emerging case. According to the Podcast, the FBI still was not close to making an arrest even at the beginning of the test, but the Department of Energy's (DOE) head of counterintelligence, Ed Curran, was reluctant to leave Lee in his highly sensitive job in the Los Alamos laboratory's X Division. So he ordered the polygraph test. FBI agents were standing by ready to interrogate Lee if his polygraph answers proved to be deceptive. Lee was asked four espionage-related questions. The polygraph results were so convincing and unequivocal that sources say the Deputy Director of the Los Alamos lab issued an apology to Lee and began to reinstate Lee to the X Division. Furthermore, sources confirmed to CBS News that the local Albuquerque FBI office sent a memo to Headquarters in Washington saying it appeared that Lee was not their spy. The key decision makers in Washington were unconvinced. Several weeks after the polygraph, DOE decided to assign the unusual designation of the polygraph being incomplete. And officials in Washington also ordered a halt to Lee's reinstatement to the X Division. When FBI Headquarters in Washington finally obtained the DOE polygraph results, they said Lee had failed. The FBI then did their own testing of Lee and then claimed again that he failed the polygraph. Yet sources say the FBI didn't interrogate Lee or even tell him that he had failed the polygraph, which is an odd deviation from procedure for agents who are taught to immediately question anyone who is deceptive in a polygraph. Then on March 7, 1999, the FBI ordered another interrogation of Lee. This time in a confrontational style interview. One special agent doing the questioning told Lee no fewer than 30 times he had failed his polygraph. He repeatedly demanded Lee to know why. One investigative source told Attkisson that after this particular day of questioning, the lead FBI agent verbalized that she thought Lee was not the right man, but again others still remained unconvinced. Here are some selected excerpts from the interrogation: FBI special agent: "You're never going to pass a polygraph. And you're never going to have a clearance. And you're not going to have a job. And if you get arrested you're not going to have a retirement...If I don't have something that I can tell Washington as to why you're failing those polygraphs, I can't do a thing." Lee: "Well I don't understand." FBI special agent: "I can't get you your job. I can't do anything for you, Wen Ho. I can't stop the newspapers from knocking on your door. I can't stop the newspapers from calling your son. I can't stop the people from polygraphing your wife. I can't stop somebody from coming and knocking on your door and putting handcuffs on you." Lee: "I don't know how to handle this case, I'm an honest person and I'm telling you all the truth and you don't believe it. I, that's it." FBI special agent: "Do you want to go down in history whether you're professing your innocence like the Rosenbergs to the day that they take you to the electric chair?" Lee: "I believe eventually, and I think God, God will make it his judgement." FBI Culture. One of the lead FBI agents in the Wen Ho Lee case was Charles McGonigal , who was rewarded with promotions. On October 4, 2016, he was named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division for the FBI New York Field Office. On January 23, 2023, McGonigal was arrested and indicted allegedly for taking money from a former Albanian intelligence employee and from a representative of a Russian oligarch. The charges came in separate indictments unsealed in New York and Washington, D.C., after an investigation by FBI, his own agency, and federal prosecutors. On January 24, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray told employees in an internal message that McGonigal does not represent the actions of the rest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, despite the fact that he rose through the ranks for three decades. Innocent victims like Wen Ho Lee and taxpayers pay the ultimate price when the FBI failed to punish misconduct and rewarded them instead. The FBI has always denied racial profiling despite mounts of facts and cases to the contrary. Listen to the Attkisson Podcast: http://bit.ly/3YGuJnx (audio 27:07). Read the CBS News report in 2000: https://cbsn.ws/3YM5qk7 According to the Sinclair Broadcast Group website , Full Measure is an award-winning, weekly national news program, focused on investigative, original, and accountability reporting, and dedicated to pursuing untouchable subjects through fearless journalism. Full Measure , hosted by journalist Sharyl Attkisson , airs on Sinclair stations on Sunday mornings. The program is fed to 43 million TV households in the US each Sunday on our ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, Fox and Telemundo affiliates. A full TV station list by state and city is provided here: http://bit.ly/3Xp3dtJ . The broadcasts are also available online.According to the Full Measure broadcast of "Search for Spies" on February 5, 2023, the way the U.S. is addressing the need to protect American technology amid Chinese efforts to steal it is causing more harm than good and leading to innocent scientists being charged as spies.The report included an interview with Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 , Professor of Physics at Temple University. Xi's rude awakening came early one morning in May of 2015 when armed FBI agents with their gun drawn, ordered his wife and two daughters out of their bedrooms with their hands raised, and arrested Xi.The FBI wrongly accused Xi of being a spy. "What we do know is that the FBI agent who investigated my case made up evidence, and he was told that I was not talking about the pocket heater before he went ahead and charged me," Xi said during the interview. Xi is suing the government, accusing “law enforcement agents of abus[ing] the legal process by obtaining indictments and search warrants based on misrepresentations or by fabricating evidence.” The FBI denies wrongdoing."I want to say that the fact that the Department of Justice is spending this much resource on these innocent Chinese-American academics, the question I would ask is, are they really catching real spies, right? Are they spending taxpayers' money responsibly in protecting our country," Xi said in the interview. After FBI misconduct was revealed in the Wen Ho Lee 李文和 case, Lee pleaded guilty to just one count of mishandling data, no spy charges, and was released with an extraordinary apology. Judge James Parker said those who led Lee’s prosecution "embarrassed our entire nation and each of us who is a citizen in it.” President Bill Clinton also questioned his justice department's actions.In closing, Attkisson said, "Prosecutors recently asked a judge to dismiss criminal charges against a New York City police officer and Army reservist whom the FBI had charged with being a Chinese spy in 2020."Watch and read the Full Measure report: http://bit.ly/3XnJRVW . Listen to the full interview with Professor Xi: http://bit.ly/3E35rYZ Yet Another Victim of The "China Initiative" - Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 The New York City police officer and Army reservist whom the FBI had charged with being a Chinese spy in 2020 is Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , According to the New York Times on February 10, 2023, Angwang was born in 1986 in a village in Tibet on southwest China. He traveled to the U.S. on a cultural exchange visa as a teenager. Angwang returned to the U.S. at 17, sought asylum and ultimately secured U.S. citizenship. In 2009, he joined the Marines and served seven months in Afghanistan. After an honorable discharge in 2014, he joined the Army Reserve, obtaining “secret” level security clearance.He joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 2016, inspired, he said, by the sharp uniforms and the kindness of street cops he relied on when he first arrived. He married and settled in suburban Long Island, a short drive to his job as a patrol officer and, later, community affairs liaison in Queens’s 111th Precinct, where many Tibetans live. His parents still live in Tibet.Federal authorities arrested Angwang in September 2020, they accused him of reporting on other Tibetans to a handler at the Chinese consulate in New York. They said he had lied on security forms and questioned whether his case for citizenship had been predicated on false claims. Angwang faced the potential of 55 years in prison. His indictment was yet another unjust case under the now-defunct "China Initiative" launched by the Department of Justice under Donald Trump .A federal judge dismissed the charges last month, at the government’s request. Pressed for clarity, prosecutors told the court that they had made a “holistic” assessment of the evidence, and that the charges should be dropped “in the interests of justice.” The case’s unraveling demonstrates the complexity of investigations based on classified intelligence, the broad powers of the federal government to sweep up communications and the challenges of prosecuting, let alone defending, those cases in court. Now that he is no longer accused of being a secret agent for China, Angwang started to ask hard questions. He has been on paid administrative leave from the Police Department for two years, and has not been allowed to rejoin.The hardest question: How could he — a naturalized U.S. citizen, New York City police officer and Marine Corps veteran — have been jailed for months over what he says were misunderstood phone calls and classified evidence that not even his lawyer could see in full? Angwang is rankled by the extreme secrecy with which the government held its classified evidence, describing it as an “abuse of power.” His lawyer, John Carman , said that what little evidence he was allowed to review was condensed and redacted. He was not allowed to share it with his client.Angwang and John Carmen have agreed to speak at the next APA Justice monthly meeting on March 6, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET/10:55 am PT.Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/40RZ9VS . Read the Angwang story and coverage on the APA Justice website: https://bit.ly/3RIqXId 2023/01/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The January 9, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at https://bit.ly/3YpMJTv . We thank the following speakers for sharing their updates and thoughts with us: Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, kicked off the New Year with us again by reviewing 2022 and looking to what is ahead in 2023. Rep. Chu described the formation of APA Justice in 2015, back when Sherry Chen and Dr. Xiaoxing Xi's cases became public, "we never knew how large of a problem targeting our communities would become and what new struggles we would face, but thanks to your leadership, the Asian American scientific and academic community's voices are louder than ever before, and more people are aware of the blatant racial profiling that our communities have faced at the hands of our own government... CAPAC will continue to prioritize calling out blatantly xenophobic, anti-China rhetoric, and pushing back policies that unfairly target Chinese American communities, which we unfortunately are expecting to see much more of in the year ahead." Watch Rep. Chu's video at: https://youtu.be/FLxSG7jNbco (video 8:59) Sherry Chen 陈霞芬 , Hydrologist, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), spoke about her historic settlement and 10-year fight for justice. Despite the low odds, a historical settlement was reached with DOC and Justice Department for Sherry’s employment case, and her lawsuit against both departments, ending the decade-long legal battle of three lawsuits, including the criminal case against Sherry Chen. Her life was turned upside down by the government’s illegal investigation. She was treated as a spy and arrested in front of her coworkers despite no evidence whatsoever. Despite being offered many plea deals, Sherry decided to maintain her innocence and reject these deals, ready to fight for justice at trial. Sherry discussed her meeting with DOC official Benjamin Friedman where she brought up several issues and concerns with the agency's recent changes, especially the lack of accountability and employee protections for privacy and civil rights. Mr. Friedman promised that he would bring her suggestions and concerns to the relevant offices. Sherry hopes that her case can be an example to others fighting for justice and civil rights. Though there is no amount of money or reparations that can undo the wrongful damages and harms Sherry Chen has experienced, the settlement does achieve her goal for this fight, to hold the government accountable and to bring positive impact to prevent this type of situation from happening to other individuals in the future. Sherry shared the letter of accomplishment she received from DOC here: https://bit.ly/3Xak0AW Vincent Wang 王文奎 , Co-organizer, APA Justice; Chair, Ohio Chinese American Association; and Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans, provided recap of the Congressional Reception in honor of Sherry Chen on December 13, 2022. Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described how the alliance between ACLU and the Asian American community continues to grow after the historic settlement of Sherry Chen marked one of the ACLU’s Top 4 accomplishments in 2022. The ACLU's areas of focus in 2023 will include: Xiaoxing Xi’s case, surveillance reform, border questioning, and DOJ/DHS policies against discrimination. John Trasvina , Civil Rights Attorney, Former Counsel, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution; Former Dean, University of San Francisco School of Law reported that the Senate Judiciary Committee did not approve the Casey Arrowood nomination for US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Now that the nomination has been returned to The White House, there are three possible outcomes: (1) Mr. Arrowood could be renominated. (2) The current interim US attorney, Trey Hamilton, could remain without any nomination being made. (3) Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis, the only Tennessee Congressional representative of the president's party, could start the process again to recommend a U.S. Attorney nominee to the Biden Administration. John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, reported that Under new house leadership, one of the first things that Speaker McCarthy did was to create a new select committee on China, which AAJC has obvious concerns. AAJC will follow up with DOJ as one year has passed since the end of the "China Initiative." Legislatively, there is concern about language which would essentially reinstate the "China Initiative." Read the January meeting summary here: https://bit.ly/3YpMJTv . Read past monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP Biden Administration Will Not Renominate Casey Arrowood On February 5, 2023, Knox News reported that the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Francis “Trey” Hamilton III , is an interim appointment made by the district’s judges. President Joe Biden nominated Casey Arrowood for the U.S. Attorney position, but he was not approved during the last session of the U.S. Senate, so the nomination expired. Arrowood faced opposition from Asian communities and advocates because he was the prosecutor who helped mount an espionage case against University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu 胡安明 as part of former President Donald Trump ’s “China Initiative.” The case was dropped by a federal judge in Knoxville.According to Knox News on February 6, 2023, President Joe Biden has decided not to renominate Casey Arrowood despite strong support from Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty . Earlier on December 3, 2020, Senator Blackburn issued an uneducated tweet that is insulting to all people of Chinese origin, "China has a 5,000 year history of cheating and stealing. Some things will never change..." 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 . 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Newsletter - #104 Lieber Verdict; Zaosong Zheng; Shaorong Liu; Upcoming Trials; 01/03 Meeting; Much More #104 Lieber Verdict; Zaosong Zheng; Shaorong Liu; Upcoming Trials; 01/03 Meeting; Much More Back View PDF December 27, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #245 4/8 Monthly Meeting; Bridge Collapse; Census Changes; Stephen Roach; UMichigan Post; + #245 4/8 Monthly Meeting; Bridge Collapse; Census Changes; Stephen Roach; UMichigan Post; + In This Issue #245 · 2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · The Bridge Collapse in Baltimore is an Immigration Story · Next U.S. Census Will Have New Check Boxes · Stephen Roach: American Sinophobia · US Universities Secretly Turned Their Back on Chinese Professors under DOJ's China Initiative · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 8, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Robert Underwood, Commissioner, President's Advisory Commission on AA and NHPI; Former Chair of CAPAC; Former President of University of Guam · Yvonne Lee, Commissioner, USDA Equity Commission; Former Member, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · Chenglong Li, Zhong-Ren Peng, and Jiangeng Xue, Officers of Florida Chinese Faculty Association and Professors of University of Florida · David Inoue, Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League · Cindy Tsai, Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100 The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎, Vincent Wang 王文奎, and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . On March 29, 2024, NBC News reported on the protest by professors, students and advocates across public university campuses in the Florida who say the State Bill 846 could keep graduate students from "countries of concern" out of their schools. A civil lawsuit, Yin v. Diaz (1:24-cv-21129) , was filed on March 25, 2024. Gisela, Joanna, and Professors Li, Peng, and Xue will give reports on the March 26 rally in Gainesville, Florida, at the April 8 monthly meeting. The Bridge Collapse in Baltimore is an Immigration Story According to Reuters and multiple media reports, they came to the United States seeking a better life. They found themselves laboring on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, fixing potholes under the cover of night, only to tragically lose their lives in the Baltimore harbor. All six victims of the bridge collapse were immigrants from Mexico and Central America, engaging in the type of strenuous work often undertaken by immigrants. At 1:30 a.m. EDT on March 27, 2024, a container ship collided with a support pillar of the bridge, causing it to collapse and sending the workers plummeting into the icy waters of the Patapsco River.Despite police managing to close bridge traffic moments before the collision, the maintenance crew had no time to reach safety.Some were not surprised that all of the victims were immigrants, even though they account for less than 10% of the population in Maryland's largest city."One of the reasons Latinos were involved in this accident is because Latinos do the work that others do not want to do. We have to do it, because we come here for a better life. We do not come to invade the country," said Lucia Islas , president of Comité Latino de Baltimore, a nonprofit group. Government and industry figures show that Hispanics are over-represented in high-risk jobs: 51% of construction workers, 34% of slaughterhouse workers and 61% of landscaping workers.The tragedy coincides with a U.S. presidential election where immigration is a key issue. According to Reuters , President Joe Biden 's administration has grappled with a surge in border crossings, while Republican candidate Donald Trump has employed racist rhetoric against immigrants, referring to them as "animals" and "not people" on the campaign trail and has said he would dramatically ramp up deportation if re-elected on November 5. The tragedy illustrated the contributions that migrants make to the U.S. economy, President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador said. “This demonstrates that migrants go out and do risky jobs at midnight. And for this reason, they do not deserve to be treated as they are by certain insensitive, irresponsible politicians in the United States,” he said. Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer castigated the right-wing lawmakers and pundits who have whipped up native-born Americans over immigration, calling immigrants sex traffickers and fentanyl dealers, and even “animals.” The workers who died in the bridge collapse “were not ‘poisoning the blood of our country,’” Will Bunch wrote, “they were replenishing it…. They may have been born all over the continent, but when these men plunged into our waters on Tuesday, they died as Americans.” Historian Heather Cox Richardson quoted Republican President Ronald Reagan, “we lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people—our strength—from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation…. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.” The tragedy prompts reflection on the broader immigration debate, challenging stereotypes and underscoring the humanity and contributions of immigrants to American society. Related reports: · 2024/03/29 Reuters : Baltimore: immigrants died doing job 'others do not want to do' · 2024/03/29 Los Angles Times : The Baltimore bridge collapse reminds us immigrants often do unheralded and dangerous work · 2024/03/28 MSNBC : The Baltimore bridge collapse victims were all immigrants. Here’s why we can’t ignore that · 2024/03/28 Fox News : Mexico president says Baltimore bridge collapse shows migrants 'do not deserve to be treated as they are' · 2024/03/28 CNN : The true face of immigration · 2024/03/28 Philadelphia Inquirer : A ship crashed Into a Baltimore bridge and demolished the lies about immigration · 2024/03/28 Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American · 2024/03/28 Maryland Matters : The bridge collapse is an immigration story · 2024/03/27 CBS News : Key Bridge collapse victims were 'hard workers,' says organization aimed at helping immigrants · 2024/03/27 Democracy Now : Baltimore Key Bridge Collapses, Killing Six Immigrant Workers Who Had No Access to Emergency Warnings · 2024/03/27 Washington Post : Bridge collapse brings stark reminder of immigrant workers’ vulnerabilities Next U.S. Census Will Have New Check Boxes On March 28, 2024, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) unveiled revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity. As reported by NPR, these revisions signify an expansion of the checkboxes for race and ethnicity on the next U.S. census in 2030 and future federal government forms. Under the approved proposals, participants will now encounter a new response option for "Middle Eastern or North African" (MENA) and a reformatted question that includes a "Hispanic or Latino" box under the category "What is your race and/or ethnicity?" There will be instructions that say "Select all that apply." This marks the introduction of the first entirely new racial or ethnic category required on federal government forms since 1977.Advocates for these changes emphasize the importance of updated racial and ethnic data in various aspects, including redrawing voting district maps, enforcing civil rights protections, and informing policymaking and research to better reflect people's identities today.A sea change is underway as federal agencies, as well as state, local governments, and private institutions participating in federal programs, adapt their forms and databases to align with the new statistical standards.By late September 2025, federal agencies must submit public action plans to OMB, aiming to have all of their surveys and statistics in compliance with the new requirements by late March 2029. For over three decades, advocates for Arab Americans and other MENA groups have campaigned for their own checkbox on government forms, reflecting the diverse identities within these communities. Recent research indicates that many individuals of MENA descent do not identify as white, challenging the previous federal government classification that included individuals with origins in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.In the last major changes to its standards in 1997, survey participants were allowed to report more than one race and splitting the "Asian or Pacific Islander" category into "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," which OMB has now shortened by removing the word "Other."Read the NPR report: https://n.pr/3xmB27c Related reports and statements: 2024/03/28 AP : US changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. It’s the first revision in 27 years 2024/03/28 Politico : Federal government changes how it collects data on race 2024/03/28 The Hill : US Census changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity 2024/03/28 CAPAC: CAPAC Chair Commends Historic OMB Updates to Federal Race & Ethnicity Data Standards by Biden-Harris Administration 2024/03/28 The White House: OMB Publishes Revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity Stephen Roach: American Sinophobia In a recent opinion published in Project Syndicate , Professor Stephen S. Roach , a Yale University faculty member and former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, addresses the escalating Sinophobia in America and its potential consequences. He is also author of a book titled "Accidental Conflict - America, China, and the Clash of False Narratives." Roach argues that the bipartisan nature of America's Sinophobia is transforming fear into perceived fact, heightening the risk of accidental conflict with China, which could inadvertently provoke the very aggression the U.S. seeks to prevent.He traces the origins of this sentiment back to the early 2000s, when concerns about national security led to suspicions surrounding Huawei's technological advancements, ultimately resulting in sanctions against the company. Since then, Sinophobia has expanded beyond technology to encompass various sectors, including trade and military tensions.Roach also cited China to be equally guilty of its own strain of “Ameri-phobia” – demonizing the US for its accusations of Chinese economic espionage, unfair trading practices, and human rights violations. He highlights the reciprocal nature of fear between the U.S. and China, with both countries demonizing each other based on false narratives.This escalating fear, Roach warns, parallels the red-baiting tactics of the early 1950s in the U.S., now manifesting in unsubstantiated accusations against China by politicians like Representative Mike Gallagher . Roach underscores the absence of concrete evidence supporting many of these allegations, attributing them to the bipartisan politicization of deductive reasoning and America's historical intolerance of alternative ideologies. Roach argues that instead of succumbing to fear, the U.S. must confront its own challenges, such as trade deficits and technological shortcomings, without scapegoating China. He emphasizes the need for rational leadership and quotes President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous dictum, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," urging the U.S. to rise above the politics of fear and uphold its global leadership responsibly. Read the Project Syndicate essay: https://bit.ly/3xhFAvK US Universities Secretly Turned Their Back on Chinese Professors under DOJ's China Initiative According to a University of Michigan report, American universities have increasingly distanced themselves from Chinese professors targeted under the China Initiative and similar federal agency investigations, often pressuring them to resign voluntarily or retire early. At a recent panel discussion on the China Initiative and its aftermath, hosted by the University of Michigan, panelists shared their experiences, insights and lesser-known facts. Gang Chen , one of the professors charged under the China Initiative, expressed gratitude for the support he received from MIT. “I’m the lucky one,” Chen said. Chen was one of the professors charged under the China Initiative, a program launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2018 to counter economic espionage from China. Despite the initial purpose, the program primarily focused on cases involving researchers who had failed to disclose ties with China, such as receiving grants, spending sabbaticals or summers, or receiving honorary appointments from Chinese institutions. All charges against Chen were dismissed. Peter Zeidenberg , a lawyer representing scientists and academics accused of economic espionage, highlighted how universities typically distance themselves from accused professors. Instead of acknowledging their awareness of the professors' connections with China or providing proper disclosure training, universities often shift blame to the accused. Universities often deflected blame, telling granting agencies, “It was him. He did it. Go get him,” Zeidenberg said. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest funder of academic biomedical research on the U.S. Under the China Initiative, NIH started investigating whether federal funds were used properly by faculty. This included examining whether the funds were used to do work in China due to faculty’s undisclosed connections with Chinese institutes. As a result of this investigation, 44% of the 255 professors where NIH asked universities to investigate lost their jobs. “Most of those affected were tenured professors,” said Ann Chih Lin , University of Michigan associate professor of public policy and director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. According to Lin, NIH made it clear that if they could not 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.While the Department of Justice terminated the China Initiative in 2022 amid criticism, the damage has been done. In addition to losing talent, recent research by RuiXue Jia , associate professor of economics at the University of California San Diego, indicates reduced productivity among U.S. scientists with Chinese collaborators, particularly in fields receiving pre-investigation NIH funding. Moreover, the cessation of the China Initiative does not signal the end of repercussions, as federal granting agencies continue their investigations, perpetuating potential harm. Read the University of Michigan report: https://bit.ly/3PJLb4f News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/04/02 AA and NHPI Higher Education Leadership Development Summit2024/04/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/04/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/04/17 Racially Profiled for Being A Scientist: A Discussion of the US DOJ's China Initiative2024/04/18 Corky Lee's Asian America: Fifty Years of Photographic Justice2024/04/19 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2024/04/19 Appeals Court Hearing on Florida SB 264Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. 04/09 China Town Hall On April 9, 2024, a hybrid two-part program, China Town Hall, will be held at the Newton City Hall Memorial Auditorium, Newton City, Massachusetts. The first part of the program features Dr. Kurt Campbell , Deputy Secretary of State, in a national webcast hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations (NCUSCR). This part of the program starts at 7 pm ET and is scheduled for one hour. Register here: https://bit.ly/4afaDae . The second part of the program is a local conversation with Newton City Mayor Ruthanne Fuller giving welcome address and opening remarks by Professor Min Ye of Boston University and Congressman Jake Auchincloss . Discussions will follow with Professor Lisong Liu of MassArt serving as moderator. This part of the program is co-hosted by NCUSCR and the New England Chinese American Alliance. It is scheduled to start at 8:00 pm ET for 90 minutes. Join the Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/w/87627173939#success Back View PDF April 1, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #235 Not "Spy Balloon;" Not "Spy Pigeon;" Florida Ed Partnerships End; Chinese Students; + #235 Not "Spy Balloon;" Not "Spy Pigeon;" Florida Ed Partnerships End; Chinese Students; + In This Issue #235 · A Year After the Non-Spying "Spy Balloon" Incident · From "Spy Balloon" to "Spy Pigeon" · "Another Chinese Partnership Bites the Dust" in Florida · Chinese Students are Paying the Price for US Intelligence Concerns · News and Activities for the Communities A Year After the Non-Spying "Spy Balloon" Incident According to AsAmNews on February 4, 2024, the “Chinese Spy Balloon” became one of the most prominent stories of 2023. What was less discussed, however, were later revelations that the balloon was not spying for the Chinese government. A year after the spy balloon incident, Asian American groups say it has only heightened xenophobia, prejudices, and fear around the AAPI community. When the Chinese balloon crossed into US aerospace, American officials immediately claimed that it was conducting espionage. The resulting controversy immediately raised hostilities towards China, with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken even canceling a diplomatic trip to the nation. Chinese officials, however, vehemently denied accusations of spying, maintaining that the balloon was research equipment that veered off course. The balloon was ultimately shot down a year ago on February 4. In the days after its wreckage was recovered, US officials released a statement that the balloon was “clearly for intelligence surveillance.” But after months of analysis, officials quietly walked back those claims. In September, a spokesperson from the Pentagon announced that the balloon did not collect information while transiting over the US. This was echoed by high-ranking officials like the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Mark Milley . “The intelligence community, their assessment – and it’s a high-confidence assessment – [is] that there was no intelligence collection by that balloon,” said Milley.But the damage was done to the Asian American communities. The “Chinese spy balloon” label reminded Cynthia Choi , co-director for Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), of initial reactions to the COVID-19 virus, which some politicians referred to as the “Wuhan virus” and “China virus.” Both stoked Sinophobia against Asian communities, setting the stage for future discrimination. On September 21, 2023, CAA and Stop AAPI Hate launched the Stop the Blame Campaign , which aims to hold elected officials accountable for racist rhetoric. Andy Wong , CAA Managing Director of Advocacy, described the campaign at the October 2023 APA Justice monthly meeting . The Sinophobia engendered by the "spy balloon" controversy also had tangible consequences. Jeremy Wu , co-organizer of APA Justice, tracks discriminatory legislation currently targeting Asian Americans across the nation. The most notable of those are the 33 alien land bills and laws , preventing Chinese Americans from owning property in a state, which have recently been introduced across the country. Though the "spy balloon" controversy did not cause these laws, Wu says it had an “accumulating, stigmatizing effect” that set the stage for them to happen. “Although the ‘spy balloon’ was not spying, the incident has been intentionally and unintentionally used as a national security risk to justify the new alien land laws,” Wu wrote to AsAmNews . “While not discounting that there are real national security risks, the ‘spy balloon’ plays into xenophobia and racism.” But Wu also situates the "spy balloon" as a “footnote” in historic and ongoing anti-Asian racism. One example is the Wen Ho Lee case in 1999, where a Taiwanese American scientist Wen Ho Lee was falsely charged for espionage, sparking a similar media firestorm around Chinese spying. But the history of this racism is unknown to many. Today, Wu observes, there is less knowledge of the case among young Asian Americans. Similarly, few Americans are aware that the “spy balloon” did not conduct espionage. More education, he says, is necessary to combat this lack of awareness. “The Asian American communities are courageous and resilient in their fight and advocacy from generation to generation,” writes Wu. “Education through books, stories, schools, museums, monuments, and other means is essential to carry this struggle on and maintain hope for meaningful change.” Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3HPjHGd From "Spy Balloon" to "Spy Pigeon" No one should under-estimate national security risks. However, when taken to the extreme, sensational rhetoric and conspiracy theories may go from the sublime to the ridiculous. According to multiple media reports including the New York Times , AP News , Washington Post , CNN , CBS News , and Sky News , consider the alarming suspicion of foreign espionage, cursive messages in ancient Chinese, a sensitive microchip — and a suspect that could not be stopped at the border. Guards with the Central Industrial Security Force in India saw this one loitering alone in May 2023 — “it was just sitting there, and it all looked suspicious to them — chip, and ring on the feet.” The guards informed the police.The suspect was a pigeon. It was arrested and locked up in a hospital. After "deep and proper inquiry and investigations," the pigeon was determined to be an open-water racing bird from Taiwan. It was cleared of all spying charges. However, the pigeon remained in incarceration. “The police never came to check the pigeon,” said the manager of the hospital.After eight months, Indian officials released the pigeon after intervention from animal rights organization PETA. PETA India celebrated what it called the end of a “wrongful imprisonment.”It is not the first time Indian authorities wrongfully locked up a pigeon for alleged spying. Some racing pigeons from Taiwan have reportedly made it as far as the United States and Canada although none has been known to be charged for espionage so far.There was no immediate report on the pigeon's reaction to the wrongful allegation or its release from the 8-month imprisonment. "Another Chinese Partnership Bites the Dust" in Florida According to Inside Higher Ed on February 2, 2024, Florida International University (FIU) is ending numerous successful partnerships in China to conform to a state law regulating colleges’ relationships with “countries of concern.” The decision affects a dual-degree Spanish language program that FIU runs jointly with Qingdao University, as well as engineering exchange programs with seven Chinese institutions. But perhaps most surprisingly, FIU is terminating its largest and most successful international initiative: a dual-degree hospitality program run jointly by the university’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Tianjin University of Commerce.Maydel Santana, FIU’s associate vice president for media relations, wrote in an email that the programs had been slated for termination since last spring. She cited two factors: the board’s decision last year to revise regulations for certain programs and a Florida law ramping up oversight of university partnerships and exchanges with seven countries of concern, which was signed in 2021 (HB7017) and expanded last year to cover joint ventures as well as hiring. To comply with the new law, FIU also paused recruitment of researchers from the listed countries in December, following on the heels of several other public universities in the state. The program closures are part of a broader chilling of Chinese-American educational partnerships , as concerns over academic freedom in China multiply and bilateral political relations grow increasingly tense . William Brustein, a longtime international education administrator, compared the current environment around Chinese partnerships to the McCarthy era, wherein political victories in a newly crystallizing cold war are worth more than educational opportunities or economic gains. At the Florida Board of Governors meeting last June, members said they targeted FIU because of its outsize international involvement compared to other state colleges. After all, “‘International’ is in its name,” said Kyle Long , founder and director of Global American Higher Education, a coalition of researchers studying American institutions abroad. Long said the criticism of these partnerships over fear of foreign influence shows a “fundamental misunderstanding of higher ed philanthropy” and reveals an ambitious political agenda that, once again, takes aim at Florida’s public higher ed institutions. The closure of FIU’s Marriott Tianjin China hospitality program, in particular, has raised eyebrows because of both the program’s seemingly benign nature and its long-running success. The hospitality program was established in 2006 and is one of the world’s oldest Sino-American university partnerships, housed in a custom-built $100 million campus—fully funded by the Chinese government—in Tianjin, a northern port city just south of Beijing. FIU Tianjin’s creation was a product of the budding, financially fruitful partnership between American and Chinese higher education entities that flowered in the mid-2000s; the program’s abrupt termination is the most recent sign of that partnership’s souring under growing political pressures. “It’s pretty ridiculous. This is a hospitality program. What are they going to steal, a napkin? A new way of putting down cutlery?” Brustein said. “Yes, there are legitimate concerns around academic freedom at some programs in China, but it really depends on the subject matter. These bureaucrats are using a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel.” Read the Inside Higher Ed report: https://bit.ly/4865YWe Chinese Students are Paying the Price for US Intelligence Concerns According to The Hill on February 5, 2024, Chinese students seeking to study in America are feeling the heat over U.S. concerns about intelligence and Beijing’s influence over higher education, in some cases leading to them being denied entry to the country. Despite Chinese students in many cases facing longer wait times for visas than those from other countries, approval is often not the last step. “The lengthy questioning of Chinese students with properly issued visas and the sending of some of those students back to China undermines confidence in the United States and results in some able Chinese students going to third countries. I also object to the questioning of Americans with properly issued visas by Chinese immigration authorities,” said Stephen Orlins , president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Sophia Gregg , a Virginia-based immigrants’ rights attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said border patrol agents have wide discretion on who can come in to the country, even when valid visas are issued.One big concern the U.S. has currently is that many Chinese students are coming to the country to study science or technology, two sectors of particular interest, said Swallow Yan , president of the U.S. Education Without Borders. But he said students are coming to the U.S. for those subjects because Chinese “parents and students really consider America the No. 1 country for education for science or technology for professional opportunities.” House members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) last week announced they are working to stop the return of the “China Initiative,” which was supposed to target espionage, from former President Donald Trump ’s tenure. They argue the program, which Republicans are attempting to revive, did little to stop spies but did target people of Chinese descent.“While it is crucial that we protect our national security and intellectual property, codified discrimination is not the answer. At a time when anti-Asian hate and violence is still rampant across the country, we must do everything we can to prevent programs like this — founded in racism and xenophobia — from happening again,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), CAPAC executive board member.Read The Hill report: https://bit.ly/42uD5BZ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/02/07 Chinese Americans in the Heartland2024/02/08 USCET: Asian American Trailblazers in Film2024/02/10 New Year's Day of the Year of the Dragon2024/02/13-15 Senior Executives Association Senior Executive Leadership Summit2024/02/13 Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. USHCA: Chinese Americans in The Heartland WHAT: Chinese Americans in the Heartland: Migration, Work and Community WHEN: February 7, 2024, 6:00 - 7:30 pm Central Time WHERE: Online WebinarHOSTS: US Heartland China Association and Chinese-American Museum of ChicagoSPEAKER: · Huping Ling : Professor of history and past department chair at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where she founded the Asian studies program. Author of a new book on " Chinese Americans in the Heartland: Migration, Work and Community " DESCRIPTION: Chinese-Americans play an important role in the U.S.-China relationship. Understanding who we are as a country is a crucial first step to the U.S. building a better Way Forward with China. Literally and metaphorically, the infrastructure of our Heartland region is built on the backs of Chinese-Americans – a sociological history that has been largely ignored. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/4bsxhwI 3. USCET: Asian American Trailblazers in Film WHAT: Asian American Trailblazers in Film WHEN: February 8, 2024, 8:00 pm Eastern Time WHERE: Online WebinarHOSTS: US-China Education TrustMODERATOR: Shirley Sun, film director, producer, writer, art curator, and cultural interchange activistPANELISTS: · Felicia Lowe, an award-winning independent media producer, director, and writer · Robin Lung, fourth generation Chinese American filmmaker DESCRIPTION: Film trailblazers Shirley Sun, Felicia Lowe, and Robin Lung will discuss firsthand their accomplishments in the film industry, their own journeys, and the unsung experiences and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in film over the decades. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3HPVpvC 4. WHI: Community Engagement Event WHAT : Community Engagement Event WHEN: February 28, 2024, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Pacific Time WHERE: In-person event, Clark County, Nevada (exact location to be announced) HOST: White House Initiative on AA and NHPI DESCRIPTION: Participants will learn more about WHIAANHPI’s priorities and work, receive updates from Biden-Harris Administration officials on various federal programs and resources that are available to them, and participate in a community-driven listening session with members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The event will conclude with an optional networking session as an additional opportunity for relationship building and connection. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/42LxKX7 5. February is Black History Month According to Wikipedia , Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history". Back View PDF February 7, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

Newsletter - #7 Houston Community Calls For Help; Responses To August 3 Questions #7 Houston Community Calls For Help; Responses To August 3 Questions Back View PDF August 5, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #330 Fears of the Revival of the China Initiative #330 Fears of the Revival of the China Initiative In This Issue #330 · Indiana University Professor Raided by the FBI, Dismissed without Explanation · New College of Florida Professor Terminated under Controversial State Law · “China Initiative” Webinar Hosted at Michigan State University · Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America The recent FBI raids on Indiana University professor Xiaofeng Wang , along with the dismissal of another Chinese American professor, Kevin Wang , by the New College of Florida, have stirred deep anxiety among Chinese American scientists and researchers. In this special issue, we take a closer look at the possible revival of the China Initiative - a controversial program launched during the first Trump administration to combat economic espionage but widely criticized for disproportionately targeting Chinese American scientists. The renewed effort has been dubbed by some as “China Initiative 2.0.” APA Justice will continue to monitor these developments and provide updates through our newsletters , social media and monthly meetings . The goal of this issue is to raise awareness and draw attention to this important topic. We invite you to stay engaged and follow our ongoing coverage . Indiana University Professor Raided by the FBI, Dismissed without Explanation On March 28, 2025, based on multiple media reports, the FBI carried out court-authorized searches at two residences belonging to Professor Xiaofeng Wang and his wife, Nianli Ma , located in Bloomington and Carmel, Indiana. While the exact details of the investigation remain unclear, Wang had reportedly come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to disclose a 2017–2018 grant in China that listed him as a researcher. Professor Wang, a Chinese American computer scientist, has been a respected faculty member at Indiana University’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering since 2004. A graduate of two Chinese universities in the 1990s, Wang worked as a software engineer and IT specialist before earning his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University. Over the years, he built a strong reputation as one of the nation’s leading experts in systems security and privacy, overseeing nearly $23 million in grant funding by 2022.Following the FBI raids, Wang’s profile was abruptly removed from Indiana University’s website. The university terminated both Wang and his wife, Ma — who worked as a systems analyst at the university library — four days apart. The university has yet to publicly explain the reasons for their dismissal.Attorney James Covert , representing the couple, confirmed that neither Wang nor Ma has been arrested or charged. “Professor Wang and Ms. Ma are grateful for the support of colleagues at Indiana University and in the academic community,” Covert said in a statement. “They look forward to clearing their names and resuming their careers once the investigation concludes.” Ma spoke about her family situation at the State of Play Town Hall hosted by the Asian American Scholar Forum on April 14. · APA Justice Impacted Person page: Xiaofeng Wang · Professor Abruptly Fired Amid FBI Raid · Fired prof accused of research misconduct, FBI involvement unclear · Wife, son of cybersecurity professor Xiaofeng Wang make first comments since FBI raid · A Cybersecurity Professor Disappeared Amid an FBI Search. His Family Is ‘Determined to Fight’ New College of Florida Professor Terminated under Controversial State Law Meanwhile, in Florida, Professor Kevin Wang, a Chinese national holding valid U.S. work authorization, was abruptly dismissed from his position at the New College of Florida in March. His termination came under Florida’s Senate Bill 846 (SB 846) — a 2023 state law that bars public universities and colleges from employing individuals from so-called “countries of concern,” including China. Wang’s firing has become a flashpoint in a broader legal and civil rights battle challenging Florida’s crackdown on hiring foreign nationals in public higher education. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida criticized the law, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory. “The Florida law cited in the firing of this Chinese professor codifies anti-Asian discrimination,” the group wrote in a recent Facebook post. “It’s why we’re fighting it in court.”On March 27, just two weeks after Wang’s dismissal, a federal judge in Miami issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the law’s hiring restrictions, specifically as they apply to international students. Florida has since appealed the ruling and filed a motion seeking to pause the injunction while the case proceeds. Although the ruling addressed students, civil rights advocates believe it could lay the groundwork for broader challenges on behalf of faculty members.The renewed scrutiny of Chinese academics and scientists has stirred memories of the now-defunct China Initiative, which was criticized for disproportionately targeting Chinese and Asian American researchers, often without clear evidence of wrongdoing. · APA Justice Impacted Person page: Kevin Wang · New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida ‘countries of concern’ law · Firing of Chinese asylum seeker under SB 846 raises alarm in Florida and beyond · Report: New College of Florida Fires Chinese Adjunct, Citing Regulations · Asian American Scholar Forum Alarmed by Termination of New College of Florida Professor Under Florida’s SB 846 “China Initiative” Webinar Hosted at Michigan State University In a webinar on China Initiative hosted by Michigan State University's Asian Pacific American Studies Program on March 12, Dr. Jeremy Wu , Founder of APA Justice , was a panelist along with Dr. Lok Siu of UC Berkeley. The event was moderated by Dr. Kent Weber of Michigan State University. Dr. Wu provided an in-depth overview of the initiative’s history and impact. Launched in November 2018, the China Initiative aimed to address economic espionage but quickly shifted focus to Asian American academics, particularly those of Chinese descent. Over its 1,210-day duration, it led to 77 known cases and affected 162 individuals. More than two dozen scientists faced prosecution, none for espionage or trade secret theft. The initiative harmed not just individuals but also academic freedom, open science, and U.S. leadership in research.Even before the DOJ’s involvement, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had already initiated investigations in 2018, sending 10,000 letters to research institutions about alleged foreign ties. In response, advocacy groups and professional networks mobilized, providing support and pushing for policy change. Their efforts ultimately led to the initiative’s termination in February 2022.However, challenges remain. As of now, the U.S. Congress has not officially revived the “China Initiative” in name, but there are signs of similar efforts resurfacing under different guises. Within the current political climate, these types of laws and investigations will likely expand, even if the “China Initiative” name is not used. · China Initiative - Timeline of Major Events · Impacted Persons List · Attempts to Revive China Initiative Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America On March 21, 2025, the Chinese Canadian Faculty Project at Simon Fraser University, Canada, invited Dr. Anming Hu for an event named Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America, both in-person and online. The event was moderated by Dr. Xinying Hu of Simon Fraser University. Dr. Jane Wang of University of British Columbia, and Dr. Jie Yang of Simon Fraser University participated as discussants.This event was one of the Chinese Canadian Faculty Project’s ongoing series of Academic Freedom, Anti-racial profiling and Labour Rights. The series is sponsored by the Labour Studies Program and the Simon Fraser University Morgan Centre for Labour Research , Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Canada-China Focus (CCF). The purpose of the Chinese Canadian Faculty Project is to engage and support researchers, scholars, as well as graduate students of Chinese descent and other minority groups to fight against racial profiling and defend academic freedom in the increasingly restrictive national security measures adopted by the Canadian government through its Named Research Organizations in Sensitive Technology Research Areas, and legalized control of academic freedom under the newly passed Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act. Through organizing open conversations, the Chinese Canadian Faculty Project hopes to foster an inclusive and open academic environment.At the event, Dr. Hu shared his powerful story as the first academic wrongfully charged and went on trial under the China Initiative. He spoke about what he experienced, the impacts on his academic career, his life and his family. He spoke out against racial profiling, and warned about the dangers of overreach in national security measures targeting academia. Immediate impact of the event: As a Chinese Canadian, Dr. Anming Hu’s story was known to the Chinese Canadian academic community. The event attracted attention nationwide in Canada. Scholars in sensitive technology areas have a wide fear of racial profiling and being wrongfully treated by their own government. Therefore, university professors, scholars and students participated widely. There were more than seventy attendees across North America. The participants addressed their concerns during the panel discussion. They consulted Dr. Hu regarding legal concerns and sought advice on how to protect themselves. In response, Dr. Hu shared insights from his own experience. Political impact: Beyond attracting academia attention, the event has also drawn interest from politicians. Senator Yuen Pau Woo participated in person. He was concerned about whether the Canadian government provided adequate support to Dr. Hu when he encountered injustice. He asked whether the Canadian government took any action to help Dr. Hu during his investigation and trial, and if any Canadian diplomats, government agencies or parliamentarians stood up to support him. In addition, Senator Yuen Pau Woo also asked if the Canadian government would provide similar advice and support when a Canadian citizen encountered similar legal problems in China. Dr. Hu responded how the Canadian government instructed him to “follow the U.S. law” and provided no help. In comparison, Dr. Hu addressed how U.S. congressional members provided assistance in his case. He hopes that the Canadian government will be more proactive in protecting its citizens in the future, especially when handling similar legal issues, and can act more forcefully and effectively. Social impact: A local Vancouver social activist Ally Wang participated in the event in person. The Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Advocacy Group , which she co-founded, helped promote the event. She writes articles for Chinese language media. She has translated Dr. Anming Hu’s story into Chinese and will publish in a Chinese language magazine.In conclusion, the event raised attention to racial profiling against Chinese professors in the academy in both Canada and America. It called wide attention to academic independence and impartiality, firmly oppose political interference, and encourage everyone to actively participate in discussions among universities, policymakers and the public to jointly promote the construction of an inclusive and fair higher education environment. # # # 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 30, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #318 Webinar Recap and More; Funding Freeze Blocked; Supreme Court Order; NYT Editorials; + #318 Webinar Recap and More; Funding Freeze Blocked; Supreme Court Order; NYT Editorials; + In This Issue #318 · Recap of Webinar on Fair Housing Rights & Alien Land Laws · Upcoming Webinars on China Initiative and Racial Profiling · Judge Blocks Trump's Funding Freeze · Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Order on USAID · NYT Editorials on Elon Musk and Rule of Law · News and Activities for the Communities Recap of Webinar on Fair Housing Rights & Alien Land Laws The Committee of 100 and APA Justice co-hosted the second webinar of a series on Fair Housing Rights & Alien Land Laws on March 4, 2025. Video of the event is posted at https://bit.ly/3EOqGke (54:13).The webinar examined the impact of nationality-based homeownership restrictions on real estate professionals and homebuyers, particularly within the Chinese American community. Real estate professionals and advocates are actively pushing back against these discriminatory policies. This webinar offered valuable insights into how these restrictions are reshaping the housing market and what actions can be taken to challenge them. John Trasviña , Former HUD Assistant Secretary for the Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity moderated a conversation with Scott Chang , Senior Counsel for The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and Hope Atuel , Executive Director at Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). The panel introduced the Fair Housing Act and held an engaging Q&A session with the audience. The Committee of 100 released an update of its interactive tracker on land ownership restriction laws, highlighting that 28 states are currently considering 82 bills that would restrict foreign property ownership. In 2024 alone, 17 land ownership restriction bills was passed into state law. APA Justice maintains a web page on the history and continuing developments on Alien Land Bills .Read the Northwest Asian Weekly report on the webinar: https://bit.ly/41ymVHn . Watch the first webinar on The Impact of Land Ownership Exclusion Laws on Diverse Communities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfjrVAZrjj8 (1:00:56). Upcoming Webinars on China Initiative and Racial Profiling 1. 03/12 MSU Webinar: The China Initiative On March 12, 2025, please join the webinar hosted by Michigan State University's Asian Pacific American Studies Program for an insightful discussion of the past and present of the China Initiative, a Trump administration program that targeted Asian American scholars and researchers for investigation and prosecution. Dr. Lok Siu of UC Berkeley and Dr. Jeremy Wu of APA Justice will speak at the event moderated by Dr. Kent Weber of Michigan State University. Register to attend: https://bit.ly/4hVaITO 2. 03/21 SFU Webinar: Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America WHAT : Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America WHEN : March 21, 2025, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm PT/7:00 pm-9:30 pm ET WHERE : Hybrid event · In Person: Room 7000, SFU Vancouver Harbor Centre Campus, 515 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3 Canada · Webinar via Zoom HOST : Simon Fraser University, Labor Studies Program Moderator : Dr. Xinying Hu , Simon Fraser University Speaker : Dr. Anming Hu , University of Tennessee, Knoxville Discussants: · Dr. Jane Wang , University of British Columbia · Dr. Jie Yang , Simon Fraser University DESCRIPTION: Join us for an important discussion on the case of Dr. Anming Hu, a respected scientist who was wrongfully targeted under the previous Trump administration’s China Initiative. Dr. Hu’s case highlights critical issues of racial profiling, academic freedom, and the growing surveillance of scholars in North America. This event will feature insights into Dr. Anming Hu’s case and experience, the broader implications for researchers of Chinese origin, and the fight for justice in academia in North America. We will also discuss what universities, scholars, and policymakers can do to protect academic integrity and prevent future injustices. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3Fd11SD Judge Blocks Trump's Funding Freeze According to AP News and multiple media reports, U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell for the District of Rhode Island has extended an injunction blocking the Trump administration from freezing grants and loans potentially amounting to trillions of dollars. The lawsuit, State of New York v. Trump (1:25-cv-00039) , brought by nearly two dozen Democratic states, challenges the Trump administration’s sweeping pause on federal spending, which has caused confusion and uncertainty nationwide.In his ruling, Judge McConnell found that the executive branch had placed itself above Congress by imposing a categorical spending freeze without legislative approval, stating that such an action “undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government.” He asserted that the executive branch cannot impose a categorical funding freeze without explicit congressional authorization. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha condemned the administration’s actions, arguing that the president’s move sought to subvert the rule of law and override the separation of powers. The funding freeze has impacted a wide range of programs, including critical services such as disaster relief, clean water access, and law enforcement funding. Democratic attorneys general have argued that the freeze has put critical services at risk, including law enforcement funding, healthcare, and childcare. Although the Trump administration rescinded a memo outlining the freeze, states, universities, and nonprofits report that federal agencies continue to withhold funds.Despite earlier court orders, Judge McConnell noted that federal agencies still appeared to be defying his directives. As part of his ruling, he instructed FEMA to submit a status report by March 14 detailing its compliance with the order. The case also raises broader constitutional questions about presidential power over congressionally appropriated funds, with Trump advocating for the Supreme Court to strike down the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Another federal judge, Loren AliKhan , has also extended an injunction against the freeze in a separate case brought by nonprofit groups and small businesses, National Council of Nonprofits v. Office of Management and Budget (1:25-cv-00239) . The rulings mark a significant judicial rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to exert control over congressionally appropriated funds. Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Order on USAID As of March 8, 2025, the number of lawsuits against President Donald Trump 's executive actions reported by the Just Security Litigation Tracker has grown to 113 with one closed case.The Trump administration issued an executive order on January 20, 2025, pausing foreign development aid for 90 days, leading to stop-work orders for USAID grants. Two nonprofits, AVAC and JDN, sued, arguing the order was unlawful and harmed their operations. They filed a lawsuit, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition v. United States Department of State (1:25-cv-00400 ), and sought an injunction and restoration of funding.On February 13, 2025, U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) in this case and Global Health Council v. Donald J. Trump (1:25-cv-00402) , blocking the blanket suspension but not fully overturning the executive order. Plaintiffs later accused the government of noncompliance. The court partially enforced the TRO but did not hold the government in contempt.Further litigation led to a February 25 ruling requiring the administration to pay outstanding invoices and ensure future payments. The Trump administration appealed to the D.C. Circuit and later the Supreme Court, but both rejected its motions. According to the New York Times on March 5, the Supreme Court rejected President Trump’s emergency request to freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid. Though the ruling’s language was cautious, it effectively signaled skepticism toward Trump’s plans to reshape government. The court upheld a lower court’s order requiring payments for pre-approved foreign aid projects. The administration had tried to delay compliance, arguing for a case-by-case review. The Supreme Court’s ruling lifted a temporary stay, meaning the government must now follow through on the payments.According to a separate report by the New York Times on the same day, despite the Supreme Court ruling, uncertainty remains for humanitarian and development organizations. For weeks, the administration has sought to dismantle USAID, canceling over 90% of contracts and halting payments for completed work. Thousands of NGOs and companies remain in limbo. While the lawsuit’s plaintiffs argue the ruling should restore all foreign aid, the administration insists it has the authority to restructure or eliminate the agency. NYT Editorials on Elon Musk and Rule of Law 1. 2025/03/08 Musk Doesn’t Understand Why Government Matters Excerpts from the New York Times editorial :" Elon Musk ’s life is a great American success story. Time and again, he has anticipated where the world was headed, helping to create not just new products but new industries. "But Mr. Musk’s fortune rests on more than his individual talent. He built his business empire in a nation with a stable political system and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, and he built it on a foundation of federal subsidies, loans and contracts. Mr. Musk’s companies have received at least $38 billion in government support, according to an analysis by The Washington Post . NASA has invested more than $15 billion in SpaceX; Tesla has collected $11 billion in subsidies to bolster the electric car industry."Now, as an influential adviser to President Trump, Mr. Musk is lawlessly tearing down parts of the very government that enabled his rise. "Mr. Musk claims that the government is a business in need of disruption and that his goal is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency."But DOGE is not building a better government. Instead, its haphazard demolition campaign is undermining the basic work of government and the safety and welfare of the American people. "Even worse is that Mr. Musk, with Mr. Trump’s support, has demonstrated a disregard for the limits that the Constitution places on the president’s power."But in their campaign to shrink the federal government, Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump have defied laws passed by Congress, and they have challenged the authority of the federal courts to adjudicate the legality of their actions. Mr. Trump recently referred to himself as a king and then insisted he had been joking, but there is no ambiguity in his assertion of the power to defy other branches of government. It is a rejection of the checks and balances that have safeguarded our nation for more than 200 years. Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump are not trying to change laws; they are upending the rule of law."Businesses can take risks in pursuit of profit because it’s OK if they fail. Americans can’t afford for the basic functions of government to fail. "The stability of the nation’s laws, and of the government’s role, has caused frustration throughout American history. It is also a kind of secret sauce, facilitating the private-sector investment and risk taking that are the wellspring of the nation’s prosperity."That stability is now under assault. "Mr. Musk has made clear that he holds caution in contempt. But the president, whose power Mr. Musk is wielding, should listen to those in his party who are raising concerns about Mr. Musk’s methods and priorities. There are already signs that the chaos is hurting the economy. Inflation expectations have risen; stock prices have tumbled."Americans like to take risks; to do so, they need a government that is steady and reliable." 2. 2025/03/08 The One Question That Really Matters: If Trump Defies the Courts, Then What? According to an Opinion published by the New York Times , the future of American constitutional democracy may hinge on whether President Donald Trump and his administration comply with court orders. Federal judges have issued numerous rulings against Trump’s policies, but the administration has already ignored some of them. With over 100 legal challenges pending, the Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s order to release frozen foreign aid, while another judge forced the release of billions in funds to states. However, the judiciary lacks enforcement power, and if the executive branch refuses to comply, the courts are left powerless. Trump and his allies, including Vice President JD Vance , have suggested that executive authority should not be constrained by judicial rulings, while some Republicans have called for the impeachment of judges who rule against the administration. The push to remove judges over policy disagreements is unprecedented and contradicts past conservative reliance on the courts to block Democratic policies. Historically, presidents have complied with court rulings, even when they strongly disagreed. Franklin Roosevelt accepted Supreme Court decisions striking down parts of the New Deal, Harry Truman obeyed a ruling against his steel mill seizure, and Richard Nixon turned over the White House tapes despite the consequences. However, the Trump administration has sent mixed signals on whether it will follow court mandates, with Trump stating he abides by the courts but also claiming that actions taken in the name of saving the country cannot be illegal. If Trump defies judicial authority, enforcement mechanisms are limited—officials could be held in contempt, but he could pardon them, and federal marshals enforcing civil contempt orders fall under his control. With Congress unlikely to impeach him, Trump could evade accountability, setting up a constitutional crisis that tests whether the United States will continue to function under the rule of law. "Perhaps public opinion will turn against the president and he will back down and comply. Or perhaps, after 238 years, we will see the end of government under the rule of law," the Opinion concludes. Author of the Opinion is Erwin Chemerinsky , dean of the Berkeley School of Law at the University of California and the author of the book “No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States.” News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2025/03/12 MSU Webinar on China Initiative2025/03/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/21 Fighting Racial Profiling and the Criminalization of Academia in North America2025/03/30 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/04/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/04/24-26 Committee of 100 Annual Conference and Gala2025/04/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/05/05 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit 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 March 10, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #191: 7/3 Meeting; Florida report; National Network; Unity/Allies; Anti-Asian Hate '24; More #191: 7/3 Meeting; Florida report; National Network; Unity/Allies; Anti-Asian Hate '24; More In This Issue #191 2023/07/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Time: Florida Really Just Banned Chinese Immigrants from Owning Property. We're Suing National Media Network - Summary of Inaugural Roundtable Lessons Learned: Building Unity and Allies U.S. Anti-China Land Laws Draw Fear of Asian Hate Ahead of 2024 Vote News and Activities for the Communities REMINDER. 2023/06/26 Webinar: Perils of Warrantless Surveillance WHEN : June 26, 2023, 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT REGISTER TO ATTEND : https://bit.ly/42AbNIF 2023/07/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, July 3, 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 will include: Al Green , Member of U.S. House of Representatives; Member, Executive Board and Chair of Housing Task Force, CAPAC, on alien land bills and multicultural advocacy coalition 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, on the recent developments of the Florida lawsuit Scott Chang , Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance, on NFHA and its work on alien land bills Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, on NAPABA's work on alien land bills and related activities Cindy Tsai , Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100, on the recent roles and activities of C100 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 . Time: Florida Really Just Banned Chinese Immigrants from Owning Property. We're Suing According to a Time article authored by Patrick Toomey of ACLU and Clay Zhu of DeHeng Law Offices and CALDA on June 21, 2023, barring people from buying a house because of where they’re from is unconstitutional and unacceptable. And yet that’s exactly what Florida’s new law attempts to do.On May 8, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 264 into law, putting much of Florida off-limits to many Chinese immigrants, including people here lawfully as professors, students, employees, and scientists who are looking to buy a home in the state. The law also unfairly discriminates against many immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But it singles out people from China for especially draconian restrictions and harsher criminal penalties.With geopolitical tensions between the United States and Chinese government rising, we are once again seeing politicians like DeSantis lean into racism, hate, and fear for their own political gain. Florida’s pernicious new law weaponizes false claims of “national security” against Asian immigrants and others.Worryingly, Florida is not alone. Lawmakers across the country are trying to enact similar laws to ban Chinese citizens and other immigrants from owning property, but Florida’s is the first one to pass and go into effect. That’s why the ACLU, the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance, the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund, and the law firm Quinn Emanuel—are working to challenge Florida’s unconstitutional law in court and have asked a judge to block the law from going into effect on July 1.The Florida law will not keep Floridians safe. It instead codifies and expands housing discrimination against people of Asian descent—something expressly forbidden by the Fair Housing Act. It will also put a burden of suspicion on anyone with a name that sounds vaguely Asian (not to mention Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian), perpetuating racist stereotypes even more.This is history repeating itself: In the early 20th century, politicians used similar justifications to pass “alien land laws” in California and more than a dozen other states prohibiting Chinese and Japanese immigrants from becoming landowners. Discriminatory new land laws in Florida and other states around the country could cause immense harm, too. The plaintiffs in our lawsuit are Chinese immigrants who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida—but they will soon be prohibited from purchasing real estate there. Zhiming Xu , is a Chinese citizen who lives in Florida and came to the U.S. after fleeing political persecution in China. Earlier this year, Xu signed a contract to purchase a new home near Orlando, with a closing date of September 2023. But because of Florida’s law, he will be forced to cancel the contract, putting both his deposit and his dreams for the future in jeopardy.In addition to imposing economic harms on immigrants and their communities, the law fuels discrimination and xenophobia. DeSantis and the Florida legislature have sent a clear message: The state believes home ownership by Chinese citizens is a threat to national security. This view is racist and baseless. Just as there was no actual evidence to justify the alien land laws of an earlier era, there is no evidence of any actual national security harm resulting from real estate ownership by Chinese people in Florida.At a time when one in two Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in the U.S. due to their ethnicity and nearly 80% don’t feel they fully belong or are accepted, Florida’s leaders have a responsibility to the people who live there to do better. Until they do, we’ll see them in court.Read the Time article: https://bit.ly/43QtTHZ National Media Network - Summary of Inaugural Roundtable During the APA Justice monthly meeting on April 3, 2023, Paula Madison proposed a proactive and assertive national media alert network for the Asian American community. On April 17, 2023, APA Justice hosted a virtual by-invitation-only Inaugural Roundtable for two purposes: Assertively address immediate xenophobic challenges to our freedoms Consider longer-term proactive actions to ensure fairness and justice for all, including the AAPI and immigrant communities The Asian American and immigrant communities are in turbulent times again, facing enormous cross-cutting challenges for many years to come. The Inaugural Roundtable is intended to be a diverse and inclusive "big tent" with additional participants and observers to build an organic, focused and structured approach. In essence, our communities lacks an infrastructure to address issues, and we need to build one that is diverse, sustainable, and ready.In addition to APA Justice as the host, 11 organizations were invited to speak at the Roundtable. About 100 individuals and representatives of additional groups registered, attended, or spoke during the Q&A session of the online event.Three rounds of questions were asked of each Roundtable member, followed by discussions. The floor was then opened to all participants and observers. The discussions covered a wide variety of issues and perspectives such as the historical and current state for the Asian American and immigrant communities including societal racism and bias; the need to combat stereotypes and to accentuate the contributions with education and sustainable actions; the positive and negative roles of the media in addressing recent events; understanding and exercising our constitutional and civil rights; the fundamental divide between the scientific and law enforcement perspectives; the importance of avoiding silos and building bonds and enduring relationships; the potential actions and use of technology to reach out across generational, racial, and industry boundaries; the establishment of strategies, unity, and readiness to change narratives and address immediate and anticipated issues; training and calling for strike teams and a bureau of well-versed speakers ready for action on short notice; and filing lawsuits and taking legal actions to fight injustice. At the conclusion of the Roundtable, Paula quoted Desmond Tutu , “there is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” She summarized her observations and suggested follow-up actions that include: Organize and provide media training Reach out and build allies Create a playbook Identify a group of speakers ready to speak Employ playbook and deploy strike teams APA Justice has created a web page to cover the continuing development of this national media network: https://bit.ly/46iOshL Lessons Learned: Building Unity and Allies 1. Vincent Chin and the Asian American Civil Rights Movement On June 23, 2023, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) members issued a press release to mark the 41st anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin , a 27-year-old Chinese American mistaken to be Japanese who was killed in an act of hate in Detroit. His killing sparked Asian American communities to rise up for justice. The Vincent Chin Institute was launched on April 26, 2023, along with a free online Vincent Chin Legacy Guide in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Bengali, and Chinese (traditional and simplified). In May 1984, Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared in San Francisco Chinatown with Vincent Chin's mother, Lily Chin . As he took the stage, he said, "Our hearts are made heavy by a mother who sits here with us, whose son was brutally killed, just because he was. What can we do in the aftermath?" In his speech , he drew parallels between Emmett Till 's lynching and Vincent Chin's murder, showing just how similar the struggles of both communities were and the need to "redefine America." Two of the recommendations of the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide authored by Helen Zia are: Be a courageous ally. Call out anti-Asian hate for what it is: anti-Asian bias, intolerance, prejudice, discrimination, racism, bigotry. It's not anti-Asian "sentiment." Support solidarity movements of people of color and people of conscience to fight systemic racism and other forms of institutionalized inequity. Read the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide : https://bit.ly/3LlhTWy 2. Inclusion Within The Asian American Community According to the Migration Policy Institute on January 12, 2023, the 1965 removal of barriers for non-European immigrants to the U.S. was a game changer for increasing immigration, as were relaxed emigration controls by China in 1978 and improved U.S.-China relations. The number of Chinese immigrants residing in the U.S. nearly doubled from 1980 to 1990, and again by 2000. Since then, the population has continued growing at a slower but still rapid pace. According to a June 2022 report by AAPIData , the majority of Asians and multi-racial Asian adults and adult citizens in the US is foreign born, with both numbers being above 60% for either group. About two-thirds of those of Chinese origin were born outside of the U.S. In " A Note To Asian-American Activists About New Arrivals " published by Huffington Post on March 18, 2017, Frank Wu -- Author, Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White and current President of Queens College of City University of New York -- observed a divide: To us [those who are either born in the U.S. or immigrants from many decades ago], they are very Asian. To them [new arrivals in the last 35-40 years], we are very American. But it need not be 'us' versus 'them.'"Wu implored Asian American activists to reach out to the "new arrivals." “We have to give [new arrivals] space too. We would be hypocrites otherwise,” he wrote. "It is important to sustain coalitions. We fought for a 'seat at the table.' It would be wrong for us to be any less than wholeheartedly welcoming to those who look like us." "If Asian Americans want the concept of 'Asian American' to last another generation, we must figure out how to engage with all who belong to an artificial, fragile category. The failure of the movement will be on us. We must come together." 3. 2023/08/26 March on Washington On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered what would become one of the most influential speeches in history, proclaiming to the world, "I Have a Dream." More than a quarter million people participated in the event. According to the Anti-Defamation League, a coalition is organizing an in-person March on Washington on the 60th anniversary of the event. Read the ADL announcement for the event: https://bit.ly/3pflxug 4. African American History is American History According to a Zocalo essay by Stacy Braukman , in 1956, Florida’s state legislature established a committee in 1956 to investigate legal infractions by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as any links that the organization might have to subversive groups. The Florida Legislative Investigation Committee was led by state senator Charley Johns first targeted the NAACP. Spying on and harassing members, the Johns Committee held a series of public hearings in which they tried to show that the organization was breaking the law, that it had been infiltrated by communists, and that social equality (a euphemism for interracial marriage) was its true aim. In an effort to fight the influences it saw transforming society, the Johns Committee would turn into a vehicle for identifying, interrogating, and removing homosexuals from schools and universities, while also attacking other groups it believed were threatening traditional American values.The broad targeting of groups and manipulation of public fear in the face of cultural change emerged as a set of strategies is still in use today. On June 19, 2023, a podcast by MSNBC's Deja News examined how the NAACP effectively fought back in the 1950s and asked what we can learn as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a new war on wokeness [dictionary definition: a state of being aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality]. June 19, Juneteenth Day, is a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.On June 21, 2023, Tampa Bay Times reported on "A protest on wheels: ‘Stay Woke Florida!’ tour makes stop in Tampa." A statewide bus tour aimed at voter registration and community advocacy rolled into Tampa as organizers worked to combat education initiatives they say are adversely affecting people of color and the LGBTQ+ population. The “Stay Woke Florida!” bus tour is an effort among several groups. Key among the issues the groups were protesting: a new law banning the instruction of critical race theory, decisions to remove certain books from school shelves, regulations prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom and the state’s defunding of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Read the Tampa Bay Times report: https://bit.ly/42WvdHJ U.S. Anti-China Land Laws Draw Fear of Asian Hate Ahead of 2024 Vote On June 24, 2023, Nikkei Asia reported on a wave of legislation in several U.S. states that aims to block real estate purchases by Chinese citizens that has many Chinese Americans dreading next year's presidential campaign cycle, fearing another rise of anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes against the community.Based on data provided by APA Justice, 11 states have such laws in place as of June. Positioned as measures to guard against hostile foreign influence, those bills block property or land purchases by citizens from "countries of concern," effectively singling out Chinese citizens. Florida had roughly 100,000 people of Chinese descent living in the state in 2021, of whom 73% are foreign-born immigrants. The land law will not only heavily impact the Chinese community but also the Asian population in the state. Steven Pei and Jeremy Wu of APA Justice and Robert Sakaniwa of APIAVote were interviewed for the report. Steven Pei said he is not subject to this law but is very concerned about its effects.¶ Major real estate companies have drawn up contracts to reflect the new law. "There were people here with H1-B visas [who] had their agreement with the company canceled, the impact is real," he said, referring to visas for high-skilled college-educated foreign workers.¶ "Because you identified these countries in the bill, you put a target on our back as well," Pei continued.¶ "Most Asian American communities will suffer different degrees of collateral damage," Pei said, predicting anti-China rhetoric on the campaign trail for the 2024 presidential election. Jeremy Wu sees the rush of land bills as evidence of volatile times ahead for Chinese Americans.¶ "We are, again, seeing the tension between the U.S. and another Asian country," he said.¶ Wu sees the rush of land bills as evidence of volatile times ahead for Chinese Americans. "We are, again, seeing the tension between the U.S. and another Asian country."¶ Wu cited a confluence of factors that have contributed to the political headwinds facing the community -- international tension that tends to stoke racism, aggressive prosecution of suspected Chinese spies under the former China Initiative, political polarization, as well as Asian Americans' history of being scapegoated.¶ "I think they all come together and we are facing another peak of turbulent times," he said. "And it may be here for quite a few years."¶ "I am very alarmed by it, I think these issues will hit another peak in 2024 because of the election," said Wu. "But even after 2024, I see the tension continuing [because of] the one-upmanship between the two parties, who is going to be tougher than the other."¶ "National security is important, but it should not dominate or scapegoat groups of people in our society... Some are newer immigrants, some will become naturalized citizens," Wu added. Robert Sakaniwa said, "I think it creates a big dilemma [for the conservative demographic], they will reevaluate and see who is pushing and supporting this type of discriminatory law, who is working with the communities to put a stop to this type of legislation. I think this issue has risen to a top tier issue because it [concerns] whether a person feels like they belong in this country."¶ "Most voters are driven by health care, education and the economy, but if you're not considered a part of the society in the political process, then you have no voice for all the other issues," Sakaniwa said. Read the Nikkei Asia report: https://s.nikkei.com/44hPuJa Do laws preventing Chinese from buying US land even make sense? According to Responsible Statecraft on June 20, 2023, using competition with — and fear of — China as a justification for legislation that touches on virtually all aspects of American life has become the norm in Washington. The total number of bills in which the word “China” is cited during the current session of Congress is rapidly approaching 400. The trend is alive and well at the state level as well. Florida and North Dakota are among the more than two dozen that have passed or considered legislation restricting Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland in the past few months. Similar legislation is being taken up in the U.S. Congress. The explicit goal of this kind of legislation is two-fold. One is food security. The second is couched in national security, citing the alleged threat of Chinese nationals buying farm land near U.S. military bases, which could be used “as a launching pad for espionage.” As Reid Smith , vice president for foreign policy at Stand Together, recently put it, these and other similar efforts are often “a solution in search of a problem.” Foreign entities currently own approximately three percent of all privately owned farmland in the country. Of this total, Chinese nationals hold less than one percent, with a total of about 400,000 acres. Advocates for U.S. farmers say that blaming Chinese and other foreign nationals for food insecurity misdiagnoses the true root of the problem, which they say is the rapid increase over the last 15 years in agricultural land ownership by wealthy individuals, pension funds, and multinational corporations. “Our concern is really focused on the corporatization of agricultural land, and the impacts and implications of that for local food systems for farmer livelihoods,” Jordan Treakle , the National Programs and Policy Coordinator at the National Family Farm Coalition, told Responsible Statecraft . He noted that Bill Gates is the nation’s largest private farmland owner, and the U.S.-based financial services company TIAA is the largest corporate farmland holder. “So it’s been quite disappointing to see this issue of foreign government or foreign person, agricultural land investment be raised in what we see as a pretty xenophobic way.” Even if there are some legitimate concerns about foreign ownership of agricultural land, some of the proposed solutions are so sweeping that activists fear that the rhetoric will only fuel growing anti-Asian sentiment in the country, as expressed by the nonprofit Asian Texans for Justice, when a like-minded bill passed in the Texas state senate last month. “We are disappointed that the Texas Senate has passed SB147 on the Senate floor. Since November, the rhetoric used in discussing this legislation has been rooted in xenophobia and racism. No amendments can undo the harm already caused to the AAPI community in Texas.” News and Activities for the Communities 1. 2023/07/06 President's Advisory Commission on AANHPI Public Meeting The President's Advisory Commission on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) will hold its next meeting, the sixth of a series, on July 6, 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The meeting serves to continue the development of recommendations to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for the AANHPI communities. It is open to the public and will be live streamed. The Commission seeks written comments that may be emailed to AANHPICommission@hhs.gov at any time. Individuals may also submit a request to provide oral public comments.For details, directions, and registration, visit : https://bit.ly/3NqpQMB . Dr . Robert Underwood , a member of the Commission, also urges all of us to feel free to communicate with him directly at anacletus2010@gmail.com . Read his remarks at the APA Justice monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/3qogBU1 . Watch his remarks at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIrq1hfl4A (video 11:48 to 25:21) 2. New York City schools to teach AAPI heritage under new curriculum According to CBS News New York on May 26, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new curriculum that teaches students about the history, culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Teachers will use a guide that includes profiles of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. to launch a pilot program in social studies and literacy units: https://bit.ly/3XnwNBk . Read and watch the CBS News New York report : https://cbsn.ws/3Nkmh9z Back View PDF June 25, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter