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Newsletter - #184: Section 702 Violations; Paid Interns; Alien Land Bills; DeSantis; Community News #184: Section 702 Violations; Paid Interns; Alien Land Bills; DeSantis; Community News In This Issue #184 Warrantless Surveillance - More Violations of Section 702 Revealed APA Justice Seeks Up to Two Motivated Paid Interns Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills Florida Governor DeSantis Criticized for Mandating Asian American History While Banning Courses on "Systemic Racism" News and Events for the Communities Warrantless Surveillance - More Violations of Section 702 Revealed On May 19, 2023, multiple media including AP News , Washington Post , and New York Times , FBI analysts improperly and repeatedly used a warrantless surveillance program to search for information about hundreds of Americans who came under scrutiny in connection with two politically charged episodes of civil unrest: the protests after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The violations occurred more than 278,000 times and were detailed in a secret court order issued last year by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has legal oversight of the U.S. government’s spy powers. The surveillance program, known as Section 702 under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), empowers the government to collect, without a warrant and from American companies like Google and AT&T, the communications of foreigners abroad who are targeted for intelligence purposes — even when they are talking with or about Americans.Intelligence and law enforcement officials can search the database of communications intercepted under Section 702 using the names or other identifiers of Americans, but only under certain circumstances. The FBI has repeatedly failed to comply with those limits.Section 702 expires at the end of the year unless it is renewed by Congress.Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a longtime critic of what he says is dangerous overreach by U.S. intelligence officials, decried what he called the “shocking abuses of FISA Section 702.” He said that the abuses have been going on for years and that officials are still withholding key details from the public. “There is important, secret information about how the government has interpreted Section 702 that Congress and the American people need to see before the law is renewed,” Wyden said in a written statement.“You can tell your department, not a chance in hell we’re going to be reauthorizing that thing without some major, major reforms,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah told Attorney General Merrick B. Garland at a Justice Department oversight hearing earlier this year.“Today’s disclosures underscore the need for Congress to rein in the FBI’s egregious abuses of this law, including warrantless searches using the names of people who donated to a congressional candidate,” said Patrick Toomey , deputy director of the ACLU’s National Security Project. “These unlawful searches undermine our core constitutional rights and threaten the bedrock of our democracy. It’s clear the FBI can’t be left to police itself.”The ACLU represents Professor Xiaoxing Xi , who is suing the government over its dismissed prosecution of him for supposedly sharing sensitive technology with scientists in China. New York Police Department Officer Baimadajie Angwang reportedly also fell victim to Section 702 under the now-defunct "China Initiative."Privacy and civil rights advocates have revived a proposal to require the government to obtain a warrant from the surveillance court before it may search the Section 702 repository using an American’s identifiers. Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, who backs that idea, said the violations disclosed in the opinion, particularly for the political campaign donors and those arrested in connection with the racial justice protests, showed the necessity of that proposal. “The opinion provides frightening proof of the need for a warrant requirement before agencies conduct U.S. person queries,” she said. Elizabeth Goitein has accepted APA Justice's invitation to speak on this topic at the June 5 monthly meeting. Please send a request to contact@apajustice.org if you wish to join the by-invitation-only meeting. Read more about warrantless surveillance and Section 702 at https://bit.ly/3O6T43Q APA Justice Seeks Up to Two Motivated Paid Interns APA Justice is looking for up to two motivated paid website design and content management interns to join our team for the summer months. The successful candidates will assist in designing, developing, and maintaining the APA Justice website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . The interns will work closely with the co-organizers and other members of the organization to ensure that the website reflects our mission and values and provides a user-friendly experience for all visitors. These are paid internship positions that allow for working remotely and flexible hours, and option to extend to part time positions beyond the summer. Responsibilities include the innovative development of a virtual library and related content. The job description is here: https://bit.ly/438Oh6c . Interested candidates should send their resume and questions to contact@apajustice.org . Cornell University is Seeking A Research Associate & Program Coordinator for Its China U.S. Policy (CUSP) Initiative. This is a 2-year term appointment with benefits and the possibility of extension depending on funding. Professor Jessica Chen Weiss is Director. Review of applications will begin June 1. Interviews will take place early to mid-June. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2023 with an end date of June 30, 2025. Learn more about the job and apply at https://bit.ly/3MnFPJz Latest Developments on Discriminatory Alien Land Bills 1. 33 States are Now Known to Have Introduced Alien Land and Property Bills As of May 20, 2023, there are 33 states known to have introduced some form of alien land and property bills in the current or recent legislative session. A few have passed and signed into state law; some have died; others are still pending.State-by-state links to the legislations and a companion map are provided as community resources at https://bit.ly/402lG1w . They are collected from multiple sources including APA Justice, Committee of 100, National Agricultural Law Center, Project South, and crowdsourcing. Due to the dynamic nature of these developments, we plan to update the information periodically. We anticipate the continuation and introduction of alien land and property bills into future state legislative sessions. The map and a list of state legislations are posted at https://bit.ly/402lG1w 2. Alien Land Bill in Alabama - House Bill 379 According to WHNT-TV19 on May 19, 2023, a bill that would have initially prevented Chinese citizens from buying a home in Alabama underwent some major changes after a committee hearing this week. The “Alabama Property Protection Act” changed to ban just government entities from “countries of concern” from buying land near military bases. But some Chinese American Alabamians said they still have some concerns with the new version of the bill. Lily Moore is a realtor in Montgomery and a U.S. citizen living in Alabama for the last 25 years. She said the first version of this bill concerned her not only as someone from China but as a real estate agent who would have had to question homebuyers.“It could be like a Caucasian that looks like an Asian. I think of my job as not a realtor anymore,” Moore said. “It’s like an investigator for FBI.”After she and many others voiced concerns, the bill changed — no longer preventing people from China from buying land in Alabama but targeting instead government entities from countries on a federal sanctions list, including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.Moore and Linyuan Guo-Brennan with the Central Alabama Association of Chinese Americans said they are glad to see the changes to the bill but are still concerned that the mere listing of the countries could lead to discrimination, even though the bill is now aimed at government actors.“This is one way, or most effective way, to enforce systemic discrimination,” Guo-Brennan said. “The members of the Chinese American community have already feel that we are the political pawns of the two parties playing politics.”The length of the regular Alabama legislative session is limited to 30 meeting days within a period of 105 calendar days. The bill will next be considered by the House to either concur with the substitute bill or make changes. Tuesday May 23 will begin day 24 out of 30 meeting days for the legislative session.Read the WHNT-TV19 report: https://bit.ly/3opbrq7 "Alabama not a sweet home for Asians." According to an opinion published by AL.com on May 18, 2023, at the onset of this Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the House of Representatives in the State of Alabama approved HB-379, also known as the Alabama Property Protection Act. This legislation specifically aims to prohibit Chinese citizens, Chinese companies, and the Chinese government from acquiring property. Such a measure flagrantly infringes upon the civil rights of Chinese individuals residing in the state and demonstrates a blatant disregard for the principles upheld by the Fair Housing Act.It is crucial to halt the ratification of this bill before law-abiding citizens are unjustly deprived of their ability to purchase homes or engage in economic activities. While one may assume that such xenophobic legislation belongs to a bygone era, it is essential to acknowledge that Alien Land Acts have persisted until modern times.During this AAPI Heritage Month, it is essential to celebrate the remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions of the AAPI community. We must resist the regression into xenophobic laws that mirror a bygone century. Our unwavering belief rests upon the establishment of a just and inclusive society that upholds the rights and dignity of all individuals, irrespective of their ethnicity. It is incumbent upon us to reject the existence of discriminatory legislation, as none of us would desire to witness the marginalization of foreign American nationals in their respective countries or the unjust exclusion of American corporations from foreign market investments.The author of the opinion, Dr. Ken Yang, holds an MD and PhD and lives in Birmingham where he has been a research scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham the past 19 years.Read Dr. Yang's opinion at AL.com : https://bit.ly/3IuxcMl 3. Alien Land Bills in Arizona - Senate Bills 1115, 1112 and House Bill 2376 According to LegiScan and Arizona Capitol Times on March 3, 2023, Arizona Senate passed Senate Bill 1115 by a margin of 16-14 that would prohibit land sales to the government, companies, and citizens of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria or Venezuela. The bill was sent to the Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of the Arizona House of Representatives and failed to advance on a 3-6 vote on March 30, 2023. Arizona SB1112 was introduced on January 19, 2023, to originally target China, but was expanded in the government committee to ban individuals from a list of countries from buying property in Arizona. It passed the committee on a 5-3 vote, but has seen no further action. Arizona House Bill 2376 was introduced on January 18, 2023. It passed the Arizona House on a 43-17 vote on February 22, 2023. The bill is currently pending at the Arizona Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. 4. Alien Land Bill in Louisiana - House Bill 537 On May 15, 2023, the Civil Law and Procedure Committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives held a hearing that included Louisiana House Bill 537 . High school graduate Abigail Hu 's testimony started at 3:12:45 and ended at 3:16:16. The Louisiana House has scheduled floor debate for May 23, 2023.Watch the Louisiana House of Representatives proceedings: https://bit.ly/3IuWFoG (video 3:34:11). Florida Governor DeSantis Criticized for Mandating Asian American History While Banning Courses on "Systemic Racism" According to a report by NBC News on May 18, 2023, a new law in Florida mandates the teaching of Asian American and Pacific Islander history in public schools. But many Asian Americans are not celebrating, pointing to how other marginalized communities are being affected by the state heavily limiting the instruction of systemic racism and gender identity in the classroom. Asian American academics and civil rights organizations are speaking out after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill last week, requiring that Asian American and Pacific Islander history to be included in the K-12 curriculum. The measure coincides with another bill signed into law to no longer permit public colleges to spend money on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. It also limits the way race and gender will be taught in the state’s higher education institutions. Gregg Orton , national director of National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a coalition of dozens of AAPI organizations, said the history law is far from a “win” for the Asian American community, adding that “racial justice can’t be a zero-sum game for communities of color.”“When you advance a bill that uplifts AAPI communities, but don’t want to acknowledge the fact that in the same state, there are real intentional efforts to invisiblize or erase Black history, or [critical race theory], you are on the wrong side of history,” Orton said. “With Florida, it’s hard to draw any other conclusion than they are actively trying to use the Asian American Pacific Islander community as a wedge here.” Make Us Visible, the group that spearheaded the push, has been working on the legislation for more than two years, according to Mimi Chan , president of the Florida chapter. All students in the state, from grades K-12, will "benefit from this legislation because moving forward all histories will be taught together," she said in a statement provided to NBC News.The history mandate would require the teaching of Japanese American incarceration in World War II, immigration, citizenship and the “contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to American society.” Conversely, the anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion bill, effective July 1, will ban the teaching of courses that legislators say “distort significant historical events or include a curriculum that teaches identity politics.” It also bans “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.” The bills come after state officials rejected an Advanced Placement African American studies course in January, leading the College Board to water down its framework for the curriculum. Pawan Dhingra , president of the Association for Asian American Studies, said that the effort from activists to implement Asian American studies in schools is admirable. However, the greater context around race education in the state can’t be ignored, he said. The language in the higher education bill, particularly its use of “identity politics,” Dhingra said, in part dismisses many groups’ real experiences and meaningful critiques. “What they’re saying is basically denying that there’s just real injustice going on,” he said. Moreover, Asian American history is intertwined and inextricably tied to others’ experiences, challenges and struggles, Russell Jeung , professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, said. Omitting those aspects of education would create an untruthful representation, he said. Manjusha P. Kulkarni , co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, similarly noted that Asian American experiences cannot be separated from that of Black, Indigenous and other groups, calling into question what “version” of history will be taught in schools. Kulkarni said: “We cannot address racism and hate in a silo. We know that our communities are interconnected.”She added that the history mandate also coincides with DeSantis’ signing of SB264, a law that in part prohibits Chinese nationals who do not have U.S. citizenship from buying property or land in the state. “DeSantis and the Florida officials are not truly interested in seeing our full humanity. And that raises further questions about what the bill signing of AAPI history means,” she said. For now, the experts say, progress is still distant.“I don’t want to discount the eagerness and the desire and hunger for our community to see advancements like this,” Orton said of the history mandate. “But it can’t be done at the expense of others.”Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3WpTGnu According to multiple media reports including AP News , CBS News , CNN , and New York Times , the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Equality Florida have issued travel advisories for Florida, warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019. News for the Communities 1. For First Time, FBI San Diego’s Special Agent in Charge is Asian American According to Fox5-San Diego on May 18, 2023, for the first time at FBI San Diego, the bureau’s top cop or special agent in charge (SAC) is of Asian American descent. SAC Stacey Moy grew up in San Diego. Moy had humble beginnings as a kid from Solana Beach, a third generation Chinese American whose father worked for the Navy. He found his fit in the U.S. Navy, graduating from the Naval Academy in 1998. He was commissioned and served as an officer in the Surface Warfare and Naval Special Warfare communities. Moy joined the FBI as a special agent in 2004 and served on the SWAT team. He was promoted to top leadership positions in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco before becoming Special Agent in Charge in San Diego. Moy’s second in command is Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Kim , who is Korean American. Only a little over 3% of the FBI special agents are AAPI. The FBI has reportedly created Diversity Advisory Committees to help improve and increase diversity within its rank. Watch and read the Fox5-San Diego report: https://bit.ly/3pZKsSH 2. Asian American Fellows Elected to the National Academy of Sciences In addition to MIT Professor Gang Chen , other known Asian American fellows elected to the 2023 National Academy of Sciences include: Chao, Moses V. ; professor, Department of Cell Biology, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York City Lin, Xihong ; coordinating director, program in quantitative genomics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and professor of statistics, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University, Boston Pan, Duojia ; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and professor and department chair of physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Sundaresan, Venkatesan ; Distinguished Professor, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis Ting, Alice ; professor of genetics, biology, and, by courtesy, chemistry, Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. Tye, Bik-Kwoon ; professor, molecular biology and genetics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Venkatesh, Akshay ; Robert and Luisa Fernholz Professor, School of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J. Wang, Michelle D. ; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and James Gilbert White Distinguished Professor of the Physical Sciences, Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Xiao, Shuhai ; professor of geobiology, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg Zeng, Hongkui ; executive vice president and director, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle Zhou, Min ; Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in US‐China Relations and Communications, Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles Read the 2023 National Academy of Sciences announcement: https://bit.ly/3Oz32Lw Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF May 22, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Simon Saw-Teong Ang 洪思忠 Docket ID: 5:20-cr-50029 District Court, W.D. Arkansas Date filed: July 28, 2020 Date ended: June 28, 2022 On January 21, 2022, Professor Simon Saw-Teong Ang and the U.S. government filed a plea agreement in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Under the agreement, Professor Ang pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal agent (18 U.S.C. § 1001). In return, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining 58 counts upon the Court’s approval. Previously, on July 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Professor Ang, then 63, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, had been indicted by a federal grand jury. A superseding indictment filed on July 28, 2021, charged him with 55 counts of wire fraud, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of false statements related to passport applications. His prosecution was brought under the DOJ’s “China Initiative,” launched in November 2018 to counter alleged economic espionage and trade secret theft linked to China. However, none of the charges against Professor Ang involved espionage or theft of trade secrets. Professor Ang had served as a professor and Director of the High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC) at the University of Arkansas since 1988. He was terminated by the university less than two months after his arrest in 2020. A jury trial was scheduled for February 7, 2022, but was rendered moot by the plea deal. In June 2022, Professor Ang was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. References and Links CourtListener: United States v. Ang (5:20-cr-50029) 2022/06/17 Arkansas Democrat Gazett: Ex-UA professor sentenced to year in prison for lying about Chinese patents 2022/01/22 The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Former UA professor pleads guilty to making false statement after scrutiny on China ties 2022/01/21 Science: U.S. accepts plea by Arkansas scientist charged in controversial China Initiative 2022/01/21 AP News: Arkansas prof pleads guilty to lying about China patents 2022/01/21 Case 5:20-cr-50029 Document 71: Plea Agreement 2021/08/03 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Ex-UA professor pleads innocent in fraud case 2020/07/29 DOJ: University of Arkansas Professor Indicted for Wire Fraud and Passport Fraud 2021/07/28 Case 5:20-cr-50029 Document 34: Superceding Indictment 2020/05/13 UPI: U.S. charges Arkansas researcher over NASA funds, ties to China 2020/05/12 CNN: FBI arrests researcher for NASA who allegedly failed to report ties to China Previous Item Next Item

Newsletter - #67 Press Briefing Today On Anming Hu Mistrial; Letter To The White House #67 Press Briefing Today On Anming Hu Mistrial; Letter To The White House Back View PDF June 18, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #288 US Rep. Grace Meng Remarks; TX Rep Gene Wu on Vigilance; Exclusion Legacy; C100 Update #288 US Rep. Grace Meng Remarks; TX Rep Gene Wu on Vigilance; Exclusion Legacy; C100 Update In This Issue #288 · Congresswoman Grace Meng Remarks at APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Texas Rep. Gene Wu Urges Community Vigilance, Solidarity, and Action · The Legacy of Exclusion, Racism, and Xenophobia · C100 Updates AAPI Curriculum Research Project · News and Activities for the Communities Congresswoman Grace Meng Remarks at APA Justice Monthly Meeting Congresswoman Grace Meng gave remarks during the APA Justice monthly meeting on October 7, 2024. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term representing New York's Sixth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State. Grace serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where she is New York's senior member and is the Vice Ranking Member. During the monthly meeting, Congresswoman Meng delivered a heartfelt message, beginning by expressing gratitude for the invitation and recognition of her fellow colleagues. She gave special praise to Texas State Representative Gene Wu for his leadership and advocacy for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during these challenging times. Congresswoman Meng also highlighted the critical role of Chair Judy Chu , Senator Mazie Hirono , and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), who have been working tirelessly to combat discriminatory legislation. Congresswoman Meng voiced her concern over the intensifying anti-China rhetoric in Congress. She specifically mentioned the recent attempt by House Republicans to pass a bill that could reinstate the China Initiative, which unfairly targeted individuals of Chinese descent under the guise of national security. While the bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, Congresswoman Meng emphasized that such efforts continue to harm the AAPI community. In response, Congresswoman Meng and CAPAC urged Congressional leadership to remove language that would restart the China Initiative from the final government spending bill for 2025. She commended organizations like the Asian American Scholar Forum, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and APA Justice for their advocacy during “China Week” and beyond, and gave a special mention to Casey Lee for her contributions. Congresswoman Meng also raised alarm about Project 2025, a Republican policy roadmap that includes reinstating the China Initiative and ending family-based immigration, a move that would disproportionately impact Asian American communities. Project 2025 also calls for cutting funding to vital programs like food assistance and healthcare, directly affecting vulnerable populations, including the 4.5 million AAPI Medicaid recipients. It also targets reductions in the H1B visa program, which would harm skilled workers, many of whom are from AAPI communities. Congresswoman Meng stressed that these issues are not about party politics but about safeguarding the future and well-being of our community. Despite these challenges, Congresswoman Meng remains committed to fighting discriminatory policies and advancing progressive initiatives. One such initiative is the creation of the National Museum of Asian Pacific American History in Washington DC. The first legislation to establish the museum as part of the Smithsonian Institution was passed in 2022, and Congresswoman Meng is excited to continue working on this project. The museum will preserve and celebrate the rich histories and cultures of Asian Pacific Americans. In closing, Congresswoman Meng reflected on the hardships the AAPI community has faced, particularly during the pandemic, and urged continued unity and collaboration to address the challenges ahead.We thank Congresswoman Meng for her leadership and public service. Watch her talk at https://bit.ly/3Ysvaof (8:08). A summary of the October 7 monthly meeting is being finalized at this time. Texas Rep. Gene Wu Urges Community Vigilance, Solidarity, and Action Texas State Representative Gene Wu reminded the community of the necessity for vigilance, solidarity, and action in the face of rising anti-Asian sentiments and discriminatory legislation during the APA Justice monthly meeting on October 7, 2024. Gene serves the constituents of District 137 in the Texas House and is also an attorney in private practice. A dedicated advocate for the Asian Pacific American community in Texas and across the nation, Gene is committed to raising awareness and fostering dialogue about the pressing issues facing Asian Americans today. He regularly hosts town hall meetings and travels nationwide to engage with communities and promote understanding.Gene began his remarks by expressing profound gratitude to Congresswoman Grace Meng for her unwavering leadership in advocating for the Asian American community. He underscored the urgent need for awareness regarding the rising anti-Asian sentiment and legislation that disproportionately impacts Chinese Americans. This acknowledgment of the broader context of discrimination serves as a foundation for his call to action.Highlighting his recent travels to states like Tennessee and Florida, Gene shared his experiences engaging with Asian American communities and raising awareness about these critical issues. In Tennessee, for instance, a law was initially enacted that barred all immigrants from purchasing land but was later amended to specifically target Chinese individuals. This shift exemplifies a troubling trend across the United States, where anti-Chinese and anti-Asian measures are increasingly pervasive. Gene noted that there are currently 24 states with some form of anti-Asian land law legislation, with 13 of these states imposing restrictions explicitly against Chinese individuals. He traced this alarming trend back to historical patterns of discrimination, recalling how anti-Asian sentiments have roots that extend to the 1850s when waves of Chinese and Japanese immigrants faced similar oppressive laws.Drawing parallels between past and present discrimination, Gene recounted how laws from the late 19th and early 20th centuries specifically targeted Asian communities. Often justified under the guise of national security, these laws include the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act and other discriminatory measures against Japanese immigrants. He highlighted that such practices were not only legislated but also deeply embedded in societal attitudes toward Asian Americans. Gene cautioned that many within the community might dismiss these discriminatory practices as benign, believing they only affect specific groups like those from mainland China. He emphasized that this perspective is fundamentally flawed, as it sets a dangerous precedent where discrimination can escalate unchecked.Reflecting on significant historical moments when anti-Asian sentiments were codified into law, Gene recalled restrictions placed on Chinese women in the 1870s aimed at controlling population growth and the anti-alien laws passed in California in the early 1900s. He stressed that many of these laws remained in effect until the mid-20th century, highlighting a long-standing legacy of dehumanization and discrimination against Asian communities in America. Gene pointed out that the modern narrative of suspicion and fear directed at Chinese Americans is not a new phenomenon but rather a continuation of historical patterns of vilification and scapegoating. He called attention to the inflammatory rhetoric from prominent political figures, including Donald Trump and JD Vance , who portray Chinese Americans as threats to national security. Such rhetoric perpetuates a cycle of fear and distrust that not only harms Chinese Americans but also has broader implications for all Asian communities. Gene warned that this kind of vilification can lead to severe consequences, drawing parallels to the injustices faced by Japanese Americans during World War II when many were forcibly relocated to internment camps despite being U.S. citizens. Challenging the notion that only certain Asian groups are targeted by discrimination, Gene asserted that all Asian Americans are perceived as potential threats in a climate of suspicion. He urged the community to acknowledge this shared vulnerability and the necessity for solidarity among Asian Americans of all backgrounds. The historical context of discrimination serves as a crucial reminder that complacency can lead to dire repercussions. Gene called for heightened awareness and activism within the Asian American community, emphasizing that understanding the history of discrimination is vital to effectively combating the resurgence of these harmful ideologies.Gene also addressed the recent surge in anti-Asian violence that escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene asserted that the violence and discrimination faced by Asian Americans, irrespective of their specific ethnic backgrounds, underscores the urgency of collectively addressing these pressing issues. He emphasized that current societal attitudes toward Asian Americans are not isolated incidents but rather part of a broader historical narrative of discrimination that demands attention and action. In conclusion, Gene issued a rallying call for the Asian American community to awaken from complacency and recognize the challenges that lie ahead. He implored individuals to confront the systemic nature of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans, urging them to advocate for themselves and their communities. The resurgence of old hate signals that the struggles faced by Asian Americans in the past are far from over. It is crucial for everyone, especially the Asian American community, to unite in combating these threats. Gene's message serves as a vital reminder of the necessity for vigilance, solidarity, and action in the face of rising anti-Asian sentiments and discriminatory legislation.We thank Texas Rep. Wu for his leadership and public service. A video of his talk will be made available soon, along with a summary of the October 7 monthly meeting that is being finalized at this time. On October 18, 2024, the Houston Chronicle highlighted Texas State Representative Gene Wu and raised this question, "Asian Americans are Texas' fastest growing population. How ill that impact the elections?" In the upcoming 2024 Texas elections, the rapidly growing Asian American population is becoming an increasingly significant voting bloc. Both Democrats and Republicans are working to engage this diverse community, which has historically been under-represented in political outreach. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) now make up 4% of the Texas electorate, with substantial growth across multiple counties. While this group has leaned Democratic in recent years, there is significant diversity within the community, with variations in political preferences across ethnic groups. Both parties see the potential for the AAPI vote to be decisive in close races, but challenges such as language barriers and underinvestment in outreach persist. As Texas continues to grow and diversify, the AAPI electorate could play a crucial role in shaping the state's political landscape.Read the Houston Chronicle report: https://bit.ly/3A99Pqv The Legacy of Exclusion, Racism, and Xenophobia The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 stands as a glaring reminder of our nation’s darker history. As the first federal immigration law aimed at excluding a specific ethnic group based on race and nationality, it arose from a climate of anti-Chinese sentiment during the late 19th century. Chinese immigrants, who primarily sought work in mining and railroad construction, were scapegoated as “parasites,” blamed for taking jobs from white workers and undermining the societal norm of a “Country of White Men.” Other Asian groups, such as Japanese and South Asian immigrants, also faced restrictive measures later on.The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the Chinese Exclusion Case of 1889 (Chae Chan Ping v. United States) upheld the federal government’s authority to restrict immigration, validating laws, even in ways that targeted specific racial or national groups. This created a precedent for ongoing anti-Chinese and broader anti-Asian sentiment, which persisted for decades and laid the groundwork for racially exclusionary immigration policies.Subsequent legislation, such as the Immigration Act of 1924, further codified these racial preferences, establishing quotas that favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely restricting those from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943 during World War II, largely to strengthen ties with China as an ally. However, even then, the Magnuson Act limited immigration of Chinese persons to a mere 105 individuals annually, offering little more than a symbolic gesture toward equality.The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 marked a significant turning point, abolishing the national origins quota system and prioritizing immigrants based on family reunification and skills rather than race or national origin. In 2011, Rep. Judy Chu , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced a resolution expressing regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act. This initiative united various organizations under the 1882 Project , which included Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Committee of 100, Japanese American Citizens League, the National Council of Chinese Americans, and OCA, serving on the Steering Committee. It led to a remarkable moment in 2021 and 2022 when both the Senate and the House unanimously passed the resolution to acknowledge historical injustices. Read about the 1882 Project: https://bit.ly/3j7StPa The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) published a report titled " The Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act on the Economic Development of the Western U.S." in October 2024. The paper investigates the economic consequences of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. The Act reduced the number of Chinese workers of all skill levels residing in the U.S. It also reduced the labor supply and the quality of jobs held by white and U.S.-born workers, the intended beneficiaries of the Act, and reduced manufacturing output. The results suggest that the Chinese Exclusion Act slowed economic growth in western states until at least 1940. Read the NBER report: https://bit.ly/405zbjy According to Reason on the NBER report October 7, 2024, one of the main rationales for the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act was to benefit white workers, who were supposedly victimized by competition from the Chinese. The NBER study shows that it did not achieve that goal. Mass deportations of immigrants destroy more jobs for native-born citizens than they create. The Chinese Exclusion Act benefited "local" white miners competing with Chinese miners. But such effects were outweighed by the much larger number of white workers who benefited from Chinese migration, including the associated job opportunities it created. The economy is not a zero-sum game, and the interests of workers from different ethnic and racial groups are more mutually reinforcing than conflicting. Read the Reason report: https://bit.ly/4f9v7TU C100 Updates AAPI Curriculum Research Project On October 17, 2024, the Committee of 100 (C100) announced an update to its ongoing AAPI Curriculum Research Project, which tracks state legislation and local education standards that require or encourage the teaching of AAPI history in K-12 schools. Launched in 2022, this project is updated annually. New to this year's update is an interactive map that provides summaries of legislations and education standards related to AAPI or ethnic studies for each state, along with the name and full text of each statue.“For almost two centuries, the AAPI community has made significant contributions to the U.S., yet Asian Americans are still battling the stereotype of being perpetual foreigners,” said Cindy Tsai , Interim President of C100. “Public schools play a crucial role in shaping informed citizens. However, in many states, schools don’t teach students about the contributions of Asian Americans, even though Asian American history is American history. If children aren’t taught this, how can they grow into citizens who understand the experiences and challenges faced by all Americans?” According to the C100, as of October 3, 2024: · 12 states have statutes that require AAPI studies curriculum · 4 states are considering recently introduced bills that would require AAPI studies curriculum · 15 states have academic standards that require AAPI studies · 22 states have statutes that require ethnic studies curriculum · 3 states are considering recently introduced bills that would require ethnic studies curriculum · 33 states have academic standards that require ethnic studies · 8 states have no statutes, recently introduced bills, or academic standards that require or make optional AAPI studies or ethnic studies curriculum For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4fd9EcO News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2024/10/22 Engage with AAAS: 2024 U.S. Elections2024/10/24 Why Do Legislators Brawl? Lawmaking, Fist Fighting and Messaging in Taiwan 2024/10/25-27 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the American Studies Network2024/10/26 Common Ground and Banquet2024/10/27 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/03 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/06 Asian American Women in Media and Music2024/11/10 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/11/12 Threats to International Engagement and Academic Freedom2024/11/14 An Advice and Networking Event (Financial Services, Investing and Consulting)Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. NOTE: Because the regular scheduled day falls on the eve of Election Day, we have moved the next APA Justice monthly meeting to Monday, November 18, 2024. 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 . 2. USCET Internships The U.S.-China Education Trust is seeking intern(s) for Spring 2025 to support its communications and programs. Undergraduate juniors, seniors, and graduate students are welcome to apply. The internships offer an opportunity to gain experience in the nonprofit sector and develop expertise in the field of US-China relations. The interns work a hybrid and flexible part-time schedule to accommodate their student schedules. The position includes a stipend or academic credit. Send in your applications by November 8, 2024, 11:59PM ET. For more information, contact https://bit.ly/3Nz4Tyi 3. APA Justice Newsletter Web Page Moved to New Website As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletter webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters . Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF October 21, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #264 Neal Lane Remarks; National Academies Capstone; RoRS Workshop; Anti-Asian Hate; More #264 Neal Lane Remarks; National Academies Capstone; RoRS Workshop; Anti-Asian Hate; More In This Issue #264 · Dr. Neal Lane Remarks on June 6 Forum and Goals · National Academies Roundtable Capstone Workshop · Dr. Tam Dao Update on Research on Research Security (RoRS) Workshop · Anti-Asian Hate Incident with Columbia University Vice President for Communications · News and Activities for the Communities Dr. Neal Lane Remarks on June 6 Forum and Goals During the APA Justice monthly meeting on July 1, 2024, Dr. Neal Lane, Senior Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University; Former Director of Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), The White House; Former Director, National Science Foundation (NSF), shared his thoughts about the important dialogue that was held at Rice University on June 6, 2024. Dr. Lane's remarks followed Kei Koizumi , Principal Deputy Director of OSTP.The June 6 forum was a groundbreaking occasion where representatives from the FBI, Asian American communities, and academic institutions gathered for a vital discussion. Dr. Lane explained why this unique gathering may be one of the most significant hosted by Rice University. America’s economy, security, and well-being are deeply intertwined with advancements in science, technology, and private sector innovation. The U.S. heavily relies on researchers and STEM workers from Asia, particularly China. If these talented individuals decide not to come here or those already here choose to leave, it will severely impact our scientific and technological progress.Not long ago, that sentiment would have been unthinkable.If some foreign entity decided to find a way to cause America to fall backwards in science, technology, innovation, and economic growth, and simply become a weaker nation, the China initiative would be an ideal strategy. Even with its cancellation, so much damage has already been done.Existing policies, rules, and enforcement guidelines are not clear, and there appear to be communication gaps between the policy makers and those who must enforce the rules. Dr. Lane is encouraged by Kei's comments that the guidelines will be coming out of the White House soon. It is hard for those of us who are not there working on this problem in real time to understand the scope of what the challenges are.It is an understatement that policy makers do not always get it right. We have just heard some of the matters that Congress is dealing with right now, and that the White House is pushing back on.That was the reason Dr. Lane felt the June 6 Forum was so important. The fact that the FBI, with some risk, was reaching out to the Asian community, meant that there was a real chance to begin a much-needed dialogue.It brought together leaders from the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Washington headquarters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and members of the Asian and academic communities. Discussions covered the China Initiative, issues with students at the border, the complex landscape of research security, and the ongoing need to balance research security with attracting and retaining top talent.Rice University's Office of Innovation, led by Vice President of Innovation Paul Cherukuri , spoke at the Forum. Key participants included representatives from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the ACLU of Texas, the Asian American Scholar Forum, the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition, and APA Justice.Although Customs and Border Protection representatives were invited, they did not attend. The Forum was moderated by Dr. Steven Pei and attended by about 75 in person, with over 400 joining virtually. One major takeaway was the commitment from FBI leadership, particularly Jill Murphy , Deputy Assistant Director for counterintelligence in Washington, and Alamdar Hamdani , the US. Attorney for the Southern district of Texas. They both said that they are committed to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, and they acknowledge the potential link between the rise of hate crimes against Asians and the unfortunate portrayal of Asian Americans as being untrustworthy and here to steal intellectual property.Jill Murphy emphasized that the initiative was never intended to harm Asians and reassured us that the FBI takes anti-Asian bias seriously.One objective of the Forum was that it would pave the way for potential collaborations between the FBI and Asian communities and other cities, such as San Francisco. We are very happy to learn that FBI leadership in San Francisco, Robert Tripp , and U.S. Attorney from the Northern District of California, Ismail Ramsey , will be meeting with Asian American community there to hold similar discussions.Another goal of the Forum was to encourage the Government to maintain open lines of communication with the Asian community and advocate better coordination research security efforts.As we have heard from Kei, the White House OSTP is working hard to clarify research security policies for universities, researchers and funding agencies. One of OSTP’s many tasks is to manage the National Science and Technology Council. which is chaired by the President. The OSTP Director, Arati Prabhakar , sits on the President's Cabinet. OSTP works with federal agencies to coordinate the complex funding and research security landscape and reduce the time consuming paperwork and other administrative tasks, many of which simply waste money and researchers’ time.In her annual State of Science talk a week ago, Marcia McNutt , President of the National Academy of Sciences, reminded us that on average, surveys show that researchers spend 40% of their research time, not teaching time, on administrative tasks. And now, with new research security requirements being imposed by Congress, the burden could be even greater.OSTP is the place in the White House that keeps a focus on protecting the U.S. research enterprise while dealing sensibly and seriously with research security that can require pushing back on unhelpful, even damaging actions by Congress and some agencies. The challenge is formidable and exhausting, and it takes time.Regarding the border issues, Dr. Lane suggested that perhaps OSTP could convene meetings with officials of Homeland Security, and Customs and Border Protection in particular, to discuss the problems that some Chinese students are having as they try to re-enter the country.During the George W. Bush administration after 9/11, Jack Marburger was Director of OSTP. The office played a key role in establishing the Science and Technology Directorate of the newly formed Department of Homeland Security.Now might be a good time to renew the partnership between OSTP and Homeland Security. It is not easy. If you look at the organization chart for Homeland Security, you find lots of offices and the directorate and connections between offices of all government organizations can be very difficult. OSTP can perhaps make some of those connections a little easier for the folks who are working very hard within that department.On our part, as concerned Asian, Asian American, and academic and larger science communities, it will require patience and strong support of positive efforts that are underway, such as what Kei described in continuing dialogue with the White House and Federal agencies, including law enforcement.The unprecedented meeting on June 6 was a good start. The job now is to keep the momentum going. Dr. Lane is confident that APA Justice will continue to do its part. A summary for the July 1 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. Watch the June 6 Forum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csqLJo869ZY (1:55:23) Additional reading: 2024/07/04 Science Editorial: American academic freedom is in peril 2024/07/04 Yahoo/Fortune: Washington’s scrutiny of Chinese and Chinese-American scientists is hurting their productivity—and global scientific cooperation 2024/06/27 VOA: Reports of visa checks, deportations worry Chinese STEM students in US 2024/05/30 Baker Institute for Public Policy: An Urgent Call for Clear and Fair Law Enforcement Guidelines and Procedures for Research Security National Academies Roundtable Capstone Workshop Although she was still recovering from COVID, Dr. Karla Hagan, Senior Program Officer and Staff Director of the National Academies Roundtable, gave an update on the Roundtable and the upcoming capstone workshop during the APA Justice monthly meeting on July 1, 2024.The Roundtable was created four years ago under the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. It brought together the law enforcement and intelligence communities with the research community in academia and industry. The Roundtable held 14 meetings in total, including five regional meetings outside of Washington DC in Maryland, Boston, Chicago, Stanford, and Texas. After four years of work, there will be a capstone workshop on July 16 and 17, 2024. It is a public event open to attendance in person or virtually. A public proceeding will also be published following the event. The Roundtable included members from across academia, government, and industry. It is focused on research security. It was pulled together at a time when law enforcement and academia were farther apart than they are now although there is still a long way to go.The capstone workshop will not only summarize the four years of Roundtable work, including impacts that Federal policies are having and concerns heard from the communities, but also to examine some of the potential next steps.Not too surprisingly, the discussions of the APA Justice monthly meeting are also some of the themes coming out of the Roundtable. All of us are invited to join the capstone workshop. Registration to attend and additional information about the National Academies capstone workshop are posted here: https://bit.ly/3z0PnY7 Dr. Tam Dao Update on Research on Research Security (RoRS) Workshop The National Science Foundation (NSF) launched the Research on Research Security program in 2023. It was inspired by a JASON report on research security. The report raised critical questions such as: What should research security look like? How should it be studied? What areas need a deeper understanding?On May 23 and 24, 2024, Rice University, in partnership with multiple organizations, hosted a groundbreaking global workshop on May 23 and 24, 2024, to explore the emerging field of Research on Research Security (RoRS).During the APA Justice monthly meeting on June 3, 2024, Dr. Tam Dao, Assistant Vice President for Research Security, Office of Research Security, Rice University, provided background information and outlined the workshop's two primary objectives: 1. Identifying Key Areas for Further Understanding : The workshop aimed to pinpoint specific areas within research security that require deeper understanding. The goal was to generate research questions and testable hypotheses to guide NSF’s funding priorities in this field. 2. Building a Community of Practice : NSF also sought to create a community of practice that could pursue these research opportunities once the requests for proposals are issued. NSF emphasized the importance of not only creating a research roadmap but also engaging scientists across various disciplines to apply for grants in this area. For the workshop, Tam and Rice University brought together a diverse group of experts from across the United States and overseas, including participants from Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, and the United Kingdom. These experts represented fields ranging from STEM to public policy, economics, business, social sciences, and law, offering a broad perspective on research areas needing further exploration.Ideas were collected from the virtual session. They were then bucketed for the in-person workshop.The workshop materials, including notes and videos, were organized into several thematic buckets, with the first focusing on national security and the cross-cutting clusters identified in the JASON report. Key themes included: · Defining the Scope of the Problem : Assessing the true scale and scope of research security issues and determining how to study them effectively. · Data Access : Addressing the challenges of accessing and utilizing relevant data. · Policy and Governance : Examining the impact of policies at individual, institutional, and societal levels. · Risk Assessment in the Research Enterprise : Developing models to assess and quantify risks associated with research activities in face of the challenge of defining and understanding the different perspectives of risk. · International Collaboration : Understanding how policies affect international research collaborations and comparing approaches across different countries. Some hurdles identified included data access, especially when dealing with classified information, and the need for innovative methods to share and analyze sensitive data. The integration of social scientists with experts in hard sciences was seen as crucial for advancing research in this area.One of the biggest challenges is encouraging researchers to engage in this new field. NSF expressed concerns that despite generating research questions, scholars might hesitate to shift their focus to research security due to a lack of familiarity. Therefore, a key message from the workshop was to motivate the scholarly community to pursue these research grants.The workshop’s findings will be compiled into a report for NSF, with a planned delivery by the end of July or early August. NSF is eager to move forward quickly, likely driven by the requirements of the CHIPS and Science Act, which mandates progress in this area.Overall, the workshop marked a significant step toward understanding and improving research security, fostering collaboration among scientists, and addressing the critical challenges identified. A summary for the June 3 APA Justice monthly meeting is being finalized. Read the Rice News report on RoRS: https://bit.ly/45ForsU Anti-Asian Hate Incident with Columbia University Vice President for Communications According to NBC News on June 24, 2024, Ben Chang , Columbia University’s spokesperson and vice president for communications, was on his way to work on June 17 when a man approached him just a few blocks from school, began yelling at him and hit him with a metal water bottle. Chang told NBC News that during the altercation, the man told him to “go back to your f‐‐‐‐‐‐ country” and continued following him for some time after the assault.So far, no arrests have been made, but the New York Police Department (NYPD) said the Hate Crime Task Force was notified about the attack. “It’s important to report what happened both in my own case, but also for overall, trying to make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the future,” Chang said. “I’m born and raised in the D.C. area. My mom grew up in West Virginia. We don’t get much more American and apple pie. And that’s jarring.”Chang, 52, said the confrontation was unprompted, that he didn’t speak to the man or bump into him. As the man yelled at him, Chang said he attempted to ignore him and kept walking, but the man then struck him anyway. Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/3XLVQ3n . Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3XReR4l Stop the Hate Event from San Francisco On June 22, 2024, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association organized Stop the Hate event in San Francisco. The event raised awareness on education, awareness, safety, protection and prevention of hate crimes with emphasis on the elderly people, assaults, theft, drugs and homelessness. Police Commissioner Larry Yee served as moderator for the event and the speakers included Mayor London Breed , District Attorney Broke Jenkins and Police Chief Bill Scott . Ding Ding TV served as a media partner on the event and livestreamed it to its audience. Over 100 people watched the event live. Watch a video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFkXHI7chWQ (1:27:16). News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/07/10 2024 Asian American Voter Survey Press Briefing2024/07/11-12 National AAPI Leadership Summit2024/07/13 APIAVote: Presidential Town Hall, Philadelphia PA2024/07/15 APIAVote: RNC Convention, AAPI Briefing &Reception, Milwaukee, WI2024/07/16-17 National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable - Capstone2024/07/27-28 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony2024/08/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/08/05 APA Justice Monthly MeetingThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. 2024 Asian American Voter Survey Press Briefing WHAT: 2024 Asian American Voter Survey Press Briefing WHEN: July 10, 2024, 1:00 pm ET WHERE: Virtual event HOSTS: APIAVote, APIA Data, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, AARP DESCRIPTION: Leaders from APIAVote, APIA Data, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, and AARP will present findings from their bi-annual Asian American Voter Survey, the longest-running longitudinal survey of AAPI voters. Since 2012, this comprehensive, multilingual survey has revealed what issues matter most to this rapidly growing part of the electorate and how those issues impact their voting habits. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/4bD2c8E 3. Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony WHAT: Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony WHEN: July 27, 2024, 8:30 am - 9:00 pm PT WHERE: In-person fee event at Stanford Memorial Auditorium, 551 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 HOST: Asian American Scholar Forum DESCRIPTION: The Inaugural Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony will honor the transformative contributions by the Asian American pioneers, and will bring together some of the most distinguished minds in the fields of energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and leadership. Nobel Prize laureates Steven Chu and Randy Schekman and Turing Award laureate Raj Reddy will deliver keynote speeches and former Stanford president and Turing Award laureate John Hennessy and distinguished industry leader Eric Yuan will engage in fireside chats, providing a unique platform for intellectual exchange and inspiration. The winners of the “Youth Ambassador for Science” competition will also be recognized at the Symposium. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3XLApPN 4. Vince Fong Elected to U.S. Congress According to AP on June 3, 2024, Republican Vince Fong of California was sworn into Congress after winning a special election to complete the remainder of the term of deposed former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy . Fong was a member of the California State Assembly before running for the House. He was backed by former President Donald Trump and McCarthy. Fong’s swearing-in gives Republicans a 218-213 majority. Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/45TZ8DJ 5. Committee of 100: 2025 Annual Conference and Gala The Committee of 100 will host its next annual conference and gala at Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles, on April 24-26, 2025. Back View PDF July 8, 2024 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 - #214 Special Edition: Discrimination, Battle for Rights, Build Alliances, and Empowerment #214 Special Edition: Discrimination, Battle for Rights, Build Alliances, and Empowerment In This Issue #214 This is a special edition based on the APA Justice monthly meeting on August 7, 2023. A written summary of the meeting has been posted at https://bit.ly/3LWvQLK . · Updates on Florida Alien Land Bill (SB264) Lawsuit · On-The-Ground Reports about Court Hearing, Press Conference, and Protests · Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) · Engagement and Empowerment - APIAVote Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Founder of Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) and a lead attorney of the lawsuit against Florida's discriminatory alien land law known as Senate Bill (SB264), provided an update of the lawsuit and his anticipated next steps. Echo King 金美声 , Founder and President of the newly formed Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA), described its moments of awakening and its continuing impactful grassroots activities against SB264, along with Dr. Shuang Zhao 赵爽 , Co-President of newly formed Yick Wo Institution and a public policy and political science professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Andy Wong , Managing Director of Advocacy, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and Shanti Elise Prasad , Advocacy Manager, CAA, gave a joint presentation on the history and current activities of CAA that was founded in San Francisco in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial rights of Chinese Americans and multiracial democracy in the U.S. Christine Chen , Executive Director, introduced APIAVote as the nation’s leading organization focusing on building political power by increasing our community’s access to the ballot and overall voter participation. Christine outlined the need and how the communities can transform their activities and efforts into political power and representation.Together with Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Joanna Derman , Director of the Anti-Racial Profiling, Civil Rights and National Security Program at Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director of Asian American Scholar Forum, these speakers exemplify a growing movement to carry on time-tested missions and to combat new forms of discrimination for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. By integrating their energy and resources to build additional allies nationwide, the presence and impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will grow beyond current boundaries. Updates on Florida Alien Land Bill Lawsuit Clay Zhu reported that hearings on the emergency motion to stop the discriminatory Florida alien land law known as Senate Bill (SB) 264 were completed in July.On July 18, the Court heard both parties present their arguments. It was initially scheduled for one hour, but it actually lasted two. The judge was extremely well prepared and had many questions for both sides. It appears that the judge knows the importance and implications of this case and he is taking his time.Regardless of how the judge rules, Clay believes that the losing party will appeal. If Florida loses, it will appeal because the issue is important to the governor and his presidential campaign. "If we lose, we will one hundred percent appeal," Clay said during the meeting. The legal team is preparing for that possibility. The emergency appeal will go to the 11th Circuit Court based in Atlanta, Georgia, which is expected to be filed very shortly after the present judge issues a decision.It is typically a three-judge panel in contrast to one judge in the District Court now. The appeal will be heard and decided by the panel. Clay expressed appreciation for Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) organizing a rally in front of the Court House on July 18. It shows the unity and strength of our community. During the rally, Clay said, "if the Chinese people are not safe, nobody in this country is safe." On July 16, Clay gave a comprehensive presentation on his civil rights activities including the WeChat challenge. The event was hosted by FAAJA and broadcast by FCRTV 佛州华语广播电视台. Clay's presentation is available here: https://bit.ly/3OWbYdy (in Chinese). Video of the FCRTV broadcast is posted here: https://bit.ly/3Q9cTbi (in Chinese 2:05:26).According to Clay's presentation, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order (EO) 13943 on August 6, 2020 to ban WeChat, effective in 45 days. WeChat had over 19 million users in the U.S. at that time. Five lawyers led by Clay created the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance in two days. On August 21, 2020, a lawsuit was filed in the District Court in the Northern District of California. On September 19, 2020, the Court granted the plaintiffs' motion for a nationwide injunction against the implementation of EO 13943. “The loss of First Amendment freedoms, even for minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury,” the judge ruled. On June 9, 2021, the Biden Administration revoked EO 13943.Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) was formed after the WeChat ban was defeated.On May 8, 2023, Florida SB 264 was signed into law. On May 22, 2023, CALDA filed a lawsuit against the discriminatory alien land law. A CourtListener docket of the lawsuit is available here: https://bit.ly/43idmvB On-The-Ground Reports about Court Hearing, Press Conference, and Protests Echo King, Co-Founder and President of Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) gave a report on the newly formed FAAJA and its activities.April 19, 2023 was a very important day. Echo and about 100 of like-minded persons went to Tallahassee, capital of Florida, to protest the alien land bill prohibiting citizens from several countries of concern, especially targeting Chinese, Chinese citizens, and Chinese companies, from buying any type of real property with very narrow exceptions. They experienced firsthand the indifference of the legislative representatives. They were not listening.Echo put the blame on themselves for not paying attention to politics. Right outside the state capital building, they decided to establish FAAJA to fight for their own rights. Since April 19, FAAJA has turned up its volume on political awareness in the community. The FAAJA Board has 19 members, including attorneys, PhDs, professors, community leaders, and a successful business owner from all parts of Florida. It started three committees – civic engagement, user development, and political endorsement. In three short months, FAAJA has reached out and made its presence felt at events with Hispanic, Black, and other minority groups and mainstream organizations to build strong partnerships and back each other up, including the Juneteenth celebration. FAAJA has also been talking with AAPI organizations in Florida to build coalitions and promote important issues together, such as voting awareness. In the morning of the monthly meeting, FAAJA was interviewing a candidate who is running for the Florida House of Representatives. FAAJA strives to be actively engaged and get its voice heard at the state and local levels. On July 16, it hosted a webinar when Attorney Clay Zhu gave a presentation on the status of the Florida lawsuit. It has been working closely with Dr. Steven Pei to build allies. It provided a Freedom Ride with a busload of activists on their way from Orlando to Tallahassee to join the July 18 rally. Haipei Shue flew to Orlando and joined the Freedom Riders.The July 18 rally was a multi-racial, multi-state protest despite the 100-degree day. There was a long wait because the hearing was scheduled for one hour but lasted two. Over 80 persons from around the country joined and spoke at the rally. Dr. Pei and a number of people from Texas flew in and out the same day. A long list of diverse organizations including AAJC, APA Justice, CAA, C100, JACL, NAPABA, NFHA, NIAC, OCA, Stop AAPI Hate, UCA, LULAC, TMAC, Latino Justice, NAACP, and others showed their strong support.In addition to Ashley Gorski from ACLU, Anna Eskamani , an Iranian American member of the Florida House of Representatives, cleared her schedule for the day, spoke at the rally, and provided tremendous help all around. There was a lot of media coverage with about 16-17 media reports and interviews. Attorney Clay Zhu’s presentation, the Freedom Rider video, and related reports and pictures are posted at https://www.faaja.org/s-projects-side-by-side . Dr. Shuang Zhao followed Echo and gave a report on behalf of Yick Wo Institution, a new 501(c)4 nonprofit organization established in July 2023. Dr. Zhao lives in Alabama. She is a public policy and political science professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Zhao and Yick Wo have been actively engaged in fighting discriminatory laws and supported FAAJA in Tallahassee. Yick Wo has a collection of researchers, university professors, and media experts to provide the general public with policy analysis to inform the Asian American community and the public about what is going on, what they can do, and how they can engage. Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, and Shanti Elise Prasad, Advocacy Manager, gave a joint presentation on the history and current activities of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). CAA was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial rights of Chinese Americans and multiracial democracy in the U.S. During the 1960s, Chinese immigrant parents in San Francisco complained that their children were unable to follow classroom instructions in English. CAA founders helped these parents filed a class action lawsuit against education officials to get them to address the education needs in the public schools. The case ultimately went to the Supreme Court, which unanimously decided that the lack of supplemental language instructions in public schools for students with limited English proficiency was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Court determined that school districts are responsible for taking affirmative steps towards reaching the goal of providing equal education opportunities for all students. Today CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, advocating for a whole range of systemic change on issues from immigrant rights, language access, to racial and social justice. CAA provides direct services in the San Francisco Chinatown community where CAA is headquartered. CAA has a growing policy advocacy research and communications team looking at federal and state levels, as well as a Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate, which is a national coalition to address anti-AAPI racism in the US. Rising tensions between the US and China have resulted in increasing targeting and blaming of Chinese and other people of Asian descent as threats to U.S. security. This scapegoating based on national security has led to a slew of racist and xenophobic policymaking at the federal and state levels and even attacks on Asian members of Congress, including earlier this year against CAPAC Chair, Congresswoman Judy Chu . In the past few years, CAA has been calling attention to these developments and working actively to defeat them in close collaboration with partners and driving narrative change on how policy and rhetoric leads to direct harm against our community members. CAA’s work with Stop AAPI Hate has included leading the national response to President Biden's investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and what proactive measures the administration needed to take to reduce the risk of backlash against our AAPI communities. CAA released a national report entitled The Blame Game on how political rhetoric inflames anti-Asian scapegoating during last year's midterm elections and offered recommendations on putting an end to the alarming trend. CAA successfully lobbied Senate Judiciary Committee leaders to oppose Casey Arrowood ’s nomination to be the next US attorney of the Eastern District of Tennessee. It was a new effort that CAA has not made before. Casey Arrowood led the prosecution of Professor Anming Hu under Trump’s “China Initiative.” Defeating Arrowood’s nomination was quite a victory for accountability. For this year, CAA met with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senator Menendez’s staff to express concerns about the pending China bill that includes provisions unfairly targeting and stigmatizing Chinese and other Asian Americans, working with partners such as AAPI Montclair in New Jersey. The Brennan Center, ACLU, and others have worked on FISA reform and been building support among the civil rights community for years. It is an important opportunity for the AAPI community to lean into this fight, given the widespread civil rights abuses with Section 702, including racial profiling and bias-based surveillance of Americans. Conversations are actively underway to engage in direct advocacy. CAA appreciates APA Justice for recently bringing together a number of partners to have these conversations and looks forward to engaging in this fight along with others. On land bans, we are all dealing with a fast, emerging threat. CAA and Stop AAPI Hate partnered with Texas organizations and leaders, such as Asian Texans for Justice, Rise AAPI, Woori Juntos, and many others, and successfully defeated Senate Bill 147. There were rallies, demonstrations, and even an advocacy day to express CAA opposition. There is still a chance that the governor may bring it back. CAA drafted and circulated a national petition, including hundreds from Texas that was delivered to key lawmakers in Texas. In Florida, CAA signed on to the amicus brief in support of the lawsuit against SB 264 brought forward by plaintiffs represented by ACLU, ACLU Florida, AALDEF, DeHeng Law Offices, CALDA, and others. CAA was glad to join a rally organized by FAAJA, Yick Wo, and community members in front of the Tallahassee courthouse to protest the state's alien land law and support the lawsuit against it.Moving forward, CAA is beginning to organize an evolving effort to continue and intensify the fight against the rise of anti-Asian scapegoating on the national and state levels, deepening relationships with many monthly meeting speakers and participants and happy to link arms with new partners and working alongside other marginalized communities. Some of the CAA goals and strategies are to defeat or overturn policies based on anti-Asian scapegoating at both the state and federal levels. The chief goal for CAA is to challenge and dismantle legislation that unjustly targets Asian communities based on a racialized and xenophobic premise of national security while also remaining nimble on emerging threats. CAA is focusing on alien land bills, thinking strategically which states to engage and which partners to build relationships in the land ban fight as state legislatures get started at the beginning of 2024. Another goal is to foster narrative transportation that disrupts state voting practices and to hold lawmakers accountable. Next is to mobilize supporters and community members to engage them in direct advocacy to build solidarity across marginalized groups, centering on impacted communities and storytelling of those who have been impacted in the past and present. Andy can be reached at andywong@caasf.org . Shanti can be reached at sprasad@caasf.org Engagement and Empowerment - APIAVote Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) was first conceived in 1996 as a project at Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) to increase voter participation around election times, as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) were not voting at the same levels as other communities. Christine Chen introduced APIAVote as the nation's leading nonprofit focusing on on building political power by increasing our community's access to the ballot and overall voter participation. With new organizations, leaders, and individuals energized to work on many issues such as alien land bills, this is an opportunity for us to integrate them into the APIAVote network and utilize our power of the vote. There are 29 current APIAVote partner states known as Alliance for Civic Empowerment.From 2010 to 2020, 49 states and the District of Columbia saw its AAPI population grow by double digits. The only exception was Hawaii where there is an AAPI majority. In recent years, APIAVote partners have been working in coalition with other communities in the redistricting process. Redistricting refers to the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each decennial census. A point of emphasis by Christine is that states that lost congressional seats, gains in the AAPI population prevented them from losing more seats. Growing population should translate into more community members registering and voting. 2020 saw a huge increase to nearly 60% of CPVA turnout for AAPIs (CPVA stands for Citizen Voting-Age Population). Before 2020, Christine used to say that half of her friends and families were not ready to turnout on Election Day. Despite the rapid growth, AAPIs are still lagging in voter turnout in comparison to the Black and White communities in the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections. For mid-term elections, AAPI registration has risen from 49.3% in 2006 to 61.5% in 2022 while turnout increased from 22.4% to 41.5% in 2022. They are still low compared to other communities. APIAVote strives to not only increase voter registration and turnout every four or two years, but also single year because of state and local elections. There are statewide elections in Virginia and New Jersey in 2023, as well as local elections such as mayor, city council, and education board elections in 13 states from Colorado to Texas.One area Christine focuses on is AAPI first-time voters. Political candidates in close elections look for newer voters and engage the AAPI community. In the 2022 mid-term elections, 6% of AAPI voters were first-time voters, double the overall rate of 3% for all voters.Moving vote share is a very difficult task. It requires continuous work to register voters. Christine provided snapshots of four states - Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas - where alien land bills are being introduced or have passed state legislatures and the AAPI vote share is projected to increase. By working with existing and new partners, APIAVote strives to further increase both the voter registration and turnout rates in these and other states in 2024. APIAVote held an annual convening in July to begin strategic discussions on problematic and misinformation issues that may be weaponized against the AAPI communities due to tensions between the US and China. Coming out of the annual convening and her interactions with colleagues and allies, Christine reported that many are not fully aware or understand alien land laws, racial targeting, and political rhetoric are placing our communities in a difficult or threatening situation. An immediate task for Christine and APIAVote is to ensure that colleagues and allies are aware of the situation. It is even more important for AAPIs to register and vote, as well as to build more partners and allies. APIAVote plans to conduct the Norman Y. Mineta Leadership Institute regional trainings in the Fall and 2024. Christine urges new organizations to contact her if they wish to translate their activism into voter registration and turnout. Christine shared the APIAVote planned activities for 2023 and 2024. It includes a Presidential Town Hall meeting in Philadelphia on July 13, 2024, for which Christine is building an audience of about 1,500 community leaders. APA Justice will integrate these activities into the Community Calendar as more details become available. Christine can be reached at cchen@apiavote.org . Her full presentation package is available at https://bit.ly/45wE5Fg Back View PDF October 13, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

The China Initiative This item is connected to a text field in your content manager. Double click the dataset icon to add your own content. The numbers Calls per hour 111 Feedback submitted 22 Average feedback per call 21 As of May 28, 2023, there are 33 states known to have introduced some form of alien land and property bills in the current or recent legislative session. A few have passed and signed into state law; some have died; others are still pending. State-by-state links to the legislations and a companion map are provided below as community resources. They are collected from multiple sources including research by APA Justice, Advancing Justice | AAJC, Committee of 100, National Agricultural Law Center, Project South, media reports, and crowdsourcing. Due to the dynamic nature of these developments, we plan to update the information periodically. We anticipate the introduction or continuation of alien land and property bills into future state legislative sessions. Title Oct. 4th 2023 Tracking Bills Read More Latest developments

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

Nearly two years later, a 21-year-old Texas man who attempted to kill an Asian man and his young child has pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges. February 24, 2022 On February 24, 2022, the Washington Post published Texas man accused of attacking Asian family over racist coronavirus fears pleads guilty to hate-crime charges . A 21-year-old Texas man, Jose Gomez III, who attempted to kill an Asian man and his young child because he thought they were Chinese — and therefore, he said, responsible for the coronavirus pandemic — has pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges. He slashed the 6-year-old boy’s face. “The blade entered millimeters from [the boy’s] right eye, split his right ear, and wrapped around to the back of his skull,” prosecutors said. Gomez then stabbed a White employee who had intervened to stop the attack. Justice Department officials said that while Gomez was pinned down after being subdued, he yelled to the family, “Get out of America!” Gomez later told local authorities that he had never seen the father before but had perceived him as a “threat” because he supposedly “came from the country who started spreading the disease around.” He admitted to trying to kill the father and the 6-year-old in an effort to “stop the threat.” Gomez pleaded guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a total of $750,000 in fines. Nearly two years later, a 21-year-old Texas man who attempted to kill an Asian man and his young child has pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges. Previous Next Texas man accused of attacking Asian family over racist coronavirus fears pleads guilty to hate-crime charges

Newsletter - #114 2/7 Meeting Summary; "China Initiative" Ending; Xi Appeals; OSTP Actings; AAPI History #114 2/7 Meeting Summary; "China Initiative" Ending; Xi Appeals; OSTP Actings; AAPI History Back View PDF February 22, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter