Chinese American? Who is a Chinese American? What is the Chinese American population? These questions may appear simple on the surface, but they are subject to definitions and interpretations. They have also evolved over time. Defining Chinese American For data collection purposes, the Office of Management and Budget is the official authority to define racial and ethnic categories for the United States. Today, Chinese American is a sub-category of Asian American, defined as "A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam." This government definition generally reflects a recognized social definition. It is not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically, nor is it linked to the standard geographical definitions. In practice, an individual associates his or her race and ethnicity by self-identification. The U.S. Census Bureau produces official statistics on the Chinese American population according to this definition and self-identified data, which include U.S. citizens and nationals, as well as permanent residents. Under this definition and interpretation, a Chinese American may also be described as a Chinese in America. Definition used in social, legal and other applications may vary, such as the requirement of U.S. citizenship. Basic Statistics The first recorded arrival of three Chinese sailors in the U.S. travelled from Canton (now Guangzhou), China on board the ship Pallas to Baltimore, Maryland in August 1785. The first recorded Chinese immigrants arrived in the U.S. around 1820. By 1860, the census counted 34,933 Chinese living in California. More than three quarters of them were miners and laborers who first came to the U.S. during the 1848-1855 Gold Rush and then helped built and completed the First Transcontinental Railroad by 1869. The 2010 census showed that the Asian population grew faster than any other race group over the previous decade. Chinese Americans was the largest detailed Asian group, with about 3.3 million people reporting Chinese alone and an additional 700,000 people identifying as both Chinese and one or more additional detailed Asian groups and/or another race. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, the Census Bureau estimated a population of Chinese Americans of one or more races to be slightly over 5 million, or about 1.5% of the total U.S. population. Additional statistics on Chinese in America are available from, for example, the Census Bureau , the Migration Policy Institute , and the Pew Research Center . Beyond Statistics Beyond these statistics, the Chinese American population is complex as it has evolved over the past two hundred years. Several waves of immigrations have occurred; they were also severely repressed for more than 60 years under the Chinese Exclusion Act. There are American-born Chinese (ABC) whose roots have been here for generations; there are also recent naturalized citizens and immigrants of diverse economic and educational background who came from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and the rest of the world. Not surprisingly, more in-depth understanding about the Chinese American population varies according to perspectives, experiences, and even aspirations, notably between ABCs and more recent naturalized citizens and immigrants. Two prominent Chinese American leaders of such diverse background, who have long been engaged with APA Justice, offer their views on this topic. They are: Frank H. Wu (吴华扬), William L. Prosser Distinguished Professor, University of California Hastings College of the Law and author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White . Frank was born in Cleveland, Ohio, son of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan. His paper, "The New Chinese Diaspora Embracing the Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner? ," was orginally published in Chinese Historical Society of America: History & Perspectives . Chinese translation of the paper was made by Kathy Liu, Steve Ning, and Julia Pan. Xiaoyan Zhang (张小彥), visiting professor at University of Pittsburgh and Chair of United Chinese Americans (UCA). Xiaoyang was born in Beijing, China and came to the U.S. in the early 1980s. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Xiaoyan authored the UCA manifesto "From Sojourner to Citizen " in 2018 and shares a paper here "American Democracy in the Eyes of a New Immigrant from China " about his personal experience and understanding. A Chinese verison is also available. China Policy: Huaren and Huaqiao The Chinese diaspora, consisting of both Chinese living overseas who are citizens of China (huaqiao 华侨), and people of Chinese descent who are citizens of foreign countries (huaren 华人), have significantly shaped the making of modern China. China’s policy towards its diaspora is primarily governed by its national interests and foreign policy imperatives. However, the Chinese government has been careful to ensure that the huaqiao and the huaren fall into different policy domains: Chinese citizens living overseas are subject to China’s domestic policies, while Chinese descendants who are citizens of other countries come under China’s foreign affairs. Nevertheless, from the beginning, the latter continue to be regarded as kinsfolk distinct from other foreign nationals. The huaqiao-huaren distinction is often blurred in ordinary discourse and this has been a source of much misunderstanding. However, it has not been the policy of the Chinese government to blur this distinction, and it is acutely aware of the complexity of the issue and is therefore very cautious about implying any change. As such, when terms such as huaqiao-huaren are introduced in the official lexicon, they are meant to acknowledge certain historical and contemporary realities, and not to deliberately obfuscate the two categories. The use of the combined term is in fact a recognition of the clear-cut distinction between the two groups, and is meant to convey a semantic balance in which neither category is emphasized at the expense of the other. And more from below by Wu Xiaoan, professor of history at Peking University and director of its Centre for the Study of Chinese Overseas Huaren or huaqiao? Beijing respects the difference and is not coercing foreigners to toe its line China’s Evolving Policy Towards The Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia (1949–2018) US Policy: National, Citizenship, US Persons U.S. State Department on Dual Nationality and Citizenship : Section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that “the term ‘national of the United States’ means (A) a citizen of the United States, or (B) a person who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.” Therefore, U.S. citizens are also U.S. nationals. Non-citizen nationality status refers only individuals who were born either in American Samoa or on Swains Island to parents who are not citizens of the United States. The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own nationality laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth. Or, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. However, persons who acquire a foreign nationality after age 18 by applying for it may relinquish their U.S. nationality if they wish to do so... Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws. It is important to note the problems attendant to dual nationality. Claims of other countries upon U.S. dual-nationals often place them in situations where their obligations to one country are in conflict with the laws of the other. For data collection and national security purposes, a "U.S. person" includes citizens, lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens, and corporations incorporated in the United States. See U.S. Code § 1801 (i): https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1801 VS

Newsletter - #177 4/17 Roundtable; "China Initiative;" Michael McCaul; Xenophobia; Xiaoxing Xi Lecture #177 4/17 Roundtable; "China Initiative;" Michael McCaul; Xenophobia; Xiaoxing Xi Lecture In This Issue #177 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Alert Network Can U.S. Research Recover From the "China Initiative?" Texan leading TikTok ban in Congress urges state lawmakers to rein in their own social media legislation Presumed Guilty: The FBI's Baseless Hunt for IP Theft by Chinese Academics CAPAC Chair Warns Anti-China Rhetoric Could Open the Door to Xenophobia 2023/04/17 Roundtable on a National Alert Network WHEN: Monday, April 17, 2023, 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT WHAT: Online Roundtable DESCRIPTION: Inaugural roundtable to establish the purpose and functions of a national media alert network and strike teams to assertively address immediate xenophobic challenges to our freedoms and longer-term proactive actions to ensure fairness and justice for all, including the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and immigrant communities. About 10 organizations have committed to join Paula Madison in the Roundtable. REGISTRATION: This is an event by invitation only to guests and official representative(s) of AAPI organizations. Members at the Roundtable will be sent a panelist link. Others please register at http://bit.ly/3KvlMI8 BACKGROUND : Asian American and immigrant communities are in turbulent times again, facing enormous challenges such as legalizing discrimination at the state and federal levels, return of the Red Scare and McCarthyism, warrantless surveillance, mini "China Initiative" conducted by the National Institutes of Health, cross-border profiling, continuing fallout from the now-defunct "China Initiative" including New York Police Department Officer Angwang, collateral damage from the U.S.-China relations, and anti-Asian hate and violence. The Roundtable will examine the current landscape and jump-start a national media alert network and strike teams to address these immediate and longer-term challenges.A video of the discussion led by Paula Madison in the April APA Justice monthly meeting is here: http://bit.ly/40gzLHW (1:00:08). Can U.S. Research Recover From the "China Initiative?" According to a report by the Chronicle of Higher Education on April 6, 2023, Matthew Olsen , assistant attorney general for national security, announced the shutdown of the "China Initiative" a little over a year ago.On college campuses, there was hope that Olsen’s February 2022 announcement would bring an end to a dark period when many worried that the future of academic ties with China hung in the balance.Over the past year, the number of allegations of foreign interference reported by federal grant-making agencies has declined, and more cases have been resolved through administrative action instead of prosecution. The rhetoric has also moderated since Trump-administration officials routinely lambasted college leaders for their naïvete in working with Chinese universities and other foreign partners. “There’s been more of a dialogue instead of a shouting match,” said Jeffrey Riedinger , vice provost for global affairs at the University of Washington.But the assistant attorney general’s speech did not end scrutiny of American higher education’s relationship with China or with other countries “of concern,” like Russia. Since then, Congress has approved new disclosure requirements for foreign funds coming to colleges and barred researchers who receive federal grants from taking part in “malign” talent-recruitment plans like China’s Thousand Talents program, which offers visiting appointments and research stipends to foreign scholars. Government agencies have also been crafting new programs and policies to safeguard research and determine risk. If a new chapter began with the conclusion of the "China Initiative," the underlying narrative remains much the same. It’s a Cold War of innovation, and university labs are the new front line, with many policymakers troubled that working with China could advantage a rival. Indeed, mistrust of China is the rare topic that garners bipartisan agreement in Washington these days. “Maybe the volume has been turned down a little, but the tune is still playing,” said Jane Gatewood , vice provost for global engagement at the University of Rochester. The pressure to act is emanating from the nation’s capital, to be sure, but it is also coming from campuses, from faculty members who want better guidance to navigate the uncertainty. Perhaps no group is watching more closely than those most affected by the "China Initiative," Chinese and Asian American researchers.For many of these academics, the fear lingers. Some are unwilling to apply for federal grants in the current climate. And American researchers may be pulling back from working with Chinese colleagues: Since the start of the "China Initiative," joint publications by Chinese and American scientists have declined.“The ending of the 'China Initiative' seemed to give the illusion that the cloud had gone away,” said Jenny J. Lee , a professor of higher education at the University of Arizona who studies Sino-American research collaboration. “But it’s still overhead.”The number of foreign-interference cases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) soared from just five in 2017 to 111 in 2018, the year the "China Initiative" started. For the next three years, the NIH recorded more cases involving allegations of failure to disclose foreign funding, academic affiliations, or other conflicts of interest on grant applications than any other type of research-integrity violation.In nine of 10 such cases, the “country of concern” was China.Last year, the number of foreign-interference cases logged by the NIH dropped sharply, to just 23.The resolution of recent cases by the National Science Foundation, or NSF, reflects the non-prosecutorial approach. Since the end of the "China Initiative," the agency’s Office of Inspector General has found indications of foreign conflicts of interest in at least nine cases involving grantees. But according to memos published by the office, it either closed the cases without pursuing criminal actions or forwarded them to the Justice Department, which decided not to prosecute. Rebecca Keiser , chief of research security strategy and policy for the NSF, said the agency doesn’t want to be in the policing game. “We are not law enforcement,” she said in an interview with The Chronicle . “We set policy.” A driver of current oversight efforts is a national-security directive Trump signed shortly before he left office that orders all federal research-funding agencies to strengthen and standardize their research-security policies. It continues under President Biden. A proposal released by the White House last month requires colleges and other organizations that receive $50 million or more annually in federal-scientific grants to develop research-security plans. It has also published draft guidance that would beef up disclosure rules while making them more consistent across the federal government. Despite the calls for uniform standards, they are not necessarily followed, for example, by NASA.For colleges, the new mandates bring an added burden. The Council on Governmental Relations, an association of research universities, academic medical centers, and independent research institutes, estimates the initial costs of meeting new federal disclosure requirements could be nearly $445,000 for universities with $100 million or more in federal-research funding. For institutions that receive less grant funding, expenses could top $100, 000.College groups would also like government agencies to more clearly articulate what they see as the real research-security risks. Universities’ longstanding practices for monitoring research integrity have typically been geared toward screening for more traditional types of misconduct than for detecting threats from foreign influence, said Tobin Smith , senior vice president for policy at the Association of American Universities. “If there’s fabricated data, that’s easier for us to assess.”Riedinger and his colleagues are calling for more nuanced guidance: What types of individuals, institutions, disciplines, or research areas warrant additional scrutiny? What sorts of programs and affiliations raise red flags? What are the potential vulnerabilities that keep policymakers up at night?Having such guidance is important as colleges create research-security plans, said Kalpen Trivedi , vice provost for global affairs at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “Tell us, how can we reassure you that we are doing what we can to safeguard science in our universities?” he said. “What represents safe science to you?”Many experts point to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the gold standard. While not all institutions have MIT’s structured approach, most research-university administrators said their institutions now had a process in place for reviewing foreign contracts and partnerships for potential research-security vulnerabilities and for advising faculty members about conflicts that could jeopardize federal grants.Both universities and federal agencies are likely to have to rebuild trust with another group: scientists, especially those of Chinese descent.That may not be easy. Some colleges were seen as offering insufficient support to their faculty members when they came under scrutiny, or even abetting investigations. Many researchers see a lack of clarity in the new rules and are concerned about being penalized for types of international engagement that were previously encouraged. Advocacy groups say discussions about research-security policy have focused too much on the policing of international collaboration and not enough on supporting researchers or educating them about shifting requirements for disclosure.“So far, there is more of a focus on deterrence,” said Gisela Perez Kusakawa , executive director of the Asian American Scholar Forum. “But what are the positive efforts that would make Asian American scholars feel more protected?”But the damage to research, and to researchers, wrought by the "China Initiative" may be harder to undo. “They are still scared,” said Steven Pei , a professor at the University of Houston and an organizer of the APA Justice Task Force, a group that advocates for Asian American scientists. “People are much more careful.”There is a sense among researchers, Pei and others said, that they could fall under suspicion simply for doing science while Chinese. After all, prominent prosecutions under the China Initiative were of Asian American scientists. Of the NIH foreign-interference cases, three-quarters involved Asian scientists.Of a half-dozen scholars interviewed by The Chronicle , none said they were currently willing to apply for federal grants, because of their anxiety they could be racially profiled. The stakes were too high. Among the scientists investigated by the NIH, nearly two-thirds were removed from federal grants. As Science has previously reported, 42 percent lost their jobs or were forced to resign.Fearful, academics and graduate students of Chinese descent may be pulling back from academic work with China. When the University of Arizona’s Jenny Lee, who conducted a survey of scientists, drilled into the data, she found that their reluctance to engage with China had nothing to do with the nature or sensitivity of their research. “It really came down to whether someone was of Chinese descent, period,” Lee said.There are reports that Chinese American researchers have been stopped at the border and questioned about their work. A special congressional committee has been set up to examine competition with China. And in a speech at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in December, Christopher Wray , the FBI director, defended government investigations of academic ties to China. Gang Chen is one of the scholars who said he would no longer apply for federal funding to support his research. A professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, he was arrested in January 2021 for allegedly hiding his affiliations to and payments from Chinese universities. A federal prosecutor later dropped the charges against Chen, saying it was in the “interests of justice.”The "China Initiative" and other investigations damage academics like him who have collaborations with China, Chen said in an interview. But its effects are more than individual, he said. “This is a fundamental assault on the scientific community. It could hurt and weaken American science.”Not long ago, Chen was back in the headlines. He is credited with having helped discover a new semiconductor material that is being called a game-changer.Read the Chronicle report: http://bit.ly/3UxAD9K In a follow-up report, the Chronicle of Higher Education added the following insights from Dr. Rebecca Keiser of NSF: Undisclosed conflicts could jeopardize public confidence in research outcomes Keiser said she was worried about how research-security investigations affect Chinese and Asian American scientists When it comes to research security, she wants a more collaborative approach It will be tougher to navigate gray areas, but heightened research-security concerns shouldn’t cut off international-academic partnerships Read the Chronicle follow-up report: http://bit.ly/3UDpXGM Texan leading TikTok ban in Congress urges state lawmakers to rein in their own social media legislation According to a report by the Texas Tribune on April 11, 2023, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul , one of the top China hawks in Congress who is leading the charge to restrict TikTok nationwide, warned Texas lawmakers not to discriminate against Chinese Americans and immigrants in their own statewide social media ban legislation.Both McCaul and members of the Texas House introduced bills to curb perceived security threats by Chinese actors in the country via popular social media apps like TikTok, which is owned by a China-based company. McCaul’s bill, the DATA Act, would require the administration to determine whether TikTok or its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, has ever transferred sensitive data to the Chinese government and to ban the app from the U.S. if so.Meanwhile, in the Texas Legislature, Rep. Jared Patterson , R-Frisco, introduced a bill that would blanket ban apps owned by companies headquartered in a number of countries, including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Asian American groups decried the bill as too sweeping, asserting it would cut off many avenues for communication between immigrants and families back in China.It ’s a concern that appears to resonate with McCaul, who pressed members of the Legislature to keep their bills focused on national security concerns and not pass laws so broad that they unfairly impact Chinese Americans and other immigrants.“I’ve urged the state Legislature to be targeted in their approach, not a swath that would catch people that are just fleeing oppression,” McCaul said in an interview with The Texas Tribune . “It’s got to be very careful not to go too far with that and discriminate against, you know, people that are fleeing oppression versus those that are operating under espionage purposes.”McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he held a similar sentiment toward state legislation targeting land ownership by Chinese nationals. Gov. Greg Abbott expressed support earlier this year for banning land sales to certain Chinese citizens, which Asian American groups said could contribute to discrimination in the housing market. McCaul said land purchases by Chinese government actors around military bases was a legitimate security concern, “but again, I would make it targeted towards CCP-owned-and-operated enterprises.”Read the Texas Tribune report: http://bit.ly/3UDC7zq Presumed Guilty: The FBI's Baseless Hunt for IP Theft by Chinese Academics On April 10, 2023, Xiaoxing Xi , Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics at Temple University, gave a lecture on "Presumed Guilty: The FBI's Baseless Hunt for IP Theft by Chinese Academics." Since 2015, he has spoken out actively for open fundamental research and against racial profiling and received the American Physical Society 2020 Andrei Sakharov Prize for his effort.Professor Xi has one consistent message with continuously updated sample cases and official references: Chinese scientists have been treated unfairly. In the Q&A session, a participant recounted her experience at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory when Dr. Wen Ho Lee was incarcerated in solitary confinement for nine months at the turn of the century. Watch the video of Professor Xi's lecture at Iowa State University: https://bit.ly/3KvWg5I (58:52) CAPAC Chair Warns Anti-China Rhetoric Could Open the Door to Xenophobia NPR conducted an interview with Rep. Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) on April 12, 2023. According to the NPR report, Rep. Chu responded to the attack from Texas Congressman Lance Gooden, who accused her of disloyalty in an interview with Fox News, by stating that "I was outraged. I was disgusted. And most of all, I was angry because it was so racist. It was based on a centuries-long stereotype that Chinese Americans and Asian Americans more broadly are forever foreigners in their own land, no matter how much they've contributed to this country, no matter whether they're someone like me, born in America. My father fought for the U.S. in World War II in the Army. I've been an elected official for 37 years in this country. How much more American do I have to be to prove that I am an American?"Responding to questions about the "China Initiative," Rep. Chu said, "'The China initiative,' exactly that, where Chinese scientists and researchers were accused of being spies for China on the flimsiest of evidence. Eventually, most of them were exonerated, but their lives were ruined because of this. So as a result, Chinese Americans are indeed very concerned about being the next ones to be accused... The 'China initiative' is a good example of overreach. I mean, obviously, we want to make sure that our national secrets are protected. But what Trump did was to make this a focus on one country. He didn't have a Russia initiative. He didn't have an Iran initiative. No. And in the discussions that I've been on national security, I always remind everybody, the lawmakers as well as the intelligence officials, that there is tremendous consequence to the xenophobia they could cause if they make this a racial issue. We only have to look at the Japanese American internment to see that 120,000 Japanese Americans lost everything that they had based on suspicions that there were spies amongst them. But to this day, not a single case of espionage has been proven."Read the NPR report: http://bit.ly/3KBS3xh 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 April 14, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

COVID-19 During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents soared, reinforcing misconceptions about Asian Americans and endangering their communities. THE NUMBERS estimated AAPI essential workers 2 million daily reported anti-AAPI hate incidents 100 anti-Asian hate incidents reported in first few months of 2020 > 2300 Recent developments House Resolution Condemns All Forms of Anti-Asian Sentiment Related to COVID-19 This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. CAPAC Issues Messaging Guidance on Anti-Asian Hate This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. Texas man accused of attacking Asian family over racist coronavirus fears pleads guilty to hate-crime charges This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. 2020 Ends With A Positive Story This is your News article. It’s a great place to highlight press coverage, newsworthy stories, industry updates or useful resources for visitors. More News Johns Hopkins University Unofficial Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. The COVID Tracking Project An unofficial project on U.S. testing data. 1point3acres An unofficial website built and maintained by first-generation Chinese immigrants in the U.S. World Health Organization Daily situation reports produced by the World Health Organization. U.S. CDC Updates by the U.S. Center for Decease and Control (CDC). Tracking COVID Cases Stop AAPI Hate The Stop AAPI Hate website was launched on March 19, 2020 by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and Chinese for Affirmation Action . By April 23, 2020, over 1,500 incidents have been reported to the website. By the end of March 2021, the number increased to over 6,600. Periodic analytical reports are produced by Dr. Russell Jeung, and Kai Nham, San Francisco State University Asian American Studies. Reporting Anti-Asian Hate Crimes and Incidents Stop AAPI Hate NYC Human Rights Racism is Contagious Act to Change Stand Against Hatred Coronavirus and Racism "There are serious concerns of a global pandemic, but the coronavirus (now called COVID-19 by the World Health Organization) has also reawakened centuries-old prejudices against Chinese people," John Pompret wrote recently in an opinion for the Washington Post . He went on to cite several historical examples of how anti-Chinese racism in the U.S. always hinged on the belief that Asians harbor disease, dating back to the 19th century. The title of a Wall Street Journal opinion on February 3 included a term "Sick Man of Asia" which is a century-old derogatory reference to persons of Chinese origin. It sparked strong reactions from the Chinese American community nationwide. "Something's not right here folks," Mario Cavolo, an American living in China, wrote in his LinkedIn blog as he looked at the disparate treatment and reaction to the 2009 H1N1 virus that started in the U.S. compared to the 2020 coronavirus in China. "This vicious, political, xenophobic racist attacks and smearing of all things China needs to stop," Cavolo concluded. Virus knows no borders. It is not an excuse for division, prejudice, fearmongering, or xenophobia here or elsewhere in the world. The risk of COVID-19 should obviously not be under-estimated. However, hate messages, baseless rumors, prejudice, conspiracy theories, uncontrolled emotions, panic and uninformed behavior cause far more damage than the coronavirus itself. "Whether in a couple of weeks or months later, this nasty flu type Corona virus will begin declining and the joy of Spring will arrive," Cavolo optimistically observed.

Newsletter - #174 4/3 Meeting; Texas SB 147; NYT Editorial; Arati Prabhakar; New Bills; Community News #174 4/3 Meeting; Texas SB 147; NYT Editorial; Arati Prabhakar; New Bills; Community News In This Issue #174 2023/04/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Opposing Texas SB 147 and Related Discriminatory Bills New York Times Editorial: "Who Benefits From Confrontation With China?" Disturbing Science Interview with OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar Two New Bills on TikTok and Beyond: The DATA Act and RESTRICT Act News and Activities for the Communities 2023/04/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, April 3, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Confirmed speakers include: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum Robert Underwood, Member, President's Advisory Commission on AANHPI; Former President, University of Guam; former Chair, CAPAC; Co-Chair of the United States Institute of Peace China-Freely Associated States Senior Study Group John Liu 刘醇逸 , Senator, New York State Senate Paula Williams Madison, Former Print and TV Journalist, Retired NBCUniversal Executive and GE Company Officer, Former Vice President of the Los Angeles Police Commission and Owner of The Africa Channel The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Opposing Texas SB 147 and Related Discriminatory Bills The UCA Action, a sister organization of the United Chinese Americans (UCA), is launching a media campaign against Texas Senate Bill 147 and other discriminatory bills in Texas. This campaign will soon come to the other states where similar bills have been introduced. According to UCA Action, this is a defining moment for our community as we seek equal protections under the law. This is an opportunity to join the Chinese American civil rights movement. The future of our community depends on each and every one of us rising up to this historic challenge. Visit the UCA Action website at: http://bit.ly/3G60QGg Federal Level of Texas SB147. On March 30, 2023, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama), introduced the Not One More Inch or Acre Act , legislation. The bill prohibits the purchase of public or private real estate by any Chinese citizen, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entity, or CCP agent. It is essentially a federal version of Texas SB 147. New York Times Editorial: "Who Benefits From Confrontation With China?" According to an editorial published by the Editorial Board of the New York Times on March 11, 2023, America’s increasingly confrontational posture toward China is a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy that warrants greater scrutiny and debate.For most of the past half-century, the United States sought to reshape China through economic and diplomatic engagement. The Biden administration, by contrast, has shelved the idea that China can be changed in favor of the hope that it can be checked.The White House has moved to limit economic ties with China, to limit China’s access to technology with military applications, to pull back from international institutions where the United States has long sought to engage China and to strengthen ties with China’s neighbors. In recent months, the United States has restricted semiconductor exports to China, and it moved ahead with plans to help Australia obtain nuclear submarines. The administration also is seeking to impose new restrictions on American investments in certain Chinese companies. In treating China as a growing threat to American interests, it is acting with broad support, including from leading Republicans, much of the military and foreign policy establishments, and a growing portion of the business community.It is true that engagement with China has yielded less than its proponents hoped and prophesied. China also is demonstrating a greater willingness to engage in worrying provocations and sailing a balloon over the United States. Yet the relationship between the United States and China, for all its problems, continues to deliver substantial economic benefits to the residents of both countries and to the rest of the world. Moreover, because the two nations are tied together by millions of normal and peaceful interactions every day, there is a substantial incentive to maintain those ties and a basis for working together on shared problems like climate change. Americans’ interests are best served by emphasizing competition with China while minimizing confrontation. Chinese actions and rhetoric also need to be kept in perspective. By the standards of superpowers, China remains a homebody. Its foreign engagements remain primarily economic. China has been playing a much more active role in international affairs in recent years, but China continues to show strikingly little interest in persuading other nations to adopt its social and political values.There are also signs that China’s leaders are not united in supporting a more confrontational posture. It behooves the United States to reassure those who may be open to reassurance. America and China are struggling with many of the same challenges: how to ensure what President Xi Jinping has termed “common prosperity” in an age of income inequality; how to rein in the worst excesses of capitalism without losing its vital creative forces; how to care for an aging population and young people who want more out of life than work; how to slow the pace of climate change and to manage its disruptive impacts, including mass migration.The core of America’s China strategy, building stronger relationships with our allies, is sound policy. Over time, the United States ought to seek a greater alignment between its economic interests and other national goals. But the United States should not pull back from forums where it has long engaged China. Declining to support the World Trade Organization is a mistake. The construction of a rules-based international order, in which America played the leading role, was one of the most important achievements of the 20th century. It cannot be preserved if the United States does not continue to participate in those institutions. The Biden administration’s continuation of Trump-era restrictions on trade with China, and its imposition of a host of new restrictions, is also a dubious strategy.The confrontational turn also makes it harder for the United States and China to cooperate on addressing climate change and on other issues where national interests could plausibly align.Much of the shift in China policy has been justified as necessary for national defense. National security considerations can provide a legitimate rationale for limiting some types of trade with China. But it can also provide a legitimizing vocabulary for protectionist measures that are not in the interest of Americans. In the long term, the best guarantee of American security has always been American prosperity and engagement with the rest of the world.That’s true for China, too.Read the New York Times editorial: https://nyti.ms/3K2svJm 2003 Academy Award-Winning Best Documentary - The Fog of War THE FOG OF WAR is the story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense, under President John Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson , Robert S. McNamara . McNamara was one of the most controversial and influential political figures of the 20th century. In the documentary, he offered a candid and intimate journey through some of the most seminal events in American history. As leader of the world's most powerful military force during one of this nation's volatile periods, McNamara offers new and often surprising insights into the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the effects of the Vietnam War. THE FOG OF WAR won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2003 In a preview of the documentary, McNamara was asked, "have you ever been wrong, sir?" At the end of the preview, McNamara said, "we saw Vietnam as an element of the Cold War, not what they saw it as a civil war. We were wrong." Watch the preview of THE FOG OF WAR: https://imdb.to/3JTpsED Disturbing Science Interview with OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar Arati Prabhakar was confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) on October 3, 2022. According to a report by Science on March 28, 2023, she laid out her vision for the $700-billion-a-year enterprise in her first extended media interview on March 24, 2023.The daughter of Indian immigrants who came to the United States when she was 3 years old, Prabhakar flagged a more diverse scientific workforce as another essential ingredient. But Prabhakar offered no olive branch to those scientists of Chinese ancestry who feel the U.S. government has unfairly targeted them in seeking to thwart China’s efforts to overtake the United States in science and innovation.Earlier on March 23, 2023, Science reported that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted its own version of the “China initiative” and has upended hundreds of lives and destroyed scores of academic careers. Michael Lauer , NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research, led the NIH "China Initiative." He has also been a Co-Chair of the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Research Security, working closely with OSTP for the past two plus years.Also on March 23, 2023, a Science editorial called for the federal government to account for NIH's xenophobic program to harm Chinese scientists and cut off international scientific cooperation.In the original excerpt from the Science interview with Arati Prabhakar: Q: Do you think that Chinese-born scientists working in the United States have been unfairly persecuted as agents of the Chinese Communist Party and are owed some kind of apology from the government? A: I’m not in a position to comment on that. I don’t know enough about it. I don’t think it’s our role to determine precisely what happened in the past. … But the world has changed, and [China] has taken actions that are very concerning. And it’s very much our role to find a path forward for research security, one that treats people with respect but that also wrestles with this very tough issue. The subsequent revised excerpts from the Science interview with Arati Prabhakar: Q: Anything new on research security? A: It is one of the hardest issues that everyone is grappling with right now … because of the changes that have happened in the world, the competition that we’re in, and clear actions [by China] that are concerning. And there’s no place for xenophobia and people have to be treated fairly. Q: In that regard, do you think Chinese-born scientists working in the United States have been unfairly persecuted as agents of the Chinese Communist Party and are owed some kind of apology from the government? A: I’m not in a position to comment on that. I don’t know enough about [specific cases]. I don’t think it’s OSTP’s role to determine precisely what happened in the past. … [But] it’s very much our role to find a path forward for research security, one that treats people with respect but that also wrestles with this very tough issue. And we’re doing that work, because I think it has to get done. Note by Science: Update, 29 March, 5:10 p.m.: This story has been revised to include additional comments by Arati Prabhakar on research security and to clarify her response to a question about how Chinese-born scientists have been treated. For the many Chinese-born scientists who have been unfairly persecuted, their past sufferings are still their present and future that must not be ignored.Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/40rTbu3 Two New Bills on TikTok and Beyond: The DATA Act and RESTRICT Act According to a report by Lawfare on March 23, 2023, on February 24, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) introduced the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act , which would provide the president with more authorities to block transactions associated with the import or export of Americans’ “sensitive data” where there are national security risks. The bill quoted previous, public comments from FBI Director Christopher Wray , Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines , and CIA Director Bill Burns that they believe TikTok presents national security risks to the United States. On March 1, 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the DATA Act, due to First Amendment concerns. Jenna Leventoff , senior policy counsel at ACLU, issued the following statement: “We’re disappointed that the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to approve a bill that would effectively ban TikTok in the United States, in violation of Americans’ First Amendment rights. We urge legislators to vote no on this vague, overbroad, and unconstitutional bill.”On March 7, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), along with 10 other senators, introduced the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act . It would authorize the secretary of commerce to review and prohibit certain transactions between persons in the U.S. and foreign adversaries, focused on information and communications technologies (ICTs) that pose risks to U.S. national security—put simply, investigating tech products and services that could pose national security risks. The bill did not name TikTok specifically, but it was clearly one of the companies in mind when the bill was written. According to a press release by ACLU on March 7, 2023, the RESTRICT Act would significantly expand the Executive Branch’s power to control what apps and technologies Americans can access, while limiting Americans’ ability to challenge those actions in court. It would also impose civil and criminal penalties for violating bans imposed pursuant to the legislation, which could be used against people attempting to evade a TikTok ban. Jenna Leventoff said in the press release, “the Senate bill would ultimately allow the Commerce Secretary to ban entire communications platforms, which would have profound implications for our constitutional right to free speech. If the Secretary uses this newfound power to ban TikTok or other communications platforms without evidence of overwhelming, imminent harm, it would violate our right to freedom of expression.”Read the Lawfare report: http://bit.ly/3ZqsaG1 1 . Republican Senator Rand Paul blocks bid to ban Chinese-owned TikTok . According to a report by Reuters on March 29, 2023, U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul blocked a bid to fast-track a ban of popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which more than 150 million Americans use, citing concerns about free speech and uneven treatment of social media companies."I think we should beware of those who use fear to coax Americans to relinquish our liberties," Paul said on the Senate floor. "Every accusation of data gathering that has been attributed to TikTok could also be attributed to domestic big tech companies.""If Republicans want to continuously lose elections for a generation they should pass this bill to ban TikTok -- a social media app used by 150 million people, primarily young Americans," Paul said on the Senate floor. "Do we really want to emulate Chinese speech bans?... We're going to be just like China and ban speech we're afraid of?" A small but growing number of Democrats and Republicans have raised concerns, citing free speech and other issues and have objected to legislation targeting TikTok as overly broad.Read the Reuters report: https://reut.rs/3nB8FNZ 2 . TikTok creators, some U.S. Democratic lawmakers oppose ban on app. According to a report by Reuters on March 22, 2023, TikTok creators and three U.S. Democratic Party lawmakers said they opposed any potential ban on the Chinese-owned short video sharing app that is used by more than 150 million Americans.Representatives Jamaal Bowman , Mark Pocan and Robert Garcia and TikTok creators called at a press conference in Washington for broad-based privacy legislation that would address all large social media companies. "Why the hysteria and the panic and the targeting of TikTok?" Bowman asked. "Let's do the right thing here - comprehensive social media reform as it relates to privacy and security." Creators talked about posting videos of baking cakes or selling greeting cards to TikTok followers. Some held up signs saying TikTok benefits small businesses. TikTok says 5 million businesses use the app.TikTok creator Jason Linton uses TikTok to share videos of his three adopted children in Oklahoma and has interacted with people around the world. "I am asking our politicians - don't take away the community that we've all built - a community that lasts, that loves," Linton said at the press conference. Pocan said a "xenophobic witch hunt" is motivating some in Congress to seek a TikTok ban. "Banning TikTok isn't the answer. Making sure Americans data is safe is," he said.Senator Ed Markey , a Democrat, said on the Senate floor that TikTok is a threat that needs to be addressed but it is not the only surveillance threat to young people. That position "is deliberately missing the Big Tech forest for the TikTok trees." Read the Reuters report: https://reut.rs/3TZoc67 News and Activities for the Communities On March 21, 2023, the 1882 Foundation presented The Summit Tunnel: Diversity and Pride in Building the American Nation, a film screening and reception event featuring film screenings and discussions with subject matter experts on the Summit Tunnel, a historic part of the Transcontinental Railroad constructed through the Sierra Nevada mountains by largely unrecognized Chinese workers. The Summit Tunnel is a critical cultural and historical site to Chinese Americans, but is threatened by graffiti defacement and a lack of preservation. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/3TXgJV8 (1:19:49) 2. The Data Delusion. On March 27, the New Yorker published a report on The Data Delusion. Jill Lepore , Professor of History at Harvard University, asks “What’s the price to humanity of uploading everything anyone has ever known onto a worldwide network of tens of millions or billions of machines and training them to learn from it to produce new knowledge?” The report goes through the history of data science, and examines the ways that humans have been collecting information—long before A.I. became the latest obsession. Even modern tools, with their bits and bytes of magic, have limits. It explores how ambitious endeavors in the field may eventually underwhelm us, and surveys the genius and folly of modern innovators. It turns out there is plenty of value left in older forms of knowledge. No one, after all, wants to sound like the disgraced cryptocurrency investor Sam Bankman-Fried, who declared in an interview last year, “I would never read a book.” Read the New Yorker report: http://bit.ly/3zluqUr 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 April 1, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #308 2/3 Monthly Meeting; Lunar New Year; Funding Freeze Chaos; KU Faculty Supports Tao + #308 2/3 Monthly Meeting; Lunar New Year; Funding Freeze Chaos; KU Faculty Supports Tao + In This Issue #308 · 2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · CAPAC Chair Meng Introduces Legislation to Commemorate Lunar New Year · Trump Administration Rescinds Federal Funding Freeze Memo After Chaos · KU Faculty Letters of Support for Franklin Tao's Reinstatement · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, February 3, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Kai Li 李凯 , Vice President, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Gary Locke 骆家辉 , Chair, Committee of 100; former U.S. Ambassador to China; former U/S. Secretary of Commerce; former Governor of the State of Washington · Julia Chang Bloch 張之香 , Founder and Executive Chair, US-China Education Trust; former U.S. Ambassador · Bethany Li , Executive Director, Asian American Legal Defense Education Fund (AALDEF) · Scott Chang , Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. It is closed to the press. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . CAPAC Chair Meng Introduces Legislation to Commemorate Lunar New Year According to a press release by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), U.S. Representative Grace Meng (NY-06), Chair of CAPAC, reintroduced a legislative package to commemorate Lunar New Year.Congresswoman Meng's legislative package includes the Lunar New Year Day Act which would establish Lunar New Year as the 12th federal holiday recognized across the United States. It also includes a resolution that recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Lunar New Year. On January 29, 2025 - New Year Day of the Year of Snake - CAPAC posted a video on X in which 16 CAPAC members from Hawaii to New York, led by Congresswoman Meng, talked about their favorite Lunar New Year traditions and celebrations. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/40CJbzt (3:03).***** WHAT : DC Chinese Lunar New Year Parade WHEN: February 2, 2025, 2:00 pm ET WHERE: Chinatown, Washington DC HOST: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Washington, DC in partnership with the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs DESCRIPTION: In the lunar calendar, it will be the year 4723! The streets of DC’s Chinatown will be filled with revelers and spectators as we celebrate the Year of the Snake. In Chinese zodiac, the snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to be intuitive, strategic, and intelligent. People born as Snakes are mysterious, smart, wise, charming, good at talking, determined, and caring. They value knowledge, work hard to achieve goals, and form deep bonds in relationships. FOR MORE INFORATION: www.dcparade.com Trump Administration Rescinds Federal Funding Freeze Memo After Chaos Multiple media reports on January 29, 2025, confirmed that President Donald Trump rescinded a memo from acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Matthew Vaeth freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it led to chaos and widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country. Issued on January 27, the memo alarmed states, schools, and organizations dependent on federal funds. The vague directive left nonprofits, small businesses, universities, and other entities scrambling to assess its impact, while congressional offices were inundated with concerns from constituents fearing financial losses. In addition to creating confusion, the memo sparked numerous lawsuits , including from a coalition of nonprofits and Democratic state attorneys general. By January 28, Medicaid, education, and housing funds had been affected. That evening, a federal district judge temporarily blocked the order, adding to the turmoil in Washington and beyond.On January 29, Rep. Grace Meng , Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), condemned the freeze as appalling and unlawful. She warned it would harm all Americans, including AANHPI communities, by undermining critical programs such as nutrition aid, small business support, clean water initiatives, education, and public safety. Meng stressed that federal aid is a necessity and urged Trump to restore the funds immediately, emphasizing that millions of Americans rely on them.According to Inside Higher Ed , although the Trump administration walked back its plan to freeze trillions in federal grants and loans, a review of thousands of federal programs continues, along with a pause on grant reviews at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). The White House is still moving forward with plans to stop funding programs that are at odds with the president’s executive orders. As part of the review, agencies will have to answer a series of questions for each program, including whether the programs fund DEI, support “illegal aliens” or promote “gender ideology.” The disruption to federal research funding has set university researchers and scientists on edge, and the grant reviews are still on hold. Given the stakes, this issue is far from settled. The rescission is far from ending the chaos.2025/01/29 CAPAC: Statement from CAPAC Chair Meng on the Trump Administration’s Decision to Freeze Federal Financial Assistance 2025/01/29 The Hill : White House budget office rescinds federal funding freeze memo 2025/01/29 CBS News : Trump administration rescinds federal funding freeze memo after chaos 2025/01/29 Newsweek : Trump Administration Freeze on Federal Grants Ended, Questions Remain 2025/01/29 BBC News : White House rescinds memo on freezing federal grants and loans 2025/01/29 AP News : Trump White House rescinds memo freezing federal money after widespread confusion 2025/01/29 CNBC : White House says Trump funding freeze remains in effect despite rescinding OMB memo 2025/01/29 Inside Higher Ed : NSF and NIH Grant Reviews Still On Hold After White House Rescinds Memo 2025/01/28 Washington Post : Federal judge blocks Trump federal spending freeze after a day of chaos KU Faculty Letters of Support for Franklin Tao's Reinstatement According to the University Daily Kansan on January 27, 2025, faculty members at the University of Kansas (KU) have been actively advocating for the reinstatement of Dr. Feng "Franklin" Tao , a tenured professor who was dismissed following federal charges in 2019. Despite the eventual overturning of all of his charges, KU has not reinstated Dr. Tao, prompting faculty to write letters of support emphasizing his contributions to the university and the importance of upholding academic freedom and justice. The KU Asian and Asian American faculty staff council sent a letter in August to Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer urging for the reinstatement of Tao.KU’s Faculty Senate sent its own letter to the Provost in December after learning of the Asian and Asian-American Faculty Staff Council’s letter.According to Huazhen Fang , Executive Leadership Team Member of the Asian and Asian American Faculty Staff Council, the Council has received no response from university administration. Faculty Senate President Sam Brody said the Faculty Senate did not receive a response to its letter, either.The KU Asian and Asian American Faculty Staff Council argue in its letter that “it would set a dangerous and unjust precedent for a tenured professor, like Dr. Tao, to be removed from his position as a result of failed prosecution.” It questions whether he received due process from the University before being fired. The Council asserts that Tao was targeted as part of a larger campaign against Asians and Asian Americans, comparing Trump’s China Initiative, which was meant to target Chinese espionage, to McCarthyism. The letter states that Asian American academics, students and staff will continue to live in fear of being targeted because of stigma and discrimination unless something changes.The Faculty Senate’s letter echoes the claims of the Asian and Asian-American Faculty Staff Council, stating that KU should “provide a welcoming and safe environment for faculty and staff of all backgrounds.” It also asserts the importance of academic freedom and safety from “frivolous or politically-motivated prosecutions.”Read the University Daily Kansan report: https://bit.ly/4jzy2It National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable Capstone On January 28, 2025, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released the proceedings of the Capstone Workshop of the National Academies’ National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable (NSTSR). NSTSR was established by the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to address critical issues surrounding U.S. national and economic security while promoting the open exchange of ideas and international talent.According to the NASEM report, U.S. values such as openness and scientific rigor were highlighted as key strengths in research. While international collaboration is essential for advancing research, participants stressed the importance of being mindful of differing values regarding transparency, reciprocity, and accountability when working with other nations. Even trusted allies may have different security and openness policies, prompting some to challenge the assumption of mutual trust in scientific collaborations. Caution was advised in engaging with international partners where these values are not shared.Participants advocated for an "all-of-system" approach to strengthen U.S. national security and science leadership, calling for harmonized research security policies across federal agencies and clearer guidelines for international collaborations. They emphasized the importance of fostering relationships between the research community, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to enable informed, case-by-case security decisions, with experts supporting these efforts.A flexible, risk-based strategy was recommended to balance openness in research with protecting sensitive work. This approach would evaluate risks and benefits based on the personnel and research topics involved, with institutions tailoring their risk management strategies. Federal agencies were urged to identify and categorize sensitive information carefully to ensure appropriate handling.Many participants stressed that maintaining U.S. national security requires not just protective measures but also significant investment in open, fundamental scientific research. They argued that the U.S. can stay competitive in the global Science and Technology (S&T) race by increasing investments, particularly in talent development and building a workforce capable of supporting the nation's scientific and technological needs. Participants proposed next steps for research security, including developing a comprehensive S&T strategy, boosting STEM education, and improving talent recruitment. They stressed educating the public on the importance of S&T to national security and cautioned against focusing solely on threats from China, noting challenges from other countries. Collaboration with international allies and careful vetting were also emphasized.There was a call to avoid inconsistent application of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) restrictions and to better understand foreign interference in research. Ongoing dialogue among academia, government, and industry was seen as crucial for addressing research security risks.Read Proceedings of the Capstone Workshop and National Science, Technology, and Security website . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/01/31 2025 Asian American Stories Video Contest: My Gift to America2025/02/02 DC Chinese Lunar New Year Parade2025/02/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2023/02/03 Getting China Right: Launch of ACF Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University2025/02/13-15 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting2025/02/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2025/02/23 World Premier of "Quixotic Professor Qiu" with Xiaoxing Xi2025/03/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. World Premier of "Quixotic Professor Qiu" "Quixotic Professor Qiu," a thought-provoking satirical play, will debut on January 31, 2025, at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Written by Damon Chua and directed by Chongren Fan , the production will run through February 23, 2025.Inspired by real-life incidents involving Chinese American scientists accused of economic espionage, the play tells the story of a fictional math professor entangled in a web of suspicion from the FBI and his university colleagues. At the same time, he struggles to maintain a fragile relationship with a childhood friend in China. As tensions rise, Professor Qiu is forced to choose between his birth country and adopted land, between loyalty and self-preservation.Following the 2 pm matinee on Sunday, February 23, 2025, Producing Artistic Director Seth Rozin will host a moderated conversation with Professor Xiaoxing Xi , diving into the play’s themes. Please note that speaker hosts and guests are subject to change. Contact the Box Office at 215-568-8079 ahead for updates.For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4h7OBtp # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF January 31, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #54 Comments To NIH; 04/05 Meeting Summary; "We Belong" Yellow Whistle Project #54 Comments To NIH; 04/05 Meeting Summary; "We Belong" Yellow Whistle Project Back View PDF April 12, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #20 10/05 Monthly Meeting; WSJ Report On The Tao Case; UMich Webinar #20 10/05 Monthly Meeting; WSJ Report On The Tao Case; UMich Webinar Back View PDF October 2, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #40 Raskin Letter Delivered; "China Initiative;" Presidential Memo; More #40 Raskin Letter Delivered; "China Initiative;" Presidential Memo; More Back View PDF February 1, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #306 Protect Birthright Citizenship; Year of The Snake; CSIS Study; UMichigan Ends Program+ #306 Protect Birthright Citizenship; Year of The Snake; CSIS Study; UMichigan Ends Program+ In This Issue #306 · Protect Birthright Citizenship · Happy New Year of The Snake! · CSIS: Advancing U.S.-China Coordination amid Strategic Competition · University of Michigan Ends Joint Program with Chinese University · News and Activities for the Communities Protect Birthright Citizenship On January 20, 2025, The Trump Administration issued an executive order seeking to strip certain babies born in the United States of their U.S. citizenship. During his first administration in October 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intention to issue such an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents, but legal experts and lawmakers, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan , contended that such a change would require a constitutional amendment.Immigrants’ rights advocates promptly filed a lawsuit on the same day the executive order was released. The case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of New Hampshire, ACLU of Maine, ACLU of Massachusetts, Asian Law Caucus, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and Legal Defense Fund on behalf of organizations with members whose babies born on U.S. soil will be denied citizenship under the order, including New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Make the Road New York. The lawsuit charges the Trump administration with flouting the Constitution’s dictates, congressional intent, and long standing Supreme Court precedent. Read the press release by ACLU and the Legal Defense Fund .On January 21, 2025, media outlets including AP News , Bloomberg , the Guardian , and New York Times reported that attorneys general from 22 states filed lawsuits against the executive order. Two separate cases aim to block the directive. One, led by 18 state attorneys general and joined by San Francisco and Washington, D.C., was filed in Federal District Court in Massachusetts The second was filed in Seattle federal court by Washington State Attorney General Nicholas Brown and three other states.New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said that presidents might have broad authority but they are not kings. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong , a U.S. citizen by birthright and the nation’s first Chinese American elected attorney general, said the lawsuit was personal for him. The 18 states involved in the Massachusetts case include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Birthright citizenship, rooted in the 14th Amendment, guarantees U.S. citizenship to nearly all children born on U.S. soil, with the narrow exception of children of foreign diplomats. Ratified in 1868, the amendment overturned the Dred Scott decision, which had denied Black Americans the rights of citizenship. In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this principle in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, affirming that children born to immigrant parents in the U.S. are entitled to citizenship—a precedent that has stood for over a century. Norman Wong , 74, the great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark , denounced the executive order in an interview with NBC News , calling it “troubling” and divisive. “He’s feeding off the American mindset, and it’s not a healthy one,” Wong said. “We can’t build the country together and be against everybody. … If we have good thoughts and work from that, we’ll get a better world. But it’s not going to be easy in this country.” Watch the NBC News report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMpC2amB_L8 (2:30) Why the United States Has Birthright Citizenship The complaint filed in Massachusetts argues that "birthright citizenship embodies America’s most fundamental promise: that all children born on our soil begin life as full and equal members of our national community, regardless of their parents’ origins, status, or circumstances. This principle has enabled generations of children to pursue their dreams and build a stronger America."According to History.com , birthright citizenship was initially limited to free white people. In 1790, the nation's first naturalization law stated that “free white persons” could gain citizenship if they had lived in the U.S. for two years and had a good character. The new citizens’ children under the age of 21 were given citizenship. But the new naturalization law ignored massive swaths of American society, including enslaved people and Native Americans, neither of whom were considered citizens.In 1857, as arguments about slavery roiled, the U.S. Supreme Court further entrenched racial exclusion with its ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford . T he court declared that Scott, an enslaved man seeking his freedom, was not a citizen because of his African descent. It also concluded that no person of African descent, even if born in the U.S., could be considered a citizen.After the Civil War, the abolition of slavery spurred a redefinition of citizenship. The 14th Amendment , ratified in 1868, proclaimed that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” are citizens. This sweeping declaration fundamentally reshaped the concept of birthright citizenship.Still, the rights of children born to immigrant parents remained uncertain until Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese American, challenged the system —and won. Born in 1873 in the U.S. to Chinese immigrants, Wong’s claim to citizenship was complicated by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 , which barred Chinese nationals from becoming naturalized citizens. In 1898, Wong faced his defining legal battle after being denied reentry into the U.S. following a trip to China. Stranded on a ship in San Francisco harbor, Wong’s case became a test for the Department of Justice, which sought to prove that individuals of Chinese descent were not entitled to citizenship. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where Wong won. Associate Justice Horace Gray , writing for the majority, affirmed that the 14th Amendment “includes the children born, within the territory of the United States, of all other persons, of whatever race or color, domiciled within the United States.” Gray warned that denying citizenship to Wong would set a precedent that could strip citizenship from thousands of individuals of European descent, including those of English, Irish, German, and other ancestries, who had long been recognized as citizens. Gray’s reasoning underscored the broader implications of Wong’s victory: allowing a Chinese American to claim birthright citizenship did not endanger the rights of white Americans but rather safeguarded the foundational principles of equality and citizenship for all. APA Justice will monitor and track the development of New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Trump (1:25-cv-00038) , Doe v. Trump (1:25-cv-10136) , and State of Washington et al v. Trump et al (2:25-cv-00127). Happy New Year of The Snake! January 29, 2025, marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac. The Year of the Snake occurs every 12 years, and individuals born in the following years are considered to have Snake as their zodiac sign: 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025. Since the Chinese New Year typically falls in late January or early February, those born early in the year should check the specific start and end dates for the Year of the Snake.Also known as Lunar New Year, the festival is celebrated across Asia with diverse and vibrant traditions rooted in themes of family reunions, renewal, and good fortune. In China, it is known as Spring Festival and features family gatherings, red envelopes, and lion dances. South Korea's Seollal includes ancestral rituals, folk games, and rice cake soup symbolizing longevity. In Vietnam, Tết celebrations center around ancestor worship, house cleaning, and the exchange of red envelopes. Mongolians observe Tsagaan Sar with milk-based dishes, meat dumplings, and visits to elders, emphasizing renewal and purification. Ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, also celebrate with their unique cultural traditions.This year invites us to sharpen our focus and pursue shared goals with precision and intuition, much like the snake navigating its path. May we embrace challenges with courage, transforming uncertainties into opportunities for growth.Let the Year of the Snake inspire us to strengthen our bonds, celebrate our diversity, and uphold the values of fairness and inclusion. Together, we can make this year a time of renewal, progress, and shared prosperity. Wishing you a year filled with wisdom, health, and success. Happy Year of the Snake! CSIS: Advancing U.S.-China Coordination amid Strategic Competition In November 2022, the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies and the Brookings John L. Thornton China Center initiated a project to identify safe and effective methods for collaboration among nonstate actors on critical challenges facing the United States and China. On January 15, 2025, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a three-part report, Advancing U.S.-China Coordination amid Strategic Competition: An Emerging Playbook, exploring opportunities for collaboration on transnational issues despite the ongoing rivalry between the two nations. Part I: Scoping the Challenge The U.S.-China relationship, dating back to 1844, has alternated between cooperation and conflict, with the current era defined by intense strategic competition across military, economic, technological, and diplomatic domains. This rivalry is exacerbated by a weakening post–World War II international order, rising nationalism, and mutual distrust. Both nations struggle to coordinate efforts on global issues like climate change, food security, and public health. The U.S. increasingly aligns with democratic allies like the G7, while China emphasizes its role within BRICS+ and the Global South. Without collaboration, growing competition threatens the international order and increases the risk of global conflict. Part II: Insights from Case Studies and Track 2 Dialogue Joint research by CSIS and Brookings, including a 2024 track 2 dialogue on climate-smart agriculture, highlights three key lessons for collaboration: 1. Geopolitical context shapes collaborative opportunities, often guided by national interests. 2. Nonstate actors should align initiatives with the national priorities of both countries. 3. New approaches to track 2 dialogues, such as longer, informal meetings in neutral venues, foster more effective cooperation. These insights underscore the importance of working on shared challenges like food security and sustainable agriculture. Part III: Recommendations for Advancing Collaboration The report calls for proactive U.S.-China collaboration on shared global challenges, arguing that waiting for reduced competition is not a viable strategy. Key recommendations include: · Normalizing coordination amid competition. · Securing high-level commitment from both governments. · Prioritizing specific, manageable issues. · Identifying neutral venues for cooperation. · Leveraging track 2 dialogues to explore innovative solutions. While mutual mistrust persists, the report emphasizes the urgent need for collaboration on critical issues like pandemics, food insecurity, and environmental degradation to safeguard global security and prosperity. Read the CSIS report: https://bit.ly/40IllUc University of Michigan Ends Joint Program with Chinese University On January 10, 2025, the University of Michigan (UM) announced the termination of its longstanding partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), marking the end of a two-decade academic collaboration.The decision, confirmed by UM President Santa J. Ono , follows concerns raised by the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China, chaired by U.S. Representative John Moolenaar . The UM-SJTU partnership, which included the UM-SJTU Joint Institute and facilitated dual-degree programs and international exchanges, will allow current students to complete their degrees without disruption. UM emphasized its commitment to international education, balancing national security concerns with fostering global academic partnerships.“International experiences are vital for our students in this interconnected world,” Ono said. “We remain committed to supporting UM’s international students and will continue to foster international partnerships that advance knowledge and cross-cultural understanding and ensure our campus remains a vibrant community where scholars from around the world can thrive.”According to Science on January 13, 2025, the termination of the UM-SJTU partnership reflects broader tensions between U.S. and Chinese academic collaborations. The joint institute, which engaged in biomedical and energy research, faced scrutiny for potential links to China’s defense advancements. This move follows similar actions by other U.S. institutions, such as Georgia Tech and UC Berkeley. Tony Chan , a mathematician at UCLA and former president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, described the trend as indicative of the “deep and steep downturn” in U.S.-China scientific relations. “The message is very clear to universities: Don’t have anything to do with China,” said Chan, who also led the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology from 2018 to 2024. He warned that the academic "decoupling" between the two nations will harm both countries. “It’s not good for science,” Chan added. “And it doesn’t look like things are going to get better anytime soon.”Read the UM announcement: https://bit.ly/4g6Xv95 . Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/4jrh6DR News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/01/23 Community Reactions to the Trump Administration's "Day One" Priorities2025/02/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/02/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/02/03 Getting China Right: Launch of ACF Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University2025/02/13-15 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting2025/02/16 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2025/03/02 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2025/03/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Get Help Today on LA Fires Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance: · Online at DisasterAssistance.gov · Calling 800-621-3362 · By using the FEMA smart phone application · Assistance is available in over 40 languages · If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Please share with your families, friends, and colleagues in the Los Angeles area. 3. Vincent Chin Institute: First Executive Director Job Announcement The Vincent Chin Institute (VCI) is seeking its inaugural Executive Director to lead efforts in combating hate through organizing, education, and narrative change. This full-time, remote position offers a salary range of $125,000 to $150,000, depending on experience, and includes comprehensive benefits. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experiences, a proven track record in organizational leadership, fundraising, and program development, and the ability to build cross-sector partnerships. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, with early submissions encouraged by January 24, 2025. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4jmFFSi 4. OPM Revises Executive Core Qualifications On January 17, 2025, Government Executive reported that " Senior Executive Standards Get first Update in More Than 15 Years ."The Senior Executive Service (SES) was created under President Jimmy Carter as part of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. The SES was designed to establish a cadre of high-level federal managers who would provide leadership across agencies and ensure the continuity of expertise in the federal government. Its creation aimed to increase the flexibility and accountability of senior federal executives while fostering efficiency and effectiveness in public administration.The Office of Personnel Management (OPM)'s updates to the SES executive core qualifications will take effect on July 1, 2025. As part of the updates, OPM added data literacy and systems thinking as new sub-competencies and modified the name of the technology management sub-competency to leveraging technology. The agency also included interpersonal skills, building workplace culture and strategic communication as new sub-competencies. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF January 22, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #271 Yanping Chen Brief; Franklin Tao Speaks; Land Bill Tracker; AASF/Stanford Symposium; + #271 Yanping Chen Brief; Franklin Tao Speaks; Land Bill Tracker; AASF/Stanford Symposium; + In This Issue #271 · AALDEF: Amicus Brief in Support of Dr. Yanping Chen · Professor Franklin Tao and Wife Speak on Their Experience and Plans · C100: Alien Land Bill Tracker Updated · AASF: Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony · News and Activities for the Communities AALDEF: Amicus Brief in Support of Dr. Yanping Chen On July 29, 2024, the Asian American Legal and Education Defense Fund (AALDEF) and a coalition of 11 organizations filed a 43-page amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in support of Dr. Yanping Chen . The brief addresses issues of racial prejudice and the negative stereotyping of Asian Americans, particularly in the context of government actions against Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen was not charged after six years of FBI investigations started in 2010. She filed a lawsuit in 2018 against the Government for violating the Privacy Act after Fox News aired a series of reports by Catherine Herridge in 2017, based on leaked FBI materials, that suggested she was spying for China, causing her significant personal, professional and financial harm.On February 29, 2024, Judge Christopher Cooper held Catherine Herridge in civil contempt for refusing to divulge her source for her 2017 series of Fox News reports. He imposed a fine of $800 per day until Catherine Herridge reveals her source, but the fine will not go into effect immediately to give her time to appeal.Catherine Herridge appealed to the DC Circuit Appeals Court. The case number is #24 -5050.The brief underscores the historical marginalization of Asian Americans, emphasizing the persistent "forever foreigner" stereotype that depicts Asian Americans as perpetual outsiders regardless of their citizenship status or contributions to society. Such stereotypes have been perpetuated by media representations and have influenced governmental policies and actions, often leading to discriminatory practices. The brief argues that decisions in this case should be informed by a rejection of racial stereotypes and should uphold principles of justice and equality. It stresses the importance of the court recognizing the impact of racial bias on the credibility and reputation of individuals like Dr. Chen and the broader Asian American community.The brief urges the court to consider the broader social and historical context of racial discrimination against Asian Americans when making its decision. It calls for a careful examination of the evidence and arguments presented, ensuring that decisions are based on facts rather than prejudiced assumptions.The brief concludes by reinforcing the need for the judicial system to protect the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity. It emphasizes that a fair and just outcome in Dr. Chen's case would contribute to the broader fight against racial discrimination and uphold the principles of equality and justice.The coalition of 11 organizations includes Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Asian Americans United, the Asian Law Alliance, the Asian Law Caucus, the APA Justice Task Force, Chinese for Affirmative Action, the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Helen Zia and the Vincent Chin Institute, the Japanese Americans Citizens League, Muslim Advocates, and Stop AAPI Hate. For additional information, contact Stuart J. Sia , Communications Director, AALDEF, at (212)-966-5932 x203 and ssia@aaldef.org Read the AALDEF brief: https://bit.ly/3Aa4oY3 . Read the AALDEF press statement: https://bit.ly/3WCm06i . Read Dr. Chen's legal docket: https://bit.ly/3ufnqUP Professor Franklin Tao and Wife Speak on Their Experience and Plans It was a deeply emotional day for Professor Franklin Tao to speak for the first time at the APA Justice meeting on August 5, 2024. He thanked his family, lawyers Peter Zeidenberg and Michael Dearington , thousands of GoFundMe donors, brothers and sisters from his church, and the unwavering support from CAPAC, United Chinese Americans, Asian American Scholar Forum, APA Justice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Committee of 100, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance, Alliance for Impact, and many other organizations.Professor Tao’s ordeal has lasted nearly five years. From the day of his arrest on August 21, 2019, to the day the 10th Circuit Court acquitted him of the last count, it has been 1,786 days—each one filled with fear and desperation.A false accusation from a lying whistleblower led to Professor Tao’s arrest under the China Initiative. Professor Tao said he is not a spy, and he should never have been arrested. He was indicted on 10 felony counts. Thanks to his dedicated lawyers, Professor Tao and his wife fought the charges and ultimately prevailed. On July 11, the final count was acquitted.However, this victory is bittersweet. Throughout this ordeal, Professor Tao has lost almost everything. His academic career, built over 20 years of hard work and 16-hour days, has been destroyed. The legal battle was extremely expensive, costing $2.3 million. He and his wife borrowed from friends, tapped into their retirement savings, and raised over $800,000 through GoFundMe. Despite all these efforts, they are still $1.1 million in debt, and he has had no income for the past four years, leaving his family nearly bankrupt. In July 2020, Professor Tao had an agreement with Kansas University (KU) stating that no action would be taken until the conclusion of criminal proceedings. However, KU terminated him in January 2023 before the conclusion of these proceedings. This was a breach of the agreement.Professor Tao appealed because he is innocent of all the allegations. He has proven his innocence, but he has lost his job.He is now focused on regaining his faculty position at KU. In the past few years while he was fighting his case, Professor Tao published 30 papers and retained the capability of working as a faculty member. Hong Peng followed her husband’s talk to share her story. It is a story marked by suffering and injustice, but ultimately ending in a victory for justice.It was very, very hard to live under the dark clouds of injustice for almost five years. Franklin lost his career and nearly everything. Hong had to work long hours, multiple jobs in different hospitals to help her family survive. She could not count how many times she had to work 24 hours straight, how many times she had to pull off the highway to find a gas station to take a short nap or use cold water to wash her face to stay awake.Sometimes she felt so desperate that she cried in her car after work, questioning why this was happening to Franklin and her family. Then she had to wipe away her tears and moved on. She had to tell herself to stay strong for her husband, their kids, and their family. She deeply regrets how this affects their children who are twins.This all began on their first day of high school. They were followed by a drone that the FBI used to surveil them from the moment they got into the car until the moment they got out at curbside and walked into the school.Their son often cried alone in his room because he did not want his parents to worry. Their daughter had to see a psychologist to cope with the trauma.Before they started college last year, her son said to Hong, “mom, don’t worry about us. We are going to start our new life in college. We are going to be fine. There were times before both of us thought about suicide.” Her heart breaks whenever she thinks about how much this has impacted their kids.Franklin was treated like a criminal when he was innocent. He became extremely depressed, and had trouble sleeping and eating. From time to time before he slept, he would say “I almost wish I could just fall asleep and never wake up again. Then I wouldn’t need to think about all of this.”She was heartbroken to witness her loved one suffer so much because of this injustice.Physically, mentally, and financially Hong had to be the center of resource and support for her family. She was so drained. One time she got off the highway and was completely out. She did not know where she was, but it was the road she drove to work daily. It was scary because she could not afford to be sick. She had to be there for her family. Justice finally prevailed with the 10th Circuit Court acquittal of the last count against Franklin on July 11. This victory could not have been possible without the tremendous support they received from the organizations, community, family, friends, legal team, and countless individuals. Hong and Franklin are eternally grateful for the compassion and belief in the truth that were shown to them.In conclusion, Hong and Franklin look forward to Kansas University to reinstate Franklin, starting a new chapter in their lives and to a future where justice is not just a concept but reality for all. A summary for the August 5 APA Justice monthly meeting is being prepared at this time. Read Professor Tao's story: https://bit.ly/3y8SBsm C100: Alien Land Bill Tracker Updated On August 1, 2024, the Committee of 100 (C100) announced that its national database to track harmful alien land laws legislation has been updated. The C100 tracker and interactive maps are located at https://bit.ly/4d6G0Ft Summary of 2024 as of July 22, · 151 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities have been considered by 32 states (115 bills) and Congress (36 bills). · Of the 151 total bills, 71 are under current consideration that would prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning property. · Of the 151 total bills, 12 passed and were signed into law in Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa (2 bills), Nebraska (2 bills), Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee (2 bills), and Utah, respectively. · Of the 12 bills passed so far, 7 prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning some form of property: Georgia’s SB 420, Indiana’s HB 1183, Nebraska’s LB 1301, Oklahoma’s SB1705, South Dakota’s HB 1231, Tennessee’s HB 2553 and SB 2639. Summary since the beginning of 2023: · 241 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities have been considered by 39 states (205 bills) and Congress (36 bills). · Of the 241 total bills, 194 have been under consideration that would prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning property; 174 bills have been considered by 38 states and 20 have been considered by Congress. · Of the 241 total bills, 29 passed and were signed into law in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa (2 bills), Idaho (2 bills), Indiana (2 bills), Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota (2 bills), Nebraska (2 bills), Oklahoma (2 bills), South Dakota, Tennessee (4 bills), Utah (2 bills), Virginia, (2 bills), and West Virginia. · Of the 29 bills passed so far, 11 prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning some form of property: Arkansas’ SB 383, Florida’s S 264, Georgia’s SB 420, Indiana’s HB 1183 and SB 477, Nebraska’s LB 1301, Oklahoma’s SB1705, South Dakota’s HB 1231, Tennessee’s HB 2553 and SB 2639, and West Virginia’s SB 548. AASF: Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony According to a press statement on August 2, 2024, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) hosted, in partnership with Stanford University Asian American Activities Center, the very first Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony on July 27, 2024, at Stanford Memorial Auditorium. More than 1,300 persons registered for the event.The six Pioneer Medal Award recipients are Nasir Ahmed , Frank C Chang , Dawon Kahng , Teresa H. Meng , Raj Reddy , and Simon M. Sze . The symposium and award ceremony brought together some of the most distinguished minds in energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and leadership – including Nobel Prize laureates Steven Chu and Randy Schekman , Turing Award laureates Raj Reddy and John Hennessy , and leading industry figures, such as CEO and Founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan . It also included academic leaders such as Jonathan Levin , the 13th president of Stanford University; Arun Majumbar , the dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability; Tsu-Jae King Liu , the dean of the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley; and Andrea J. Goldsmith , the dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University. The event also featured notable speakers such as Dr. Arati Prabhakar (U.S. Cabinet member and Science Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy), Sethuraman Panchanathan (Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation), and Representative Judy Chu (D-CA 28th District and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus). Read the AASF press statement: https://bit.ly/4dxYkHl News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/08/19 DNC Convention, AAPI Briefing & Reception, Chicago, IL2024/09/01 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/09/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/09/19-20 AANHPI Unity Summit2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly MeetingThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Tsung-Dao Lee dies at age 97 According to AP, New York Times, and multiple media sources, Chinese American physicist Tsung-Dao Lee 李政道 (1926-2024), who in 1957 became the second-youngest scientist to receive a Nobel Prize, died at his home in San Francisco at age 97.His death was announced in a joint statement by the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute at the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai and the China Center for Advanced Science and Technology in Beijing. Born on November 24, 1926, in Shanghai, Tsung-Dao Lee made groundbreaking contributions to physics, leaving a lasting impact on both theoretical and experimental physics. Lee's academic journey began at the National Chekiang University and the National Southwest Associated University from 1943 to 1945. He then pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago from 1946 to 1950, where he was chosen by Enrico Fermi, a Nobel laureate in physics, as a doctoral student. In 1950, Lee earned his Ph.D. degree. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1962.In 1953, he joined Columbia University as an assistant professor. Three years later, he became the youngest-ever full professor there. He became the Enrico Fermi Professor of Physics at Columbia University in 1964.In 1957, Lee, at age 31, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics together with Chen-Ning Yang 楊振寧 . Robert Oppenheimer , known as the father of the atomic bomb, once praised Lee as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists of the time, whose work showed “remarkable freshness, versatility and style.”Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/4dBZ3qZ . Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/4d82uWo . 3. Verge : Customs Agents Need a Warrant to Search Your Phone Now According to the Verge on July 29, 2024, a federal judge in New York ruled that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can not search travelers’ phones without a warrant. The ruling theoretically applies to land borders, seaports, and airports — but in practice, it only applies to New York’s Eastern District. The ruling stems from a criminal case against Kurbonali Sultanov , a naturalized US citizen from Uzbekistan, who was ordered to hand his phone over to CBP after his name triggered an alert on the Treasury Enforcement Communications System identifying Sultanov as a potential purchaser or possessor of child sexual abuse material.The judge, Nina R. Morrison of New York’s Eastern District, denied Sultanov’s motion to suppress evidence, but ruled in favor of Sultanov on Fourth Amendment grounds, finding that the initial search of his phone was unconstitutional. CBP’s ability to search travelers’ phones has received increased scrutiny in recent months. In April, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking for information on what data the government retains from these searches and how the data is used. “We are concerned that the current policies and practices governing the search of electronic devices at the border constitute a departure from the intended scope and application of border search authority,” Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) wrote. Read the Verge report: https://bit.ly/46wX7h6 . Back View PDF August 7, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #32 12/02 Webinar; Franklin Tao; 12/07 Meeting; 2020 Census #32 12/02 Webinar; Franklin Tao; 12/07 Meeting; 2020 Census Back View PDF December 1, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #217 11/6 Meeting with Rep. Andy Kim; Call for Action; 10/2 Meeting Summary; 2030 Census; + #217 11/6 Meeting with Rep. Andy Kim; Call for Action; 10/2 Meeting Summary; 2030 Census; + In This Issue #217 · 2023/11/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Call for Action: Sign-on Letter to Congress to Oppose Reauthorization of Section 702 or Make Major Reforms · 2023/10/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted · What The Next Census in 2030 Could Look Like · News and Activities for the Communities 2023/11/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, November 6, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers include: · Andy Kim, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who has announced his candidacy to run for the Senate seat in New Jersey, will talk about issues and concerns of the people of New Jersey and the nation. · Gene Wu 吳元之, Member of the Texas State House of Representatives on education and coalition building efforts on the alien land bills (and other anti-immigration bills) in Texas and beyond. · Dr. Sergio Lira , Co-Vice President, Texas Multicultural Advocacy Alliance (TMAC); President, Greater Houston, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), on his tireless efforts to grow a multicultural advocacy alliance with the AAPI community in Texas and more. · Cindy Tsai 蔡欣玲, Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100 (C100) on recent C100 activities including the community playbook, allyship between marginalized groups, and The Yellow Whistle. · Andy Li, President, API Coalition; President, Civic Leadership USA, on the First National API Elected Officials Summit in San Francisco on November 18-19, immediately following the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit and CEO Summit. The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎, Vincent Wang 王文奎, and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org Meet and Know Congressman Andy Kim In the aftermath of the riots on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, a Congressman crouched down on his knees and filled trash bags with debris in a near empty rotunda and then the adjacent rooms, including the National Statuary Hall and the Capitol crypt downstairs. It was Congressman Andy Kim in the blue jacket. According to NBC News , many people labeled Andy a “true patriot.” While Andy said he didn’t dwell much on the symbolic heft of his actions, the term was on his mind. “I feel blessed to have this opportunity as a son of immigrants to be able to serve in Congress,” he said. “Democracy to me is this place of opportunity that is affording me a chance to do something extraordinary.”In 2018, Andy became the first Asian American to represent New Jersey in Congress.Six months after his cleaning up the U.S. Capitol at midnight following the January 6 insurrection, Andy gave up the blue suit he wore on that day for public good again - this time for the Smithsonian Institution as part of its collection of items from the riot. “This suit of mine that’s with the Smithsonian now is not because of some high achievement that I've reached in this country. It was because I unfortunately was at the site of one of the most tragic events in our American democracy,” Andy, the son of Korean immigrants, said. “The values it tries to bring about are very much ones that are rooted in my immigrant family. Having humility, having respect for this country that gave us the opportunities that we've had.”He added: “I hope other Asian Americans see in that suit the same thing that I see, which is, hope for the kind of future in this country that many of us either immigrated to this country for, or grew up in this country with.”Andy talked to APA Justice at its September 2021 monthly meeting. A summary of his remarks is posted here: https://bit.ly/3kg687M . His talk starts at the 15:07 of this video: https://bit.ly/3ki3jmI We warmly welcome the return of Congressman Andy Kim to speak at the APA Justice monthly meeting on November 6, 2023. Call for Action: Sign-on Letter to Congress to Oppose Reauthorization of Section 702 or Make Major Reforms In partnership with American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), APA Justice calls for concerned individuals to sign on a letter calling for the end of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless there is fundamental reform to the law. Current authority for Section 702 will expire on December 31, 2023.Concerned individuals may complete and submit the letter electronically at https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R . You have the option to add a personal message in the text box. The online form will require you to fill in your name and address. It will automatically send the letter to your two senators and one representative. It is that easy. Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and Stop AAPI Hate, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) led a coalition of over 60 organizations and sent a compelling message https://bit.ly/3LkEmnt to Congress: Reform Section 702 . The coalition also produced a fact sheet https://bit.ly/49cRF3L to explain what Section 702 is and how warrantless surveillance has inflicted serious harm to marginalized communities including Chinese Americans."Asian Americans have a history of being subjected to racial profiling and discrimination, often rooted in stereotypes and misconceptions. Authorities like Section 702 that lack proper oversight and targeting criteria can exacerbate these issues, leading to unjust scrutiny of innocent individuals within the Asian American and AMEMSA communities," the fact sheet said. Concerned organizations are urged to sign on to the coalition letter by contacting Andy Wong andywong@caasf.org , CAA Managing Director of Advocacy, and Joanna Derman jderman@advancingjustice-aajc.org , Program Director at Advancing Justice | AAJC.Concerned individual will now have a chance to express their opposition to reauthorization of Section 702 without comprehensive reforms. APA Justice urges you to sign on to the ACLU letter today at https://bit.ly/3EFkg3R and include references to the coalition letter https://bit.ly/3LkEmnt and fact sheet https://bit.ly/49cRF3L . 2023/10/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The October 2, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary is now available at https://bit.ly/40gnN2q . We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: · Casey Lee casey.lee@mail.house.gov , Policy Advisor, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) substituted for Nisha Ramachandran nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov , Executive Director, CAPAC, and provided updates from CAPAC. · Joanna Derman, Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, will be reporting on behalf of Advancing Justice | AAJC going forward. She reported on two events - one titled “ Total Information Awareness: The High Costs of Post-9/11 U.S. Mass Surveillance ” at Brown University and the other a webinar titled “ State Legislatures 101 – How They Work and How You Can Make an Impact .” · Gisela Perez Kusakawa, Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), gpkusakawa@aasforum.org reported on an upcoming launch of a new AASF website and its first 2022 to 2023 annual report, listening sessions with federal agencies, and the upcoming release of educational materials on Dr. Xiaoxing Xi 's case and Section 702 warrantless surveillance. Gisela also reported on AASF partnership with US-Asia Law Institute of NYU Law School, an upcoming session with Drs. Gang Chen and Xiaoxing Xi at the NAPABA conference, and an event at the Georgetown Law Center on combating the rise of anti-Asian bias in America. · Clay Zhu 朱可亮, Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) 华美维权同盟 reported on the recent developments of the Florida alien land bill lawsuit, as well as a webinar with Florida state legislators hosted by the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA). · Nancy Chen, Founding President, Chinese American Women in Action (CAWA) provided a report on her vast experience as Regional Administrator of the Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor; Director of U.S. Senator Paul Simon ’s Chicago Office; and Director of Asian-Pacific American Outreach at President Bill Clinton ’s White House Office of Presidential Personnel. After her retirement, Nancy founded CAWA and continues to stay involved in matters of importance to the community in Naperville, Illinois, and the nation. APA Justice will assist Nancy to organize a town hall meeting for Rep. Bill Foster on specific issues such as alien land laws and other laws and policies would have the impact on Asian Americans. Rep. Foster is the only Ph.D. Physicist in Congress. · Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), reported on the delivery of a coalition letter to Congress in partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and AASF to express the collective opposition to the reauthorization of section 702 unless there are comprehensive reforms. CAA and Stop AAPI Hate have also launched the Stop the Blame campaign in response to the ongoing rise of anti-Asian political rhetoric and legislation which is harming innocent Asian Americans and immigrants. · Haipei Shue 薛海培, President, United Chinese Americans, reported on the Appeals Curt hearing of Professor Franklin Tao 陶丰 in Denver and the administrative trial of New York Police Department Officer Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 in New York City. Read the 10/2 meeting summary: https://bit.ly/40gnN2q . Read past monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP What The Next Census in 2030 Could Look Like On October 28, 2023, the New York Times reported on how census categories for race and ethnicity have evolved over the last 230 years and how they have shaped American identities. By sifting through copies of each decennial census from 1790 through 2020, the report found that almost none of them categorized race in the exact same way. Each change indicated an incremental shift in how the nation perceived racial and ethnic identities at that time. The first census in 1790 separated free “white” people from other free people and enslaved people. In 1890, the census identified African Americans by the fraction of their African heritage: “Black,” “mulatto,” “quadroon” and “octoroon.” These terms stamped in old documents are a stark reminder of U.S. history. The antiquated term “Negro” was used in nine decennial censuses until 2010.Some of the changes reflected the country’s anxieties over immigration. For example, the government added the category “Chinese” in the 1870 census, after many immigrants from China had come as railroad workers and anxieties over immigration from China rose. With the year 1970 came a significant shift in the census, when people were allowed to choose their race, rather than having a census taker do so. The census is now a marker of self-identification instead of an outsider’s perception. With 24 decennial censuses so far, race options have changed more than a dozen times, as new groups have been added and others deleted.The latest overhaul would allow more race and ethnicity options for people to describe themselves than the 2020 census did. One of the biggest changes would be to combine race and ethnicity into a single question. “Hispanic or Latino” would become one of seven race and/or ethnicity options, rather than in a separate origin question as it is now. A check box for “Middle Eastern or North African” would also be added. If approved, the new forms would be adopted across all surveys in the country about health, education and the economy. The Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget has asked for feedback on this plan, which it could implement and add to all federal forms as early as next summer and then be used for the 2030 census. Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/46Yng84 . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/11/01 Asia Society - A Conversation with Gary Locke 2023/11/02 Chinese American Museum - Saving America's Chinatowns2023/11/05 Rep. Gene Wu's Weekly Town Hall Meeting2023/11/06 APA Justice November 2023 Monthly Meeting2023/11/09-12 NAPABA Convention2023/11/11 Association of Chinese Professionals 2023 MetroConVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli Advances The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee advanced the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health by a vote of 15-6, with ranking member Bill Cassidy , R-La., voting for President Joe Biden ’s nominee and Chairman Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., opposing it. Watch the HELP Committee proceedings: https://bit.ly/479cYBx Back View PDF October 31, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter