Newsletter - #61 DOC Unit Abused Power! Memorable May 20; Stop AAPI Hate And Racial Profiling #61 DOC Unit Abused Power! Memorable May 20; Stop AAPI Hate And Racial Profiling Back View PDF May 24, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #180 5/1 Meeting; Preemption of Real Property Discrimination; Vincent Chin; Cato Report; + #180 5/1 Meeting; Preemption of Real Property Discrimination; Vincent Chin; Cato Report; + In This Issue #180 2023/05/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting CAPAC Organizational Endorsement Form for Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act Vincent Chin Institute Launched - Rhetoric Can Result in Harm and Even Murder Cato Institute: Abandoning the US, More Scientists Go to China Activities and News for the Communities 2023/05/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, May 1, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. Erika L. Moritsugu , Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, will deliver a special video from the White House to start the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Brenna Isman , Director of Academy Studies, National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), will provide a brief description of the history, mission, and purpose of NAPA, its "Grand Challenges" campaign for public administration, and its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts and commissioned studies. Paula Williams Madison , 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, will provide a recap of the April 17 Roundtable and share the possible next steps for this important work that may have long-lasting impact to the AAPI community and the American society overall.Updates will be provided in the meeting by: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum.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 . CAPAC Organizational Endorsement Form for Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act The Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act (draft) is sponsored by Rep. Al Green (TX-9) and co-led by Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28). We kindly ask that all organizations who would like to endorse do so by filling out the form here no later than Friday, May 5, 12pm ET. This form is for ORGANIZATIONAL endorsement only.As you may be aware, there are state laws throughout the U.S. that place restrictions on the acquisition or possession of real property in those states by citizens of foreign nations. These laws are often driven by concerns over commercial interests or national security. However, recent legislation introduced in states like Texas, South Carolina, and others include a flat prohibition on the purchase or acquisition of real property by the citizens of a select number of countries – Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China.We have seen policies like this before in our nation’s history – in the 1800s, when anti-Chinese sentiment culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the creation of alien land laws, or during World War II when tensions with Japan led to the stripping of land ownership rights from Japanese immigrants and the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. By refusing individuals from these foreign countries basic property rights, these bills take an unacceptable step toward xenophobia, nationalism, and discrimination. Therefore, the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act would do exactly that – preempt at the federal level state laws that would seek to deny foreign citizens the right to acquire real property in the United States. Full text of the bill can be read here: https://bit.ly/3HjM8fG . Fill out the form to endorse the bill here: https://bit.ly/426n97q Please email Scott Bell ( scott.bell@mail.house.gov ), Nisha Ramachandran ( nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov ), and Casey Lee ( casey.lee@mail.house.gov ) if you have any questions. Six-City Rally to Protest Florida Senate Bill 264 and House 1355 On April 29, 2023, The Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) and a broad coalition of organizations led a state-wide rally to protest the Senate Bill 264 and House Bill 1355 in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa. According to a joint press release , these bills violate the United States Constitution, the Florida State Constitution, the Fair Housing Act, and federal and state regulations that protect civil liberties and equal rights for all immigrants. By preventing Asian and other immigrants from owning real property, these bills unfairly discriminate against a specific group of people based on their national origin.The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and its regional affiliates issued a statement opposing the Florida bills , so did the United Chinese Americans . An online petition to End AAPI Hate and Discrimination in Florida has collected more than 27,000 signatures.At Orlando, WESH2-TV reported on the event; FCRTV佛州华语广播电视台 provided a livestreaming report (video 1:18:29). Snapshots from the rallies: Vincent Chin Institute Launched - Rhetoric Can Result in Harm and Even Murder According to NBC News on April 26, 2023, and Ethnic Media Services on April 28, 2023, the Vincent Chin Institute was launched on April 26, 2023, at a news conference at the Congressional Triangle in Washington, D.C. joined by Members of Congress Judy Chu , Grace Meng , Mark Takano , the Smithsonian Under Secretary for Education Monique Chism , the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center APAC Acting Director Yao-Fen You , and Helen Zia .The launch coincided with the release of the second edition of the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide which is available in Arabic , Bengali , Simplified Chinese , Traditional Chinese , and English . Additional versions in Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese will reportedly become available. The Legacy Guide was co-written by Helen Zia, which provides further education about the history of anti-Asian discrimination and racism in the United States.Excerpts of the Vincent Chin Legacy Guide recommendations include: Be prepared for anti-Asian incidents Engage your campus, community, church, workplace employee resource groups, social clubs and the like to educate and increase awareness to combat hate toward any people Reach out to local businesses Be a courageous ally Call on national, state and local leaders Support solidarity movements Demand that your state include curriculum about Asian Americans at the K-12 levels Connect the dots. Know your own Asian American stories and those of other marginalized people in America Stay informed Amplify the voices and stories of historically marginalized communities In 1982, the horrific baseball bat beating death of Vincent Chin on the eve of his bachelor party, and the miscarriage of justice that allowed his two white killers to be freed without spending a night in jail, ignited the modern Asian American civil rights movement and built a multiracial, multicultural coalition united for equal justice and human dignity which stands as a landmark of American history.Over 40 years later, Vincent Chin's story remains starkly relevant— especially in an era of sharp anti-Asian racism and Sinophobia. At the time, the economic rivalry between the US and Japan triggered targeted hate against Asian Americans, and was a direct cause of Chin’s death. At the launch, speakers drew parallels between the circumstances of Chin’s death and the anti-Asian racism today that puts all Asian Americans at risk. They highlighted how Chinese Americans are scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic; face proposed discriminatory legislation, such as alien land laws and Trump’s "China Initiative;" and are routinely suspected of spying for China. Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to congress, was also recently accused of being disloyal to the US by Texas Rep. Lance Gooden . These effects, though aimed at Chinese Americans, inevitably affect all Asian Americans. Chin, for instance, was killed in an era of anti-Japanese sentiment — despite being Chinese himself.Speakers contended that learning from the circumstances of Chin’s death is critical to prevent the same hate from threatening AAPI lives. Yet Chin’s story remains underdiscussed: It is rarely taught in schools, and the historical context surrounding it is often missing. Chu, for instance, frequently references Chin’s death when opposing anti-China rhetoric in Congress. Yet, she is consistently met with ignorance from other legislators on his story. "Each time we take on this fight… I talk about what happened to Vincent Chin. Some members of Congress are shocked because they never even heard of story,” said Chu. “Already, Asian Americans have been suffering three years of anti-Asian hate due to Trump calling Covid-19 ‘China virus’ and ‘kung flu,’” she said. “But now, the rhetoric and tension about the U.S.-China relationship comes on top of that, potentially escalating that violence. Today, the focus has shifted to extremists engaging in racial profiling of Chinese Americans.” “Today, over 40 years later, what we learned is that the rhetoric used around economic competition with Asian countries can result in harm and even murder of Asian Americans here at home,” Chu said. Read the Ethnic Media Services report at https://bit.ly/420wCNK . Read the NBC News report at https://nbcnews.to/42am6Ua . Visit the Vincent Chin Institute website at https://www.vincentchin.org/ Cato Institute: Abandoning the US, More Scientists Go to China According to the Cato Institute on April 11, 2023, The Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD)—an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries—has published new data showing that the United States is losing the race for scientific talent to China and other countries. China’s strategy to recruit scientific researchers to work at China‐affiliated universities is working. In 2021, the United States lost published research scientists to other countries, while China gained more than 2,408 scientific authors. This was a remarkable turnaround from as recently as 2017 when the United States picked up 4,292 scientists and China picked up just 116. As Figure 1 shows, the rest of the OECD and China have both surpassed the United States for net inflow of scientific authors. The OECD data are not measuring the movement of non‐Chinese into China or non‐Americans into the United States. The OECD tracks inflows and outflows of published scientific researchers based on changes in institutional affiliation. If an author who was previously affiliated with a different country publishes another article in a new country, the new country will be credited as receiving a new research scientist. The OECD credits more Chinese scientists returning to China for the sudden reversal in Chinese and American inflows. This is a disturbing trend that started before the pandemic. In fact, it appears to coincide with the Trump administration’s “ China Initiative ”—more accurately titled the anti‐ Chinese initiative . Launched in November 2018, the Department of Justice’s campaign was supposed to combat the overblown threat of intellectual property theft and espionage. In reality, it involved repeatedly intimidating institutions that employed scientists of Chinese heritage and attempting malicious failed prosecutions of scientists who worked with institutions in China. U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling has even admitted that the initiative that he helped lead “created a climate of fear among researchers” and now says, “You don’t want people to be scared of collaboration.” If Chinese scientists are afraid to work in the United States, that means that the United States will not benefit from their discoveries as much or as quickly as China will. Although the Justice Department claims to have shut down its “China Initiative,” Cato colleagues doubt that Chinese scientists will be free from unjust scrutiny going forward. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is still bragging about having caused the firings of more than 100 scientists and shutting down research by over 150 scientists— over 80 percent of whom identify as Asian . The administration continues to maintain contrary to evidence that Chinese industrial espionage—by scientists working in the United States—is a significant threat to the country. Universities and U.S. companies think the far greater threat is losing out on talented Chinese researchers. If the United States wants to deal a blow to the Chinese Communist Party, it should start by trying to fix the damage that it has done in the last few years and liberalize immigration from China . Read the Cato Institute blog: https://bit.ly/3AJ9w28 News and Activities for the Communities 1. U.S.-China Scholarly Exchange Initiative A new report by the CSIS Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics recounts a groundbreaking U.S.-China scholarly exchange initiative that occurred during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Trustee Chair Scott Kennedy and Professor Wang Jisi of Peking University, founding president of Peking University’s Institute of International Strategic Studies (IISS), argue that although the deterioration in U.S.-China relations pre-dates the mutual physical isolation of the two countries from each other, renewing robust direct communication between the two societies is necessary, if not sufficient, to stabilizing ties. The report documents the goals and planning for their trips, the unique challenge of traveling during the pandemic, and their observations regarding developments within the two societies and with respect to the bilateral relationship. The report concludes by explaining how the reduction in connectivity has led to the creation of echo chambers, which has fed a vicious cycle further propelling the worsening of ties. They offer a set of five policy proposals intended to interrupt this dynamic, including restoring direct connections across the two societies and resuming and expanding dialogue between the two governments. Read the joint report at: https://bit.ly/3AAbguR Preceding their Breaking the Ice report launch, Scott Kennedy and Wang Jisi summarized their report in Foreign Affairs . They write that: "Whether one believes that the United States and China are destined to be adversaries, might somehow find a pathway back to greater cooperation, or will have a more complicated relationship, it should be clear that it would be better for people from both countries—government officials, business leaders, scholars, and ordinary citizens—to have a greater understanding of each other. And there is no better way to build such mutual understanding than through face-to-face interactions and visits in which people can observe each other’s societies and speak at length in formal and informal settings about their perspectives and experiences." Read the Foreign Affairs report: https://fam.ag/3ViNHQH 2 . Charles Lieber Sentenced to Time Served According to AP on April 26, 2023, former Harvard Professor Charles Lieber -- who was found guilty of concealing his affiliation with a Chinese recruitment program as part of the now-defunct "China Initiative" -- was sentenced to time served in prison (two days) and two years of supervised release with six months of home arrest. He has already paid a fine of $50,000 and restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $33, 600.In December 2021, Lieber was found guilty of concealing his affiliation with the Wuhan University of Technology and his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Program, a program designed by the Chinese government to recruit high-level scientists, and failing to report payments on his taxes.Lieber’s case was one of the most notable to come out of the U.S. Department of Justice’s "China Initiative," started during the Trump administration in 2018 to curb economic espionage from China.Lieber's attorney Marc Mukasey stressed that Lieber was never charged with espionage-related offenses; was never accused of misusing grant money; there was no theft or trade secrets or intellectual property; and he did not disclose any proprietary research to the Chinese government or university.In February 2022 under the current administration, a decision was made to revamp the program and impose a higher bar for prosecutions after a review based on complaints that it compromised the nation’s competitiveness in research and technology and disproportionally targeted researchers of Asian descent. The federal government ended up dismissing multiple cases against researchers or had them thrown out by judges. Anqi Zhang , one of Lieber’s former doctoral students who is now doing post-doctoral work in chemical engineering at Stanford University, thinks her mentor’s motives have been misrepresented by the government. “He’s the best scientist and the best mentor in the world,” she said. “He’s a pure scientist, he worked very hard, and was focused completely on the science.”Read the AP report at: https://bit.ly/3oNTxND While making false statements to federal agents should not be excused, Professor Xiaoxing Xi of Temple University pointed out in his lecture to Iowa State University (video 58:52) on April 10, 2023, that the investigation of Professor Lieber started because there were "too many Chinese students in his lab." (time mark 22:24)According to Chemistry World on April 27, 2023, as a nanoscience pioneer, Lieber and his research group had received more than $15 million in grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense. Over his career, Lieber published more than 400 research papers, and he was the principal inventor on more than 50 patents. Lieber’s contributions to nanotechnology also earned him the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2012.Dozens of prominent scientists including many Nobel laureates spoke up for Lieber in a March 2021 open letter . They called the DOJ’s case against him "unjust" and urged the agency to drop it. Their letter also described Lieber as "one of the great scientists of his generation" and warned that government actions against academic like him are having "a chilling effect" on international scientific collaboration.Lieber, who is living with advanced lymphoma and had been on paid administrative leave since his arrest, officially retired in February with little fanfare. Read the Chemistry World Explainer at https://bit.ly/3oUU9kR . Read the APA Justice webpage on Charlie Lieber at https://bit.ly/328FTJP 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 30, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #236 Year of The Dragon; Alien Land Laws; Section 702; US Heartland China Association; More #236 Year of The Dragon; Alien Land Laws; Section 702; US Heartland China Association; More In This Issue #236 · The Year of The Dragon Has Arrived · Updates on Alien Land Laws in FL, GA, and More · New Warrantless Surveillance Bill Introduced in Congress · US Heartland China Association · News and Activities for the Communities The Year of The Dragon Has Arrived February 10 was New Year Day for the Year of the Dragon with celebrations across the U.S. and the world. The sighting of a dragon was reportedly captured in a video in Singapore, but locals later claimed with tongue in cheek that the dragon is around all year and stays at a hotel named after it. When did the Chinese calendar start? According to Wikipedia , it depends on when the origin of a particular calendar era is chosen. This is Year 4722 if you go by the first reign of the Yellow Emperor ( Huángdì 黄帝 ). Updates on Alien Land Laws in FL, GA, and More On February 1, 2024, The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the enforcement of Florida’s alien land law, known as SB 264, against two Chinese immigrants who have challenged the statute in court. On very short notice, Clay Zhu (DeHeng Law Offices), Ashley Gorski (ACLU), and Patrick Toomey (ACLU) of the legal team spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 5, 2024. They provided updates on the ruling for the ongoing lawsuit which was filed after Florida passed SB 264 last May. The legal team, including the ACLU, ACLU of Florida, DeHeng Law Offices PC, AALDEF, and Quinn Emanuel, swiftly challenged the Florida state law in May. Despite the District Court judge initially rejecting their motion for a preliminary injunction, the legal team appealed to the Court of Appeals last August, seeking an expedited process due to the harm caused by the state law.The legal team is grateful for the decision that was issued. It prevents Florida from enforcing SB 264 against two of the plaintiffs. It is a very good sign because the court’s reasoning was that the plaintiffs are substantially likely to prevail on their argument that Florida's law is preempted by federal law.There is already a federal statute that regulates real estate purchases that potentially implicate national security, the court said. Under the Constitution, the federal law controls and for that reason the Florida law is very likely unconstitutional. The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in support of the preliminary injunction in the US District Court in June 2023. The adopted legal theory, if it is embraced ultimately by the Appeals Court, is one that could reach many other people who are contending with the hardships posed by SB 264. Oral arguments are scheduled in Miami the week of April 15. Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) has been leading a broad, diverse coalition to hold rallies against SB264. Concerned organizations have also submitted amicus briefs.The legal team's talk is included in this partial summary of the February 5 APA Justice monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/3uuhm0b . For more information about alien land bills, visit https://bit.ly/43epBcl Georgia Introduces Alien Land Bill HB 1093 According to LegiScan, House Bill (HB) 1093 , was introduced by six Republicans in the Georgia legislature on January 31, 2024.A hearing was held by the Georgia House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee on February 9, 2024. Ben Lynde , ACLU of Georgia Policy Counsel, testified on HB 1093, a bill that would exclude certain non-citizens from buying agricultural land in Georgia. He said, "HB 1093 represents a new law that recalls similar efforts over the past to weaponize false claims of National Security against Asian immigrants and other marginalized communities. It is very difficult for me now as a veteran and lover of History to recall the horrors I felt in high school when I learned about bills like the Chinese Exclusion laws and alien land acts to see my state government trying to do similar laws... In the early 1900s, politicians from across this country used similar justifications to pass alien land laws and prohibit Chinese and Japanese immigrants from becoming land owners. These racist policies not only hurt immigrant families financially at that time but also severely exasperated violence, discrimination against Asian communities living in the United States... Regardless of the concerns which I do understand about where we got to the bill today, I don't want to have a discriminatory practice of the past being codified in Georgia law... Property ownership by certain noncitizens as a threat to National Security is a baseless claim with no evidence that they are causing harm... Members of the Asian communities are experiencing historic highs in discrimination and hate crimes in the modern discourse now... The Florida law has been enjoined by the 11th Circuit Court that will also hear this law if it is passed by Georgia... We just hope that you will reject this bill today or when this bill comes up for a vote. Thank you very much for your time." Time was not adequate for all who wished to speak at the hearing. Those who spoke in opposition to the bill included Koreans, Vietnamese, Latinos, and whites. The bill was not advanced to the next step of the process, pending on further discussion and negotiation. Watch a video of Ben Lydne's testimony at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya9zGuzHOMg (2:57). The Committee of 100 tracks federal and state alien land bills and maintains an interactive map at: https://bit.ly/3Hxta4B USDA Status Report on Foreign Investments in US Land Micah R. Brown, Staff Attorney of the National Agricultural Law Center at the US Department of Agriculture, gave a presentation on the history and current developments in anti-foreign land ownership laws to the SB 147 Roundtable. The presentation covers: · Historical context on how state laws vary widely without a generalized or uniform approach and how they developed unevenly at five different “political flashpoints” over ensuing decades/centuries including the period of 2021 to the present, · Current proposals in Congress to seek to control, prohibit, restrict, or increase oversight on foreign investments in U.S. agriculture, · Enactment of alien land law SB 383 in Arkansas; preliminary injunction against SB 264 in Florida, and Missouri Governor John Ashcroft ’s Executive Order 24-01 Read the presentation: https://bit.ly/49ve4IX CAPAC Denounces Efforts to Ban Chinese Immigrants from Owning Land in the U.S. On February 8, 2024, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) held a virtual press conference about the recent resurgence of land laws that would prohibit Chinese immigrants from purchasing or owning property in the United States, following a federal appeals court's temporary injunction. In the ruling, a federal judge noted that it violates the 14th amendment’s protection against discrimination. CAPAC members denounced the Republican-led attempts to restrict land ownership that are being pushed in Congress and in state legislatures across the nation, and they will uplift legislation aimed at stopping these efforts from moving forward. CAPAC has cautioned against history repeating itself through laws that ban land or property ownership based on an individual’s country of origin. For more information, contact Graeme Crews , (202) 597-2923 (Rep. Judy Chu) or Jordan Goldes , (202) 308-9691 (Rep. Grace Meng) New Warrantless Surveillance Bill Introduced in Congress According to The Hill on February 12, House Republicans unveiled a new package for reauthorizing and reforming the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows the government to spy on noncitizens located abroad, is set to expire in April after a short-term extension.Monday’s text more closely aligns with the original proposal from the House Intelligence Committee over that of its Judiciary competitor, focusing on more reforms at the FBI to address misuse of the powerful spy tool. It does not include Judiciary’s hope for a warrant requirement — something deemed a red line for the intelligence community but nonetheless a top priority for privacy advocates in Congress.Though FISA 702 only allows the government to surveil foreigners, their communications with Americans are often swept up in the process, creating a database found to be misused by the FBI, which has already undertaken a number of reforms amid criticism.To privacy champions and advocates, a warrant is the only way to protect Americans’ rights. Complicating the bill’s consideration further are reports from Politico it may be partially considered during a closed session. “Make no mistake: a secret session is completely unnecessary. National security legislation is openly debated in every Congress. There have only been 6 secret sessions in the House since 1812,” Elizabeth Goitein , co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, wrote on X. “Secret law is anathema to democracies, and making law in secret is the next worst thing. Open debate is a core feature of our democratic system. But intelligence committee leaders prefer to work in the shadows because it gives them a strategic advantage.”Read The Hill report: https://bit.ly/3SYnvuU . US Heartland China Association Min Fan 范敏 , Executive Director of the US Heartland China Association (USHCA), introduced USHCA and described its mission and activities during the APA Justice monthly meeting on February 5, 2024.USHCA was started by the late Senator Adlai Stevenson , Illinois; it is almost 20 years old originally under the name of Midwest-US China Association. Bob Holden , former Governor of Missouri, is current Chair of USHCA. USHCA is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization. It does not lobby.USHCA is funded by American sources including membership dues, Heartland community supporters, private donations, grants from private foundations, corporate sponsors, and contributions from state governmental agencies.Through organizing people-to-people exchanges in culture, education, and business, USHCA promotes a stable and productive US-China relationship to protect and advance the interests of the American Heartland so that: · Farmers in the Heartland can continue to expand our exports to China. · Educational institutions in the Heartland can remain competitive and continue to attract the best talent from around the world, including China, · Companies headquartered in the Heartland can remain competitive in the global economy by continuing to do business in and sell products to China. · The Heartland community and leaders have the resources to better understand and engage with China. · Heartland students can have the opportunities to develop a global mindset through learning about the Chinese language and culture. There are a lot of bridges to the world. Where bridges exist, communities flourish. USHCA has a bi-partisan network of many former governors, ambassadors, and local officials. USHCA works with them to build community connections. In 2020, in the depth of the pandemic, USHCA was one of the first NGOs that brought people from the US and China together via Zoom to talk about education, public health, and development programs that are in the best interest of the Heartland community. Min sees some hesitation on both sides. The Chinese side is worried about being locked up in a small black room in the customs office. The US side is worried about being held hostage in China. There is fear and the other side looks strange after no exchanges for three years.USHCA believes that bringing back exchanges is very important. It received support from the Ford Foundation and the Luce Foundation to promote Yangtze River and Mississippi River city-to-city exchange on energy transition, climate change, and green economy. Six mayors coming from five different states in the Heartland visited Hong Kong, Wuhan, Nanjing, Suzhou and Shanghai.Min said there are politicians whose mindset is shut. There are also elected officials who are curious and interested in learning. The communities have a role to play.Her presentation is available here: https://bit.ly/3HTc5Cu . Her talk is included in this partial summary of the February APA Justice monthly meeting: https://bit.ly/3uuhm0b Muscatine, Iowa, Celebrates Lunar New Year According to several local reports , Muscatine and China celebrate almost four decades of friendship with Lunar New Year Celebration on February 9, 2024.The events featured performances from Chinese students, videos documenting Muscatine and China’s shared history, and speeches from local, national, and international ambassadors.“There’s probably not all positive rapport with China from some leaders. But we just want to get more people here so they can see the people and see the traditions,” said Sarah Lande, one of the local diplomats on the state of current Chinese-American diplomatic relations. Terry Branstad , former Iowa Governor and US Ambassador to China, commented in the event, "I think the more people get to know each other... the more they gain friendship and trust in each other and that can be good for both of our countries... We are the two largest economies in the world... if we can find ways to get along and work together... it benefits the whole world." People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping visited Iowa and stayed with Sarah Lande's home in Muscatine back in 1985. He has remained friends with several Iowans since. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/02/13-15 Senior Executives Association Senior Executive Leadership Summit2024/02/13 WHI: Advancing Educational Equity for AA and NHPI Students2024/02/13 Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism 2024/02/27 President's Advisory Commission on AA and NHPIs Meeting and Solicitation for Oral and Written Comments2024/02/28 WHI: Community Engagement EventVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Asian American Identity: At the Intersection of Perpetual Foreigner and Pop Culture Trendsetter WHAT: Asian American Identity: At the Intersection of Perpetual Foreigner and Pop Culture Trendsetter WHEN: March 6, 2024, 4:00 pm Pacific Time/7:00 pm Eastern Time (90 minutes) WHERE: Virtual Workshop HOST: 1990 Institute SPEAKERS: · Neil Ruiz, Head of New Research Initiatives, Pew Research Center · Ziyao Tian, Research Associate, Pew Research Center · Jeff Yang, author, journalist, businessman (Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now) · Margaret Yee, education consultant DESCRIPTION: This virtual Workshop aims to foster dialogue for better understanding of different cultures and contribute to a more inclusive representation of our communities as Americans. While prepared for middle and secondary school educators who teach Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Studies and/or Ethnic Studies in mind, this Workshop is open to all. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/48lGsw1 Back View PDF February 14, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

AAJC and ALC have filed an amicus brief in United States v. Feng "Franklin" Tao, providing significant evidence of racial profiling against Asian American and immigrant scientists and researchers. August 20, 2020 AAJC Press Release On August 20, 2020, Advancing Justice – AAJC and Advancing Justice – ALC filed an amicus brief in United States v. Feng "Franklin" Tao (陶丰教授), providing significant evidence of racial profiling against Asian American and immigrant scientists and researchers. The two Asian American civil rights organizations submitted the brief in support of Dr. Feng “Franklin” Tao to show opposition to the government’s increased efforts to profile and target Chinese American scientists and researchers based on ethnicity under the pretext of ferreting out economic espionage. In United States v. Tao, Dr. Tao, a tenured engineering professor at the University of Kansas, is fighting criminal allegations for not disclosing to the University an alleged affiliation with a university in China. “Failure to disclose information on a university form is not economic espionage,” said John C. Yang, president and executive director of Advancing Justice – AAJC. “Xenophobia from leadership and agents within the U.S. government has translated to real consequences for the Chinese and Asian American community. Chinese scientists and researchers, like Dr. Tao, are caught in the Department of Justice’s broad net for prosecutions and sudden criminalization of minor infractions and we are deeply concerned with the pattern of misguided suspicion and racial discrimination we are seeing in these cases.” The government has been mounting a broad campaign scrutinizing and targeting Chinese American scientists and researchers through the China Initiative. Fueled by xenophobia, the China Initiative was adopted by the Department of Justice in 2018 for the purported purpose of combating economic espionage. The China Initiative is part of the latest wave of xenophobia against Chinese and Asian Americans and follows a long history of Asian Americans and immigrants being criminalized, stereotyped as “perpetual foreigners,” scapegoated, and profiled as spies disloyal to the United States. “The government needs to prosecute people who steal national security and trade secrets, but targeting people of Chinese descent for investigation without evidence of wrongdoing is not how to do that,” noted Glenn Katon, litigation director at Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus and former Department of Justice trial attorney. “Bringing dubious charges against people like Dr. Tao, for conduct the government would not have known or cared about but for the China Initiative, is discriminatory and a waste of resources.” We have seen a surge in prosecutions as the government increases pressure on academic institutions to criminalize previously administrative issues and federal agencies to increase prosecution efforts across the country. Data and individual cases of wrongful arrests and prosecutions along with biased rhetoric from public officials reveal that racial bias exists in the charging, prosecution, and sentencing of Chinese, Asian Americans, and immigrants. The amicus brief addresses the government’s broad campaign to scrutinize and target Chinese American scientists and researchers and discusses how the government’s xenophobic and overzealous prosecutions does real harm to the individual lives of Chinese and Asian Americans and immigrant communities. Read the brief here . AAJC and ALC have filed an amicus brief in United States v. Feng "Franklin" Tao, providing significant evidence of racial profiling against Asian American and immigrant scientists and researchers. Previous Next Two Asian American Civil Rights Organizations Submit Amicus Brief in United States v. Tao

Newsletter - #283 10/7 Meeting; Firsthand Accounts; Chinese American Survey; McCarthyism; Dr. Min Wu; + #283 10/7 Meeting; Firsthand Accounts; Chinese American Survey; McCarthyism; Dr. Min Wu; + In This Issue #283 · 2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Firsthand Accounts of the Harmful Effects of the China Initiative · C100 Unveils The 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey · Dr. Min Wu Recognized with Top Faculty Honor · McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, October 7, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , ExecutiveDirector, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed speakers are: · Grace Meng , Member, U.S. House of Representatives; First Vice-Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Gene Wu , Texas State Representative · Min Fan , Executive Director, U.S. Heartland China Association 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 . *****U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, where she represents New York's Sixth Congressional District. She returns to update us on the current state of Asian Pacific Americans.State Representative Gene Wu serves the people of District 137 in the Texas House. Rep. Gene Wu will urge the community to wake up to the threats of anti-Asian laws at the state and federal level. Min Fan introduced USHCA to us at the February 2024 monthly meeting. She returns to update us on an upcoming hybrid event "China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach" at the University of Kansas, the 4th Annual U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable in June, and related activities of USHCA. ***** Summary for the September 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted here: https://bit.ly/3zzWcjR . In addition to Nisha Ramachandran, Joanna YangQing Derman , and Gisela Perez Kusakawa who gave their updates about CAPAC, Advancing Justice | AAJC, and AASF respectively, we thank these invited speakers: · Christine Chen from APIAVote for her discussion to boost voter participation among AA and NHPI, and its efforts to intensify outreach through events, mailings, and phone banking while emphasizing early and mail-in voting, aiming to engage first-time voters, especially in battleground states. · Jane Shim from AALDEF for her discussion of the ongoing case of Dr. Yanping Chen , who is suing the government for leaking her personal information to Fox News , which falsely implied she was spying for China. AALDEF has filed an amicus brief supporting Dr. Chen’s privacy rights, emphasizing the harm caused by irresponsible media reporting and the need to protect Asian Americans from discrimination. · Sandy Shan from Justice Is Global led a discussion on a brief advocating for a progressive U.S.-China policy to replace the current confrontational approach, which fuels xenophobia and geopolitical tensions. Tori Bateman from the Quincy Institute proposes reforms to foster cooperation, address shared challenges, and promote global sustainability, especially during Congress's "China Week." Read past summaries of APA Justice monthly meetings at https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP Firsthand Accounts of the Harmful Effects of the China Initiative On September 25, 2024, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) posted a video (3:51) on X and Instagram, providing firsthand accounts of the harmful effects of the China Initiative, which "painted academics of Chinese descent as spies for the CCP, leading to the racial profiling and wrongful arrests of innocent researchers." Testimonies were made by Professors Gang Chen , Anming Hu , and Franklin Tao and Hong Peng , Professor Tao's wife. Watch the video on X: https://bit.ly/3zzfwxA and Instagram: https://bit.ly/4eeTHCH C100 Unveils The 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey On September 25, 2024, the Committee of 100 (C100) unveiled the findings of its 2024 State of Chinese Americans Survey. The survey was conducted to help address the insufficient data necessary to inform and address ongoing discrimination, stereotypes, and misperceptions about Chinese Americans, and the many gaps in knowledge that remain about Chinese Americans’ political attitudes and behaviors.“Understanding the mental health, discrimination and political perspectives of Chinese Americans is essential to create inclusive and informed policies,” said Cindy Tsai , Interim President, Committee of 100. “These insights not only enrich political dialogue but also foster a more equitable society."According to the survey, about three quarters of Chinese American citizens (76%) are certain they will turn out to vote in November’s presidential election. A little less than half of Chinese Americans (46%) identify as Democrats, 31% Republicans, and 24% Independents.Chinese Americans have been targeted in a surge of both popular and policy-driven racism over the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a wave of anti-Asian and anti-Chinese hate across the country that endures at an elevated level, causing lasting and severe financial, social, health, and emotional harm across the Asian American population.Chinese Americans also face discrimination from federal and state policies. Many were falsely accused of espionage under the auspices of the China Initiative, further extending racist stereotypes of the population as perpetual foreigners loyal to Chinese national interests. While the codified racism of the China Initiative formally ended in 2022, many states have recently passed legislation prohibiting U.S. residents with Chinese citizenship from owning property. The Washington Post reported that the survey showed that 68% of Chinese Americans said they face at least one form of discrimination in an average month, while 65% said they think the state of U.S.-China relations negatively impacts how other Americans treat them. The survey also asked about mental health, and 43% of Chinese Americans said they felt depressed. A large majority — 81 percent — of Chinese Americans said they are “at least a little concerned” about rhetoric used by presidential candidates when talking about China or U.S.-China relations, and 61 percent said U.S. news media rhetoric on the subject “negatively affects how strangers treat them,” Read the Washington Post report: https://wapo.st/3XXTUo9 The South China Morning Post reported that nearly six in 10 Chinese Americans reported hearing about legislative efforts by many states and the US Congress to limit individuals who hold Chinese citizenship from owning houses, farmland and other stateside property. Of those who had heard about the legislation, two thirds thought it had a negative effect on how others treated them.“We were surprised at the large percentage of responses when it came to issues of mental health and wellness and how the relationship with the US and China impacts how Chinese-Americans are feeling discriminated against,” said Sam Collitt , a research and data scientist with C100. “We know there are issues related to shame and language barriers that prevent discussions from taking place,” said Collitt, adding that overall Asian Americans were 60 per cent less likely to seek mental health services than other racial groups. Chinese Americans express high levels of concern about the state of U.S.-China relations, the likely sources of poor bilateral relations, and the downstream effects of domestic policy discrimination and discriminatory political rhetoric. Despite this, many Chinese Americans are cautiously optimistic about the ability of the U.S. and China to cooperate on a number of issues. They identified areas where Washington and Beijing could, at the margin, improve ties, including student exchanges and in fighting climate change and infectious diseases.A majority of respondents said being Chinese and being American were very important to their identity.Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4do9g9Y NBC News reported that 54% of Chinese Americans felt that the current relationship between the U.S. and China has had a “somewhat negative” impact on how those of Chinese descent are treated. Another 10% said the current environment had a “very negative” effect on the group. Only about 3% felt that current relations between the two countries had a positive impact on the community. Almost two-thirds think that such contentious relations can affect how other Americans treat them.“Rhetoric and language is impacting relationships with how strangers treat them, acquaintances even treat them, co-workers and colleagues,” said Nathan Chan , a co-author of the study and an assistant professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University. “This is really infiltrating into the lives of everyday Chinese Americans.” Professor Chan pointed to policies like the controversial Trump-era surveillance program the China Initiative and the former president’s language around economic espionage. The “rhetoric is not doing any good for a large swath of Chinese Americans that are then being scapegoated or held under a suspicious lens.” Jo-Ann Yoo , who heads New York City-based Asian American nonprofit Asian American Federation, said that too often, language used by media has been imprecise, leading to “sweeping generalizations” about the Chinese community. Yoo said the study’s results reflect discussions she has heard in the local community. Citing discussions around the land bans and the looming TikTok ban, which was signed into law earlier this year in an effort to combat Chinese influence, Yoo said those in the heavily immigrant community are unsure of their safety amid contentious relations.C100 partnered with NORC at the University of Chicago to reach a sample of 504 Chinese American adults for the survey. Gordon H. Chang , Professor, Stanford University; Daphne Kwok , Vice President, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP; and Jeremy Wu , PhD, Founder and Co-Organizer, APA Justice, serve on the Advisory Committee.Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/4doBjG2 Additional media reports:2024/09/25 AsAmNews: Belonging and discrimination weigh on Chinese Americans 2024/09/25 Bloomberg: Chinese Americans Face Racism, Mental Health Risks Amid Tensions 2024/09/25 AP: The Latest: Candidates try to counter criticisms in dueling speeches Read the C100 press release: https://bit.ly/47EQCcs , executive summary: https://bit.ly/3TIxPHG , and infographics: https://bit.ly/3N0fRfV Dr. Min Wu Recognized with Top Faculty Honor The University of Maryland (UMD) has selected Min Wu 吴旻 , Professor and Associate Dean of Engineering, as 2024 Distinguished University Professor—the highest appointment bestowed on a tenured faculty member. The title is a recognition not just of excellence, but of impact and significant contributions to the nominee’s field, knowledge, profession, and/or practice.According to the UMD announcement, Dr. Wu holds appointments in UMD’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, as well as leads the UMD Media, Analytics, and Security Team (MAST). She is a Fellow of the IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Wu was elected to serve as president of the IEEE Signal Processing Society for 2024–2025, the first woman of color to be elected to this leadership role.Read the UMD announcement: https://bit.ly/4exf4in McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee According to Wikipedia, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those organizations suspected of having communist ties. It became a standing (permanent) committee in 1946, and from 1969 onwards it was known as the House Committee on Internal Security. When the House abolished the committee in 1975, its functions were transferred to the House Judiciary Committee.The committee's anti-communist investigations are often associated with McCarthyism, although Joseph McCarthy himself (as a U.S. Senator) had no direct involvement with the House committee. McCarthy was the chairman of the Government Operations Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate, not the House.In the wake of the downfall of McCarthy, the prestige of HUAC began a gradual decline in the late 1950s. By 1959, the committee was being denounced by former President Harry S. Truman as the "most un-American thing in the country today".HUAC hearings in August 1966 called to investigate anti-Vietnam War activities were disrupted by hundreds of protesters. The committee faced witnesses who were openly defiant.According to The Harvard Crimson :"In the fifties, the most effective sanction was terror. Almost any publicity from HUAC meant the 'blacklist'. Without a chance to clear his name, a witness would suddenly find himself without friends and without a job. But it is not easy to see how in 1969, a HUAC blacklist could terrorize an SDS activist. Witnesses like Jerry Rubin have openly boasted of their contempt for American institutions. A subpoena from HUAC would be unlikely to scandalize Abbie Hoffman or his friends." In an attempt to reinvent itself, HUAC was renamed the Internal Security Committee in 1969. On January 14, 1975, coinciding with the opening of the 94th Congress, the House Committee on Internal Security was officially disbanded. Its files and staff were subsequently transferred to the House Judiciary Committee on the same day. In July 1995, the National Archives and Records Administration published the Records of The House Un-American Activities Committee, 1945-1969, and The House Internal Security Committee, 1969-1976, which is available online at https://bit.ly/4gGw7Aq .Read Wikipedia on the House Un-American Committee: https://bit.ly/3N23NL1 News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events:2024/10/02 C100: Asian American Career Ceiling Initiative2024/10/06 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/10/08 Media Training for Election Season2024/10/10 China in the Heartland: Building a Balanced Approach2024/10/11 China and the World Forum2024/10/13 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/16 Rebuilding Trust in Science2024/10/20 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/10/25-27 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the American Studies NetworkVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Delaware OKs Asian American Studies and new AAPI commission According to AsAmNews , Delaware Governor John Carney signed two bills into law on September 26, 2024, making his state the seventh in the nation to integrate Asian American and Pacific Islander history into k-12 schools along with all other American histories. The other establishes a statewide Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture. Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3TOaF2t 3. 2024 National Overview of AANHPI According to a Fact Sheet based on Census Bureau data created by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in collaboration with AAPI Data, the Asian American population was estimated to be around 24.2 million, including one race alone or in combination of other races. The top five ethnic groups are Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean. About 75% are native born or naturalized citizens. The top five most populous states are California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Washington. Read the WHIAAPINH Fact Sheet: https://bit.ly/3Nokq45 4. APA Justice Newsletter Web Page Moved to New Website As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletters webpage to https://www.apajusticetaskforce.org/newsletters . Content of the existing website will remain, but it will no longer be updated. We value your feedback about the new web page. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF September 30, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Wuyuan Lu 陆五元 Professor, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Former Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland Table of Contents Overview 2012 Institute of Human Virology Annual Report Links and References Overview According to Science on March 23, 2023, for decades, Chinese-born U.S. faculty members like Wuyuan Lu were celebrated for fostering collaborations with colleagues in China. These partnerships were viewed as enriching the scientific community, and universities proudly cited the benefits of their ties to the rising global power. But in late 2018, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when institutions began receiving emails from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), asking them to investigate whether their faculty had violated NIH policies by allegedly failing to disclose affiliations with Chinese institutions. This marked the beginning of a covert, wide-reaching investigation that would result in 103 scientists—many of them tenured faculty—losing their jobs within four years. [By June 2024, the number has increased to 112.] Dr. Lu, a tenured professor at the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology (IHV), was one of those caught in the crosshairs. In December 2018, he received an urgent email from a senior university research administrator, Dennis Paffrath, who cited concerns raised by the NIH about Dr. Lu's alleged failure to disclose outside research support and affiliations with Chinese universities. The NIH letter pointed to Dr. Lu’s connections with Xi’an Jiaotong University and Fudan University, alleging that his NIH-funded research overlapped with work being conducted in China. Confident that this was a misunderstanding, Dr. Lu responded swiftly. He explained that his collaborations in China were purely academic and that NIH funds were never used for work conducted overseas. He highlighted the intellectual contributions of Chinese students to his NIH-funded research at IHV, stating that the university had not only approved these partnerships but had publicly celebrated them. However, Dr. Lu's reassurances were met with silence for 15 months. When NIH finally responded, it demanded more documentation, asking for detailed descriptions of his research and even English and Chinese copies of contracts he had signed with Chinese institutions. Despite his efforts to comply, NIH remained unsatisfied. Lu felt the pressure mounting. Frustrated by the process and what he perceived as an unjustified witch hunt, Dr. Lu reached his breaking point. In August 2020, after years of uncertainty, he resigned from his tenured position at the University of Maryland. He relocated to China, where he now teaches at Fudan’s medical school in Shanghai. Looking back, Dr. Lu describes the NIH as acting like a “bully.” He felt that the investigation was a form of racial profiling, a symptom of the larger campaign to counter Chinese espionage, despite little evidence of wrongdoing. While the university never explicitly blamed him, Dr. Lu saw them as simply the middleman, caught between NIH's demands and their faculty. The once-celebrated scientist now viewed NIH’s actions as part of a larger trend of targeting Chinese-born academics, reflecting a dramatic shift in the U.S. scientific landscape, where collaboration with China had gone from a prized asset to a perceived liability. 2012 Institute of Human Virology Annual Report The 2012 University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology annual report highlighted Dr. Wuyuan Lu’s structural biology research associated with China. According to the report, “Dr. Wuyuan Lu has recently been tapped by Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU)—a prestigious academic institution in China—to help build a center for translational medicine in the ancient city of Xi’an as an extension of his ongoing biomedical research at IHV. The research center is affiliated with the School of Life Sciences and the Frontier Institute of Science and Technology of XJTU, and forms a strategic alliance with the University’s First Affiliated Hospital—the largest hospital in northwest China. The core mission of the center is to support biomedical research aimed at translating basic science discoveries into improved human health in the areas of cancer and infectious disease. “Dr. Lu regularly travels to Xi’an for strategic planning consultation that entails the building of the infrastructure of the center, recruitment of its principal investigators, development of curricula for graduate education, and establishment of a multidisciplinary research program. Discussions are also underway about how to launch a platform in Xi’an to foster close collaborations in basic and clinical research on HIV between the Institute of Human Virology and XJTU. Dr. Lu hopes that his stint in Xi’an will ultimately lead to frequent exchanges of basic scientists, clinicians and graduate students, sponsorship of joint research projects by the U.S. and China, and a greater role for the IHV in leading the global fight against HIV/AIDS. “The major goals of IHV’s research in the Laboratory of Chemical Protein Engineering (Lu laboratory) include deciphering the molecular basis of how proteins function, elucidating the structure and function relationships for and mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides, and developing novel antitumor and antiviral peptides for the treatment of cancer and infectious disease. “Structural biology has grown rapidly at IHV, including international expansion of Lu’s program…” Links and References University of Maryland, Baltimore County: Wuyuan Lu 2023/03/23 Science: Pall of Suspicion 2012 University of Maryland: Institute of Human Virology annual report Previous Item Next Item

Newsletter - #52 Science, NAS, APS, And AAU Voice Concerns; Actions On Anti-Asian Hate; AAUC Podcast #52 Science, NAS, APS, And AAU Voice Concerns; Actions On Anti-Asian Hate; AAUC Podcast Back View PDF April 2, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #111 Anming Hu; 2/7 Meeting; COMPETES Act; FBI/ODNI Accountability; UCI/UPenn/Yale Letters #111 Anming Hu; 2/7 Meeting; COMPETES Act; FBI/ODNI Accountability; UCI/UPenn/Yale Letters Back View PDF February 3, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #265 Meeting Summaries; OSTP Guidelines; Scientists Speak Up; CAPAC and AASF Updates; + #265 Meeting Summaries; OSTP Guidelines; Scientists Speak Up; CAPAC and AASF Updates; + In This Issue #265 · June and July 2024 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summaries Posted · Updates on OSTP Guidelines by Kei Koizumi · Observations and Remarks by Impacted Scientists · Updates from Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus · Updates from Asian American Scholar Forum · News and Activities for the Communities June and July 2024 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summaries Posted Summary for the June 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted here: https://bit.ly/45Zilni . Summary for the July 2024 APA Justice monthly meeting has been posted here: https://bit.ly/3Wc9NX0 . We extend our heartfelt thanks to the speakers who shared their valuable insights and reports during our monthly meetings, including regular speakers: · Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov · Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), gpkusakawa@aasforum.org and invited speakers and commentators: · Tam Dao , Assistant Vice President for Research Security, Office of Research Security, Rice University · Haipei Shue , President, United Chinese Americans · Anming Hu , Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville · Kei Koizumi , Principal Deputy Director for Science, Society, and Policy, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), The White House · Neal Lane , Senior Fellow, Baker Institute; Former Director of OSTP; Former Director, National Science Foundation · Xiaoxing Xi , Laura H. Carnell Professor of Physics, Temple University · Gang Chen , Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Karla Hagan , Senior Program Officer, Staff Director for National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,and Medicine Updates on OSTP Guidelines by Kei Koizumi In August 2021, the White House tasked OSTP with setting clear rules for research security and researcher responsibility. It charged OSTP with protecting America’s research security while ensuring policies do not fuel xenophobia or prejudice. As part of the OSTP effort, the NSF commissioned two studies by JASON, an independent group of scientists with unique expertise that advises the U.S. government on national security matters related to science and technology. · 2024/03/21 JASON Report: Safeguarding the Research Enterprise · 2021/08/10 White House: Clear Rules for Research Security and Researcher Responsibility o Protect America’s Security and Openness; Be Clear; Ensure Policies Do Not Fuel Xenophobia or Prejudice · 2019/12 JASON Report: Fundamental Research Security During the July 1 APA Justice monthly meeting, Kei Koizumi , Principal Deputy Director for Science, Society, and Policy, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), The White House, was hoping to share the final version of a research security standards document requested by Congress and outlined in a presidential memorandum. This document aims to provide universities and Federal research agencies with clear guidelines on running research security programs. Unfortunately, its release has been delayed.Kei remains hopeful that it will be released in the coming days, offering clarity to the Asian American research community and universities on how to maintain an open, international, collaborative research enterprise in the U.S. while protecting against foreign government exploitation.A key element of this document is the longstanding prohibition against actions that exacerbate anti-Asian bias or prejudice. Implementing the final guidance will be a collaborative effort for all of us. Meanwhile, Congress is considering legislation that would force the Department of Justice to reinstate the China Initiative. In addition, OSTP is reviewing proposals in draft intelligence and national defense bills that would prohibit citizens of certain countries, specifically the People's Republic of China, from visiting or working in Federal and national laboratories, regardless of their visa or visitor status.The administration will oppose this legislation, as it did with reinstating the China Initiative in last year’s Appropriations Bill.This is where our community must play defense against some harmful ideas circulating in Congress. With this being an election year, opposing bad legislation is even more challenging than usual.Kei is grateful that Dr. Neal Lane and a coalition hosted the FBI Forum and that the National Academies will soon complete its important work on research security through the Roundtable.Kei is also eager to hear from us, particularly at the state level. He is concerned about bills and laws in various states that restrict Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans, from buying property or impose extra screening to participate in academic environments at many state universities.Read Kei's comments in the July 1 monthly meeting summary: https://bit.ly/3Wc9NX0 . UPDATE: On July 9, 2024, the White House OSTP released Guidelines for Research Security Programs at Covered Institutions. The 10-page Guidelines is posted here: https://bit.ly/3xQgRzj . ".... federal research agencies should implement research security policies in a way that treats everyone equally under law, without xenophobia, prejudice, or discrimination, a principle reinforced by the CHIPS and Science Act. The law also requires that research security activities be carried out in a manner that does not target, stigmatize, or discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin," the Guidelines said. REMINDER: The National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable Capstone Workshop will be held on July 16-17, 2024, in Washington DC and virtually. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3z0PnY7 . Register to attend the workshop: https://bit.ly/3VirGle . Observations and Remarks by Impacted Scientists Professor Xiaoxing Xi is a naturalized American citizen who has lived and worked in the U.S. for 35 years. On May 21, 2015, the U.S. government charged Professor Xi for scheming to violate a non-disclosure agreement by sharing U.S. company technology with Chinese entities. Professor Xi committed no crime and was supported by affidavits from leading scientific experts, as well as one of the inventors of the U.S. company technology himself. On September 11, 2015, the government dropped all charges against Professor Xi without an apology or explanation. With support of ACLU, Professor Xi and his family filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. government in 2017. He is the recipient of the 2020 Andrei Sakharov Prize, a distinguished honor within both the human rights advocacy and scientific communities. Professor Xi joined the meeting from Europe, where he gave a slide presentation on his personal experiences as an impacted scientist. He recounted the traumatic events of May 2015, when armed FBI agents raided his home, held his wife and daughters at gunpoint, and arrested him for a crime he did not commit. This ordeal had a profound and lasting impact on his career and his family's lives, as well as on Professor Gang Chen and others who were also falsely charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ).Many of these cases were dropped, although it is rare for the DOJ to drop cases. In his presentation to the OSTP community briefing in January 2022, Professor Xi attributed the problem to policies that diminish the U.S.'s ability to attract talent and fuel xenophobia against Asian Americans. He highlighted that the FBI Director referred to Chinese scientists and academics as "non-traditional collectors," suggesting they act as spies without formal training on behalf of the Chinese Government. This term, used during Congressional testimonies, portrays anyone with connections to China as a “whole-of-society” threat to the U.S. Professor Xi believes this is the root cause of the cases targeting Chinese scientists.In the spirit of rebuilding trust with the FBI, as seen in the June 6 Forum in Houston, Professor Xi suggests that the FBI Director and leadership should publicly affirm that “ all Chinese scientists are not non-traditional collectors ” and should not label them as suspected spies. This is essential to restore trust.There have been persistent attempts to reinstate the China Initiative. As long as the assumption that Chinese scientists are suspected of espionage prevails, the China Initiative is still active, leading to more such activities.In February 2023, the DOJ established the Disruptive Technology Strike Force to enforce export control laws and investigate and prosecute criminal violations of these laws. As more institutions are added to the entity list, interactions with scientists from these institutions will increase. These Chinese institutions include the Institute of Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of Science and Technology, which are equivalent to Caltech and MIT in the U.S. In March 2023, Science Magazine asked the OSTP Director, Dr. Arati Prabhakar , if Chinese-born scientists working in the United States have been unfairly persecuted as agents of the Chinese Communist Party and are owed an apology from the government. Dr. Prabhakar responded, "I’m not in a position to comment on that. I don’t know enough about it." This response raised concerns about policymakers' commitment to addressing the plight of scientists. Dr. Prabhakar has since provided additional clarifications, and Science Magazine has updated its story.However, Dr. Prabhakar has repeatedly stated that "the world has changed." This statement gives Professor Xi a clear perspective on the direction of U.S. Government science policy, despite reports and recommendations from the scientific community on how to protect U.S. technology from China.For example, in September 2022, the National Academies released a report on Protecting U.S. Technological Advantage. It emphasized that in today’s interdependent, global innovation system, the greatest threat is the potential weakening of the U.S. innovation ecosystem. Protecting and strengthening this ecosystem is more important than protecting specific technologies, which can be ineffective and self-damaging.The innovative ecosystem requires openness and the ability of the U.S. to attract scientists from around the world.The 2024 JASON report also emphasizes openness and transparency. It advises the National Science Foundation (NSF) to adopt a dynamic approach for identifying potentially sensitive research topics as they arise, rather than maintaining a comprehensive list of sensitive areas. The NSF should proceed with caution before adding access or dissemination controls to grants or contracts. But that is not what the policy makers, including the White House, are doing. The CHIPS and Science Act includes provisions that prohibit Federal funding for participants in malign foreign talent recruitment programs sponsored by countries of concern, with a definition codified as 42 USC 19237 (4). This situation creates a chilling effect, where people, including Professor Xi, may avoid collaborating with scientists from China for fear of being considered part of a malign foreign talent recruitment program and being barred from Federal funding. In two February 2024 documents, OSTP provided guidelines on a long list of international collaborations not considered part of a foreign talent recruitment program, including memberships in the Royal Society, sabbaticals at University of Oxford or McGill University, and receiving the Nobel Prize. However, it did not clarify whether sabbaticals in China or memberships in the Chinese Academy of Sciences would be considered part of a malign foreign talent recruitment program. Professor Xi seeks clarification in the new OSTP guidelines expected to be released soon.Can a scientist collaborate with China? NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan stated in a post on X, “By working together with our international like-minded partners to strengthen and scale collaborations … we will supercharge powerful global innovation ecosystems.”So, openness has conditions. While we want openness and collaboration with like-minded partners, this does not extend to people from countries of concern. The Deputy Secretary of State recently expressed a desire to see more Chinese students studying humanities and social sciences in the U.S., but not particle physics. He suggested that students from India could fill the gap in science studies.The message from policymakers is clear: no collaboration with scientists in China and no Chinese students in STEM. This stance contradicts the recommendations of the National Academies report and the JASON report.A possible explanation is the OSTP Director’s response to Science Magazine: "The world has changed." The U.S. and China, once at peace, are now at war. These conflicts include trade wars and geopolitical wars in technology, which have been ongoing and could escalate to military wars. During the last major conflict with an Asian country, the U.S. government interned 120,000 Japanese persons. We are now at war with China. We are now at risk of similar internment. Labeling all Chinese scientists as suspected spies is akin to suggesting that Japanese Americans during WWII signaled incoming warplanes from Japan. This underscores the importance of ongoing efforts by allies in OSTP, the scientific community, and interactions with the FBI, CAPAC, and Congress to push back and prevent a repeat of such internment. Persistent mistrust and xenophobia against Chinese and Asian American scientists are fueled by policies and rhetoric that unfairly label them as spies. Professor Xi calls for a change in these policies, advocating for a more inclusive and supportive environment that values the contributions of all scientists, regardless of their ethnic background, as the scientific community has already recommended.In conclusion, Professor Xi underscored the importance of openness and international collaboration in maintaining the United States' leadership in science and technology. He criticized restrictive policies that hinder collaboration with scientists from China and warned against the long-term damage such policies could cause to the nation's innovation ecosystem. Professor Xi’s presentation is posted at https://bit.ly/3W3SN5f . His remarks are included in the July meeting summary: https://bit.ly/3Wc9NX0 . ***** Gang Chen , Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joined the meeting from Taiwan, expressing his gratitude to Professor Xi for his courage in speaking out and to Kei Koizumi and Neal Lane for their insightful comments. Professor Chen, himself a victim of the misguided China Initiative, finds it disheartening to witness persistent efforts to reinstate the initiative, whether under its original name or disguised under a different one. He emphasized the findings of the National Academies report, which highlighted that the greatest threat to the U.S. is the weakening of its innovation ecosystem. The China Initiative and similar U.S. policies have driven away many talented individuals, diminishing the country's appeal not only to researchers of Chinese origin but to scientists in general. The CHIPS and Science Act's definition of a malign foreign talent program is so broad that it could potentially label many CEOs of major U.S. companies as participants in such programs. There is widespread uncertainty about how these rules will be applied, but those in academia feel particularly targeted. Many are afraid to attend conferences or give seminars in China. Universities share this fear as well. A faculty member recounted to Professor Chen that during a visit to his family in China, he asked a University Security Officer if he could meet his colleagues and friends at a local university. The officer suggested holding the meeting off-campus, highlighting the tense atmosphere. Such policies are detrimental to scientific exchange and ultimately harm the U.S. innovation ecosystem. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, has been tracking new researchers by country every year. Before 2018, the U.S. consistently gained new researchers each year, with over 2,000 new researchers in 2018 alone. However, since then, the trend has reversed, and by 2021, the U.S. experienced a net loss of new researchers. This trend is strong evidence of the damaging effect of the China Initiative. Professor Chen's remarks are included in the July meeting summary: https://bit.ly/3Wc9NX0 . Updates from Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus During the June APA Justice monthly meeting, Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), reported that May, the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, was likely the busiest month of the year for CAPAC. She was pleased to have met many of us during this time.Congress is gearing up for a busy legislative summer, particularly in the House. The Agriculture Committee has begun the mark-up of the next Farm Bill. The appropriations process is also underway, moving towards mark-ups after members submitted their priorities. In addition, the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is in progress.CAPAC is closely monitoring civil rights issues for Asian Americans, especially regarding research security and land and property ownership. There are efforts to reinstate the China Initiative, which CAPAC is actively tracking. Nisha encouraged everyone to stay vigilant and collaborate with CAPAC members on these issues across various committees. She expressed special thanks to Asian American Scholar Forum and Advancing Justice | AAJC for their partnerships.Nisha also mentioned a Bloomberg article about students being turned away at Dulles Airport and other ports of entry, highlighting this growing issue. CAPAC is tracking these developments and needs the community’s support to balance all interests.Finally, June is National Immigrant Heritage Month, and CAPAC will be uplifting immigrant stories throughout the month.As Nisha was about to provide an update from CAPAC during the July monthly meeting, she was called away. Casey Lee , Policy Director for CAPAC, stepped in to report on a critical issue closely monitored by CAPAC. The Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2025 underwent its subcommittee markup. According to the Appropriations Committee’s press release, the China Initiative is included once again in the accompanying report language for the bill. The legislative process will proceed to a full committee markup, scheduled for July 9. CAPAC, along with many of our champions such as Rep. Grace Meng , will ensure it is monitored very closely.We are once again witnessing an attempt to revive the China Initiative in Congress. CAPAC will continue to oppose this effort. Casey encouraged the community to reach out to CAPAC with any questions and expressed appreciation for the advocacy and voices present at the monthly meeting. Updates from Asian American Scholar Forum During the July APA Justice monthly meeting, Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), highlighted the ongoing engagement of AASF with the White House, Congress (particularly CAPAC), and various Federal agencies, emphasizing the contributions of Asian American scholars to American society. This engagement has garnered nearly 400 million potential views through its news coverage. AASF's top priority is ensuring that issues facing Asian American scholars remain at the forefront for national leaders.Not all AASF activities are publicly visible; some occur behind closed doors, such as roundtable discussions with the National Science Foundation and university leaders. These efforts include a briefing to the Department of Homeland Security Subcommittee on Foreign Malign Influence in Higher Education, contributing to their recent subcommittee report. AASF anticipates another significant effort with Federal agencies will soon be made public.AASF consistently recommends greater transparency, clarity, and ongoing feedback from the Asian American scholar community to Federal agencies. Their efforts aim to change perspectives within the Federal government, media, and public while also building a community. AASF aims to establish a permanent non-profit organization to protect the rights of Asian American scholars and celebrate their excellence and contributions.On July 27, 2024, AASF will co-host the inaugural Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony with Stanford University. This public event will also feature roundtables and listening sessions with Federal government representatives on July 28. Distinguished speakers, including Nobel Laureates Steven Chu and Randy Shekman , Turing Award Laureate Raj Reddy , former Stanford President John Hennessy , and industry leader Eric Yuan , will participate. CAPAC Chair Judy Chu will open the Symposium and ceremony. Register for the Symposium and Ceremony here: https://bit.ly/3XLApPN . In addition, AASF is co-hosting a Presidential Town Hall with APIAVote and other partners in Philadelphia on July 13, ahead of the upcoming November elections. The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act on June 14, which includes provisions related to research security, potentially restricting collaboration for researchers and universities receiving Department of Defense (DOD) funding. AASF will focus on the conferencing stage as the Senate considers its version of the bill next.Regarding the Appropriations Bill, AASF is leading efforts with nearly 50 organizations, including APA Justice, to oppose restrictive language in this must-pass bill. They will closely monitor the July 9 markup session. AASF is also promoting the Youth Ambassador Science Video Competition, encouraging participation to highlight the involvement of the next generation in their efforts. Visit the AASF website and subscribe to the AASF newsletter at AASF .Gisela reported on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and AASF's commitment to ensuring that Asian American scholars have a voice by monitoring the bill and gathering feedback from AASF members and the Asian American scholar community on issues like research security. AASF is keeping a close eye on HR 1398, the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from the CCP Act, which attempts to revive the China Initiative and increase scrutiny of the scholar community. AASF plans to make a strong statement highlighting the exhaustive attempts by the House to reinstate the China Initiative, emphasizing the need for Congressional members to reconsider these efforts. This is crucial for the Asian American scholar community and the country, which benefits from the contributions of immigrant talent in science and technology. Gisela can be reached at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/07/11-12 National AAPI Leadership Summit2024/07/13 APIAVote: Presidential Town Hall, Philadelphia PA2024/07/15 APIAVote: RNC Convention, AAPI Briefing &Reception, Milwaukee, WI2024/07/16-17 National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable - Capstone2024/07/17 C100 Career Ceiling Summit: Creating a Level Playing Field2024/07/25-28 Leadership Convention by NAAAP (National Association of Asian American Professionals) 2024/07/27-28 Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and CeremonyThe Community Calendar has moved. Visit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. Committee of 100 Career Ceilings Summit: Creating a Level Playing Field WHAT: Committee of 100 Career Ceilings Summit: Creating a Level Playing Field WHEN: July 17, 2024, 11:00 am - 2 pm ET WHERE: Webcast HOST: Committee of 100 MODERATOR: Peter Young , Chair of the Initiative and Committee of 100 Member DESCRIPTION: · 11:10 am ET: Fireside Chat ( Ngan Nguyen , Senior Vice President, Global Diversity & Talent Management, Citi) and Open Discussion: “The Future of DEI: Can it Pivot?” · 12: 30 pm ET: Keynote Speech: “Lessons Learned” ( Cecilia Stanton Adams , CEO of The Diversity Institute) · 1:00 pm ET: Town Hall Discussion: “Breaking Through Career Ceilings: Choices and Solutions” ( Adrian Kwok , Associate Partner, McKinsey, Co-Head of the Asian DEI Group and Frank Wu , President, Queens College, Leading expert on Asian American Career Ceilings) REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3WgevmT 3. New Book: "The War for Chinese Talent in America" A new book authored by Dr. David Zweig , has just been released with the title of "The War for Chinese Talent in America: The Politics of Technology and Knowledge in Sino-U.S. Relations."Dr. Zweig is Professor Emeritus, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Distinguished Visiting Professor of Taipei School of Economics and Political Science, National Tsinghua University, Taiwan, and Vice-President of the Center for China and Globalization (Beijing). He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard in 1984-85. For 15 years, he directed the Center on China’s Transnational Relations at HKUST.To overcome their “brain drain,” some developing countries employ the “Diaspora Option,” encouraging their overseas nationals to use the knowledge they gained abroad to help their motherland. Since the mid-1990s, China’s party/state has vigorously used an extensive array of programs and incentives to persuade ethnic Chinese living in America to transfer their technological knowhow back home. Many Chinese working abroad facilitated this flow, some to strengthen their former homeland, others from self-interest. In 2018, the Trump Administration declared war on these efforts. Employing a McCarthy-like campaign called the “China Initiative,” the government investigated Chinese scientists across the U.S. Many individuals were arrested, only to have their cases dropped. Still, hundreds had their research disrupted or lost their jobs. This book documents China’s ‘no-holds-barred’ effort to access U.S. technology and America’s vigorous counterattack and its efforts to disrupt the transfer of U.S. technology to China. Six case studies include stories of unknown victims of that campaign whose cases were never made public. It highlights how the war has undermined Sino-American scientific collaboration and triggered the outflow of some top Chinese talent from America and back to China.For more information and to order the book, visit: https://bit.ly/45ZqFDz 4. New Book Chapter: "New Red Scare - The China Initiative" A chapter titled "New Red Scare - The China Initiative," authored by Steven Pei , Jeremy Wu , and Alex Liang , has just been released in the book "Communicated Stereotypes at Work."Steven Pei is an electrical engineering professor at the University of Houston. He is also Founding Chair of United Chinese Americans and a co-organizer of the APA Justice Task Force. Jeremy Wu retired from the U.S. federal government, He is Founder and Co-Organizer of the APA Justice Task Force, a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a Member of the Committee of 100. Alex Liang was Fox International Fellow at the Australian National University. He is a second-year student at Harvard Law School.The FBI has a long history of surveillance of ethnic Chinese scientists in the U.S. McCarthyism, the Economic Espionage Act, and more recently the China Initiative were initiatives adversely impacting Chinese and Chinese Americans living in the United States. The cases of Qian Xuesen , Wen Ho Lee , Sherry Chen , and Xiaoxing Xi were the precursors and indicators of an implicit and explicit bias against Asian Americans questioning their “loyalty” to the United States. Why is it that time and again Chinese Americans are falsely accused of being spies for China? The stereotypes of Asian and Chinese scientists as “disloyal” stem from the perpetual foreigner trope. The key here is that most of them were U.S. citizens. They are as much an American as any other American, yet their “loyalty” is perceived as less trustworthy. This stereotype has harmful, life-altering consequences for them and their families.For more information and to order the book, visit: https://bit.ly/4c7v61x 5. Erratum On July 8, 2024, APA Justice newsletter Issue #264 misspelled the name of the President of the National Academy of Sciences. It should be Marcia McNutt . The corrected newsletter is posted here: https://bit.ly/4eWRZXa Back View PDF July 11, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #169 03/06 Meeting; "China Initiative"; Texas SB 147+; Racist Attacks; AA Leadership; News #169 03/06 Meeting; "China Initiative"; Texas SB 147+; Racist Attacks; AA Leadership; News In This Issue #169 2023/03/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting One Year After the End of the "China Initiative" Updates on Texas Senate Bill 147 and Opposition to Revival of Alien Land Laws Racist and McCarthyist Attacks on Rep. Judy Chu and Dominic Ng Condemned Building a Sustainable Platform and Pipeline for AAPI Leadership in Higher Education Asian American Community News and Activities 2023/03/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, March 6, 2023. Confirmed speakers include: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), to provide updates on the latest developments and activities of CAPAC John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC to provide updates on the Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program and related Activities Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum, to provide updates on AASF activities Peter Toren , Attorney and Member of Sherry Chen Legal Team, to be recognized and share his reflections on the Sherry Chen case Steven Pei 白先慎 , Co-organizer, APA Justice, to provide updates on Texas Senate bills, webinars, and opposition to discriminatory land laws Grace Meng 孟昭文 , Member, U.S. Congress and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, to remark on the latest developments and legislation for the Asian American community Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , New York Police Department, and John Carman , Attorney, to share Angwang's story of injustice as another victim of racial profiling under the "China Initiative" 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 . Read past monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP . One Year After the End of the "China Initiative" 1. Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺. One year has passed since the end of the "China Initiative," but the damages inflicted on impacted innocent persons continue. Hear the story of a New York police officer, an Afghanistan veteran, and an Army reservist, who became yet another victim of the "China Initiative." His case was finally dismissed in January 2023. After an ordeal of two and a half years, he has yet to return to the New York Police Department. What does he want the public to know and learn from his experience? Where does he go from here? Angwang will tell his story with his attorney John Carman in the March 6, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting. Read more about Angwang's story at https://bit.ly/3RIqXId 2. Nature Report. According to the Nature report on February 24, 2023, anti-Asian scrutiny has only intensified since the controversial "China Initiative" ended one year ago. Scientists of Chinese heritage say that they are still being targeted unfairly and fear for their safety.¶ While the "China Initiative" was active, more than 150 people were criminally charged for actions such as failing to disclose funding or partnerships with institutions in China.¶ Nearly 90% of them were of Chinese heritage. Many of the charges brought by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) after the initiative’s launch in 2018 were eventually dropped or dismissed, and some prosecutions ended in acquittal.¶ The climate of fear and anxiety hasn’t gone away — researchers are just being pressured in a new way, says Jenny Lee. ¶ Since the initiative’s official shutdown, the US government has adopted various anti-China policies. And although the DOJ is pursuing fewer criminal charges, it says that it will work increasingly with federal agencies to investigate researchers and issue civil and administrative penalties for noncompliance. Universities are also taking a more active role in assisting investigations and pursuing potential wrongdoing, sources tell Nature .¶ “I’m sorry to say that it has only intensified,” says MIT professor Gang Chen 陈刚 , He and others who have had their lives upended by the initiative have been speaking out about the damage that it has done.¶ According to the San Diego Union-Tribune in December 2022, Xiang-Dong Fu , a molecular biologist at the University of California, San Diego, was forced to quit his position after the university accused him of hiding ties to China.¶ According to Toby Smith , US institutions acknowledge the considerable research contributions from these scientists. Universities are working to ensure that all faculty members are disclosing information properly. But he calls on US funding agencies to provide greater clarity for universities on what counts as an offense and what are appropriate and fair sanctions.¶ The end of the "China Initiative" gave the illusion that researchers of Chinese heritage would be targeted less, Jenny Lee says, but “the chilling effect” is “still very much at play.”¶ Researchers unjustly accused under the "China Initiative" and now rebuilding their lives and careers are emblematic of this situation. Scrutiny of researchers of Chinese heritage had begun years earlier than the launch of the "China Initiative." Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 was accused of passing information to scientists in China about restricted technology in 2015. The DOJ eventually dropped the charges. “I am afraid of doing any research,” he says. “We always live in fear.”¶ Anming Hu 胡安明 , a nanotechnology researcher at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, who was indicted for hiding ties with China in 2020 and put under house arrest for more than a year before being acquitted, is also trying to get his research back on track. He has spent the past year rebuilding his lab, but has had trouble securing any funding.¶ Read the Nature report: https://go.nature.com/3kveefx Updates on Texas Senate Bill 147 and Opposition to Revival of Alien Land Laws 1. Second Webinar: Historical Re-Hash - Alien Land Law and SB147 WHAT: Webinar titled "Historical Re-Hash - Alien Land Laws and SB147" WHEN: Friday, March 1, 2023, starting at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT WHO: Moderator: Janelle Wong, Professor of American Studies, University of Maryland Panelists: Gene Wu 吳元之, Attorney and Texas State Representative Madeline Hsu, Professor of History and Asian American Studies, University of Texas at Austin Carol Suzuki, Professor of Law, School of Law, University of New Mexico at Albuquerque Opening Remarks: Ted Gong , Executive Director of the 1882 FoundationRegister for this webinar at http://bit.ly/3Id2uGp 2. Joint Statement in Opposition to Texas SB 147. On February 17, 2023, the Asian American Bar Association of Houston (AABA Houston), the Austin Asian American Bar Association (Austin AABA), the Dallas Asian American Bar Association (DAABA), and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) issued a joint statement to strongly oppose the provisions of Texas Senate Bill 147 that prohibit individuals from owning land, buying homes, or establishing businesses in Texas based on their family's country of migration.¶ Read the joint statement: https://bit.ly/3EG7YZl 3 . SB 147 Panel: A Reprisal of Alien Land Laws? On March 2, 2023, the American Constitution Society (ACS) will host an event to discuss proposed Texas Senate Bill 147. Panelists will discuss the Federal and State constitutionality of the proposed bill, its mirroring of bigoted Alien Land Laws that banned Asian immigrants from owning property and establishing businesses, and the overall policy implications of this bill on our immigrant communities. The event is co-sponsored with: ACS DFW Lawyer Chapter, NAPABA, DAABA, AABA Houston, SMU APALSA, SMU ACS, SMU FedSoc. WHEN: Thursday, March 2, 2023, 12:30pm CT WHERE: Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law | Karcher Auditorium, 3315 Daniel Ave, Dallas, Texas 75205 WHO: Panelists: Rep. Salman Bhojani , Texas State Representative District 92 Rep. Gene Wu 吳元之, Texas State Representative District 137 Leo Yu , Clinical Professor of Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy and ACS Faculty Advisor, SMU Dedman School of Law Moderator: Kristine Cruz , Associate, Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP; Co-Chair, ACS Dallas-Ft. Worth Lawyer Chapter; President-Elect, Dallas Asian American Bar AssociationRegister for the hybrid in-person and Zoom event at: http://bit.ly/3Z28id0 4. Media Reports MSNBC . According to a MSNBC report on February 25, 2023, a bill introduced in December 2022 is picking up steam in the Texas Senate. SB 147 would make it illegal for Chinese citizens to buy any property in the state of Texas, including home purchases. Ling Luo 罗玲 , founder and chair of the Asian Americans Leadership Council, stops by "The Katie Phang Show" to discuss the bill. Watch the MSNBC video: https://on.msnbc.com/3SvK9Jo (4:42) San Francisco Standard . According to a report by the San Francisco Standard on February 23, 2023, Nick Gee, a staff member of Chinese for Affirmative Action, flew from San Francisco to his hometown of Houston to join the local protests against Texas SB 147.¶ Texas SB 147 has sent a shock wave through Chinese American communities nationwide, sparking new debate on the anti-China rhetoric, anti-Chinese racism in politics and the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype. In response, a coalition of Chinese Americans from across the country are banding together to voice their opposition.¶ Peter Kuo , the vice chairman of the California Republican Party, said he was disheartened by the proposed bill. “It actually harnesses a lot of negative energies or negative prejudice against the Chinese Americans who are already here,” said Kuo. He said the bill’s language would increase anti-Asian sentiment and turn Asians into scapegoats. Read the San Francisco Standard report: http://bit.ly/3KAcVXs Washington Post. According to a report by Washington Post on February 22, 2023, a growing number of state legislators and members of Congress are offering a master class in how not to confront China by supporting indiscriminate crackdowns on Chinese citizens and companies seeking to purchase U.S. land.¶ Bills like SB 147 evoke a long and painful history. In the past, the desire to ensure U.S. national security has often been expressed in ways that excused or justified hatred against Asians. In turn, racist anxieties about people of Asian descent have played a key role in shaping the development of national security policy.¶ Revisiting the long history of anti-Asian behavior in the United States makes clear the inherent dangers of today’s assaults. Read the Washington Post article: https://wapo.st/3Z3ZpzI Racist and McCarthyist Attacks on Rep. Judy Chu and Dominic Ng Condemned 1. Mediaite.com . According to a report by Mediaite.com on February 24, 2023, top House Democrats slammed Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) over the Republican’s comments on Fox News earlier in the week in which he said he questions Rep. Judy Chu’s 赵美心 ( D-CA) “loyalty or competence.”¶ Gooden made the remarks in response to Fox News host Jesse Watters asking if he believed “Congresswoman Chu should be looked into?”¶ House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also released a statement lambasting Gooden. “Lance Gooden’s slanderous accusation of disloyalty against Rep. Chu is dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic.”¶ Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm, also released a statement: "At a time when anti-Asian hate continues to threaten communities, it’s critical that we condemn these racist and xenophobic attacks immediately and hold our fellow colleagues accountable to rid our politics of such dangerous statements and hatred." Read the Mediaite.com report: http://bit.ly/3ZnnfpN 2 . Congressional Black Caucus. On February 24, 2023, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) issued the following statement: "Last night, Rep. Lance Gordon appeared on Fox News and questioned the loyalty of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chairwoman Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , indicating that she should be stripped of her security clearance simply because of her Chinese ethnicity. To be clear, a person's ethnicity is not indicative of their trustworthiness or loyalty to this country and to suggest otherwise is inflammatory as a nation of immigrants. The CBC stands with CAPAC in denouncing Rep. Gooden's racist and xenophobic remarks, and we urge Republican House leadership to follow suit and take action." 3. United Chinese Americans (UCA). On February 26, 2023, UCA issued a statement. "United Chinese Americans (UCA) strongly condemns the recent racist and offensive remarks made by Texas Representative Lance Gooden against Representative Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and a highly respected leader in Chinese American and AAPI communities. His baseless comments questioning Representative Chu's loyalty to the United States are McCarthyist, racist, and shameful."¶ "It is no less disturbing and shameful to accuse Dominic Ng 吴建民 , a highly respected Chinese American business and community leader, and President Biden’s pick to represent the United States on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2023, of treason to America, based on flimsy and unsubstantiated evidence." Read the UCA statement: https://bit.ly/3kBl0An 4 . AP News Report. According to an AP News report on February 26, 2023, the leaders of a new House select committee on China defended Democratic Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , saying it was abhorrent and unacceptable for a GOP lawmaker to question her loyalty to the United States based on her Chinese heritage.¶ “One of my colleagues, unfortunately, attacked Judy Chu, the first Chinese American congresswoman in the United States Congress, saying that somehow she’s not loyal to the United States. I find that offensive as an Asian American myself,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi , the ranking Democrat on the panel, about the comments last week from Rep. Lance Gooden .¶ Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher , the Republican chair of the China panel who appeared with Krishnamoorthi on CBS ’ “Face the Nation,” said Gooden was out of line. “We should not question anybody’s loyalty to the United States,” Gallagher said. “That is out of bounds. It’s beyond the pale.” Gallagher said his bipartisan committee, which is officially called the “Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party” was named as such “to constantly make that distinction between the party and the people.” “We must constantly be aware of going overboard as we try and win this competition with China,” he said. Read the AP News report: http://bit.ly/3IwLhI5 More Media Reports Politico. According to a Politico report on February 26, 2023, “One of my colleagues, unfortunately, attacked Judy Chu 赵美心 , the first Chinese American Congresswoman in the United States Congress, saying that somehow she’s not loyal to the United States. I find that offensive as an Asian American myself,” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said of criticism last week of the California Democrat by Rep. Lance Gooden .¶ Joining Krishnamoorthi on CBS ’ “Face the Nation,” Rep. Mike Gallagher agreed with him: “We should not question anybody’s loyalty to the United States. I think that is out of bounds.” “Absolutely, we shouldn’t question anybody’s loyalty,” Gallagher added.¶ Host Margaret Brennan asked Gallagher how the American people can be sure the panel doesn’t end up as being seen as persecuting people, as in the 1950s loyalty hearings led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.).¶ “Joseph McCarthy’s from my district, he’s buried in my district; we need not exhume his body and reanimate it,” Gallagher said, adding: “We must constantly be aware of going overboard as we try and win this competition with China.”¶ Read the Politico report: https://politi.co/3KBOxVn 2023/02/27 CBS News. "House China panel leaders denounce heritage-based attack on Rep. Judy Chu." https://cbsn.ws/3SEe4iz 2023/02/27 Salon. House Democrats rip MAGA Republican for 'blatantly racist' attack on Rep. Judy Chu." http://bit.ly/3Zvv9xz 2023/02/27 NBC News. " House China panel leaders defend Rep. Judy Chu after Texas Republican's attack." https://bit.ly/3xWLqjd 2023/02/25 Los Angeles Times. "GOP congressman questions her ‘loyalty.’ Rep. Judy Chu, House Democrats blast ‘racist’ rhetoric:" https://lat.ms/3ktyMVV . 2023/02/25 Business Insider. "Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, blasts a Texas GOP congressman after he questioned her loyalty to the US: 'It is racist'." http://bit.ly/3xXleoA 2023/02/25 Vanity Fair. "Democrats Denounce Rep. Lance Gooden for Questioning The 'Loyalty' of Rep. Judy Chu Following Rumors of Ties to China's Communist Party." http://bit.ly/41uG1xr 2023/02/24 The Hill. "Democrats erupt with fury after Republican questions ‘loyalty’ of Rep. Chu." http://bit.ly/3Y4rYvx 2023/02/24 Washington Post. "Democrats defend Rep. Chu against ‘xenophobic’ accusations of disloyalty to U.S." https://wapo.st/3Z6miCs . Building a Sustainable Platform and Pipeline for AAPI Leadership in Higher Education Register for this workshop webinar: http://bit.ly/3xPv6Rj Chang-Lin Tien Leadership in Education Award. Know an academically accomplished AAPI leader in Higher Education? Nominate them to the Asian Pacific Fund for the 2023 Chang-Lin Tien Leadership in Education Award! Deadline MARCH 3, 2023. For eligibility criteria and more information, go to: https://bit.ly/TienAward Asian American and Scientific Community News and Activities 1. Workshop on Asian American Trailblazers in Civil Rights. On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the 1990 Institute and the Alice Fong Yu Alternative School invite middle and high school teachers to learn more about the Asian Americans who fought for civil rights that benefited all who call America home. By 2025, a majority of states will have requirements in place for Asian American and Pacific Islander studies be taught in school. This multifaceted event will highlight Asian American pioneers and the pivotal court cases that have changed the landscape of U.S. civil rights, including the U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) that established the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. The 125th anniversary of this landmark case is on March 28, 2023. Register for the event: http://bit.ly/3ZpBLgN 2. MIT Technology Review. According to a report by MIT Technology Review on February 20, 2023, Citizen, a hyperlocal app that allows users to report and follow notifications of nearby crimes, is trying to remake itself by recruiting elderly Asians.¶ Read the MIT Technology Review Report: http://bit.ly/3xVWmgZ Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF February 28, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

The University of North Texas has suddenly ended its relationship with visiting scholars receiving funding from China. August 26, 2020 On August 26, 2020, the University of North Texas (UNT) announced that it has ended "its relationship with visiting scholars who receive funding from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC, also known as the Chinese Scholarship Fund)." Access to UNT email, servers, and other materials, as well as the J-1 program under the U.S. Exchange Visit Program, were terminated immediately. In essence, the action expelled these scholars from the United States. On August 31, 2020, Ling-Chi Wang, Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley, wrote a letter to UNT to express "shock and profound concern" over the sudden expulsion of students from the university and the U.S. "In the absence of any legitimate explanation, the expulsion appears to be national origin-based and possibly racially and politically motivated, an action explicitly prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964," Professor Wang wrote in the letter. On the same day, retired Julie Tang also wrote to UNT to protest the expulsion of Chinese students . "Their summary removal from the College appears to be a serious violation of their constitutional rights to equal protection and due process of the law under the 14th Amendment," Judge Tang said in the letter. UNT President Neal Smatresk had issued a statement on " Moving Forward and Living Our Values as a Diverse, Inclusive Community " on June 17, 2020. "I am steadfastly committed to celebrating our diversity and working toward the changes necessary for our university to lead in the fight against racism and bias so that each and every individual feels like a valued member of our Mean Green family," the statement said. A concerned individual has also sent a protest message to UNT President Smatresk, pointing out that the purge of Chinese scholars is not based on misbehavior but on the source of their funding assistance. The UNT letter is a "get-out-of-Dodge" letter from the "Sheriff" with no pretense of due process. " It is a resurrection of the shameful Chinese Exclusion Acts of the past." On September 3, 2020, the petition to " Take back the decision to end the relationship with the Chinese scholars who fund by CSC " has gathered morfe than 6,000 signatures. It has been reported that UNT expelled 15 Chinese government-backed scholars. It is unknown at this time whether the expulsion is a unilateral decision made by UNT, how many other higher education institutions have taken similar action on their own, or an implemenation of a government policy. Available evidence suggests that it may be related to a 2020/08/18 letter from a State Department official. The University of North Texas has suddenly ended its relationship with visiting scholars receiving funding from China. Previous Next Another Purge of Scholars from China?

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