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Newsletter - #123 NBC Report; Summary to OSTP; Jury Verdict on Tao; CI Cases Update; COMPETES Conference #123 NBC Report; Summary to OSTP; Jury Verdict on Tao; CI Cases Update; COMPETES Conference Back View PDF April 8, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

[object Object] 1rmxaiqtkjBe-1mkcEb5lsgq0KH13kH3dULOVxY8O3Vk copy-of-20260824-aasf-2026-frontier-pioneer-symposium AASF 2026 Frontier & Pioneer Symposium - test The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), in partnership with Stanford University's Asian American Research Center, convened its 2026 Frontier & Pioneer Symposium from August 7–9 at Stanford — a three-day gathering that drew over 2,000 registrants and nearly 90 speakers, moderators, and session leaders, marking AASF's fifth anniversary and third annual symposium. It honored scientific pioneers amid a turbulent year for science and research. Three-Day Program The program opened August 7 with the Frontier Symposium, continued August 8 with the Pioneer Symposium & Ceremony, and closed August 9 with a Policy Forum held in partnership with the Hoover Institution's program on the U.S., China, and the World. Featured speakers included Nobel laureates Steven Chu 朱棣文 , Syukuro Manabe , Randy W. Schekman , Samuel C. C. Ting 丁肇中 , and Carl Wieman ; Fields Medalist Terence Tao 陶哲轩 ; AI pioneers Jeff Dean and Fei-Fei Li 李飞飞 ; National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae King Liu 劉金智潔 ; former NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan ; and former OMB Deputy Director Nani A. Coloretti , among many others from academia, industry, and government. Honoring Pioneers, Past and Present AASF presented the 2026 Asian American Pioneer Medal to five honorees: Dr. Louise T. Chow 周芷 , for discovering RNA splicing; Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany (posthumous), for pioneering fiber optics; Dr. Syukuro Manabe , for transforming climate science; Professor Terence Tao 陶哲轩 , for advances spanning prime-number theory to compressed sensing; and Professor Samuel C. C. Ting 丁肇中 , for discovering the J/ψ particle and revealing the charm quark. The Asian American Justice Medal went to two trailblazers, both honored posthumously: Senator Hiram Fong 鄺友良 , a pioneer in national politics, and Larry Itliong , honored for his labor rights activism. Science at the Frontier Sessions spanned artificial intelligence, quantum computing, energy, and the life sciences. Louise T. Chow 周芷 revisited her discovery of RNA splicing and its lasting impact on gene expression research. Steven Chu 朱棣文 discussed progress and unresolved challenges in battery storage, solar power, and climate. Yi Cui 崔屹 , the symposium's Program Co-Chair, highlighted advances in silicon-anode batteries and grid-scale storage. Jeff Dean , in his first public appearance since leaving Google after 27 years, discussed AI's growing role in accelerating scientific discovery. Fei-Fei Li 李飞飞 explored AI's evolution toward spatial and physical intelligence, while urging the audience to preserve human agency as a design principle. Terence Tao 陶哲轩 examined how AI is reshaping mathematical research, and Samuel C. C. Ting 丁肇中 reflected on five decades of experimental physics, from the J/ψ discovery to his ongoing search for dark matter aboard the International Space Station. Research and Mentorship Roundtables held over lunch on August 7 and 8 gave students and early-career researchers direct access to leading scientists and AASF Fellows in smaller, cross-generational settings. A Policy Forum Confronting the Moment The symposium's third day turned directly to the political headwinds facing American science, from the OMB grantmaking rule to NSF's leadership upheaval and the broader research "brain drain." The Policy Forum examined federal research funding, civil rights and science, U.S.-China competition, and public service leadership, featuring Sethuraman Panchanathan , Nani A. Coloretti , Reps. Ted Lieu and Sam Liccardo , former Rep. Mike Honda , and AASF Executive Director Gisela Perez Kusakawa , among others. Coming at a moment when we have reported extensively on threats to the research enterprise — from the OMB rule's restrictions on international collaboration to reports of prominent scientists departing U.S. institutions for opportunities abroad — this symposium offered a striking counter-narrative: a celebration of Asian American scientific achievement at the highest levels, convened by the same community organizations, including AASF fellow Peter Michelson 's network, that have been most vocal in defending the research ecosystem this year. The gathering's scale and caliber of honorees underscore what the Asian Pacific American community stands to lose if current funding and immigration pressures continue to drive talent away. Previous Item Next Item

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

Newsletter - #26 SupChina Video; Professor Ning Xi; UCA And APAPA On Newsweek; Chinese Student Visas #26 SupChina Video; Professor Ning Xi; UCA And APAPA On Newsweek; Chinese Student Visas Back View PDF November 6, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

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

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

Newsletter - #130 New OSTP Director; 6/6 Meeting Summary; ODNI Report; DOS-Led "China House"; More #130 New OSTP Director; 6/6 Meeting Summary; ODNI Report; DOS-Led "China House"; More Back View PDF June 21, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #296 APA Justice Applauds New CAPAC Leadership #296 APA Justice Applauds New CAPAC Leadership FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 5, 2024 APA Justice Applauds New CAPAC Leadership On December 4, 2024, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) announced its leadership for the 119th Congress. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) transitions to Chair Emerita. The newly elected leadership includes Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) as Chair, Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39) as First Vice-Chair, Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02) as Second Vice-Chair, Rep. Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) as Whip, and Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) as Freshman Representative.APA Justice applauds CAPAC for electing a new leadership team committed to representing the voice of the Asian Pacific American community and building on the remarkable legacy established under the leadership of Congresswoman Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. APA Justice was formed in fall 2015 in response to Chair Chu’s call to build a platform to connect members of Congress, concerned organizations and individuals in wake of the troubling trend of innocent Asian Pacific Americans being unjustly accused of espionage-related charges. With CAPAC’s support under Chair Chu’s leadership, APA Justice played a crucial role in helping achieve the historic settlement for Chinese American scientist Sherry Chen with the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and end the government’s misguided “China Initiative”, which had disproportionately targeted Asian Americans and academic communities, harming academic freedom and open science.We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Congresswoman Grace Meng on her election as the next CAPAC Chair. As the first Asian American elected to Congress from New York, Rep. Meng has been instrumental in advancing CAPAC’s mission. She has tirelessly championed issues vital to the Asian Pacific American community, particularly in combating racial bias and hate directed toward Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Rep. Meng, a regular speaker at APA Justice’s monthly meetings, has shared insights on her groundbreaking work, including the passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act. She has been a steadfast supporter of APA Justice’s mission and initiatives.We also congratulate Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Jill Tokuda, Rep. Ami Bera, and Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam on their election to CAPAC’s new leadership team. As we navigate unprecedented challenges in this critical moment in history, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with CAPAC to address social justice and civil rights issues impacting the Asian Pacific American community and to ensure government accountability. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the APA Justice website at www.apajusticetaskforce.org .As part of its continuing migration to a new website under construction, we have moved the Newsletter webpage to 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 December 5, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #58 05/03 Meeting Summary; 05/15 National Rally; Anti-Racial Profiling Activities #58 05/03 Meeting Summary; 05/15 National Rally; Anti-Racial Profiling Activities Back View PDF May 11, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #362 Privacy Cases of Drs. Yanping Chen and Wen Ho Lee; AAJC Update; TX/FL Alien Land Laws+ #362 Privacy Cases of Drs. Yanping Chen and Wen Ho Lee; AAJC Update; TX/FL Alien Land Laws+ In This Issue #362 · Brian Sun Comments on the Cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and Dr. Yanping Chen · Paula Madison Comments on Dr. Yanping Chen's Case · Updates from AALDEF and AAJC · Fifth Circuit Weighs Challenge to Texas "Alien Land Law" · Federal Appeals Court Refuses to Block Discriminatory Florida Housing Law · News and Activities for the Communities Brian Sun Comments on the Cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and Dr. Yanping Chen During the APA Justice monthly meeting on November 3, 2025, Brian Sun 孫自華 , Partner of Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, who represented Dr. Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in his landmark Privacy Act case, drew strong parallels between Dr. Lee’s experience two decades ago and Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 ’s ongoing case. Brian emphasized that both involved government leaks of protected information to the media, racialized national security narratives, and the challenge of holding officials accountable for violations of privacy and due process.Brian recounted that Dr. Lee, a Los Alamos scientist falsely accused of espionage in the late 1990s, was subjected to highly publicized national coverage media coverage, intense surveillance, and charged with 59 counts of misconduct despite no evidence he shared secrets with China. The case began with leaks to two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists from the New York Times, Jeff Gerth and James Risen , that led to the government putting 40 agents on Dr. Lee under 24/7 surveillance between March and December 1999, when Dr. Lee was arrested and indicted. Immediately after his release in September 2000, Brian asked Dr. Lee whether he would still pursue the Privacy Act lawsuit that had been stayed by the District Court judge during the pendency of the criminal proceedings. “Yes. I don’t ever want this to happen again to someone else,” Dr. Lee said. The case became a five-year legal battle.Brian described how his legal team deposed senior officials, including FBI Director Louis Freeh and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson , to prove they had exhausted all avenues before seeking to compel journalists including Jeff Gerth and James Risen to reveal their sources. The District Court granted their motion, and when the reporters refused to comply, they were held in contempt by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson . The D.C. Circuit Court upheld that ruling, narrowly denying an en banc (before the full court) rehearing.Dr. Lee also did not sue the reporters themselves. They simply sought information from them. But during settlement discussions and mediation, the journalists attended with their lawyers, along with government representatives, as the mediator tried to hammer out a deal.A settlement was reached on the eve of the Supreme Court ruling on the journalists’ petition for certiorari (review). The Supreme Court denied the reporters’ petition anyway.The ultimate settlement was $1.645 million, with the government and journalists sharing the payment. Notably, CNN initially refused to pay, but other media organizations covered its share. Brian credited his then firm, Jones Day, for standing by him even after CNN threatened to sever ties.Reflecting on the controversy, Brian underscored that the issue was not opposition to press freedom, but the need to balance journalist privilege with accountability when leaks destroy reputations. Brian’s wife is a former journalist. He cautioned that blind protection of sources can empower rogue officials to leak information without consequence, harming innocent individuals.Brian concluded that Dr. Chen’s case echoes Wen Ho Lee’s ordeal, calling it “history repeating itself.” Both highlight the dangers of racial bias, media sensationalism, and unchecked leaks in national security cases. He praised Attorney Andy Phillips who represents Dr. Yanping Chen and WilmerHale for pursuing justice on Dr. Chen’s behalf, affirming that such cases are “a noble cause” that defend both the rule of law and the integrity of American justice.A summary for the November 3 APA Justice monthly meeting is bring prepared at this time. Paula Madison Comments on Dr. Yanping Chen's Case During the APA Justice monthly meeting on November 3, 2025, Paula Williams Madison 罗笑娜 , Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC and 88 Madison Media Works Inc., expressed strong concern over the ethical lapses in the Fox News coverage of Dr. Yanping Chen , which she described as “deeply troubling on several levels.” Drawing on her experience as an investigative journalist and media executive, Paula said she carefully reviewed the Fox reports and found that they relied on inflammatory imagery—such as showing Dr. Chen in a military-style uniform with “red epaulets and stars”—to suggest ties to the Chinese Communist Party without substantiated evidence. “It felt like the story was designed to make viewers believe she was exactly what the anonymous source accused her of being,” Paula said.She emphasized that proper investigative journalism requires at least two independent sources before publishing serious allegations, especially when the Justice Department had closed the case without charges. Paula questioned whether fundamental standards of verification, fairness, and editorial oversight had been ignored, perhaps because of racial bias or national security fearmongering. “Some of the basic commandments of investigative reporting seem to have been overlooked—possibly because she’s Chinese, and therefore ‘scary,’” she observed.Paula also raised concerns about editorial accountability, explaining that in any newsroom she led, a reporter’s confidential sources must be known to the editor or news director; otherwise, the story would not run. “If I don’t know who the sources are, that story will never be published,” she said.In referencing her own background, Paula noted that she is both a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Paula’s grandfather was Chinese. She is also a close friend of fellow journalist Helen Zia 谢汉兰 , founder of the Vincent Chin Institute, who shares deep concern about broader implications for racialized narratives in the media. Paula suggested that journalism organizations like Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) should examine this case as a cautionary example of how bias and weak editorial controls can erode public trust. She also questioned whether Fox News or Catherine Herridge herself is now bearing the legal costs, implying that the network may have distanced itself from the controversy. Updates from AALDEF and AAJC During the APA Justice monthly meeting on November 3, 2025, Jane Shim , Director of Stop Asian Hate Project at Asian American Legal and Education Fund (AALDEF), discussed AALDEF’s role in filing an amicus brief in Dr. Yanping Chen v. FBI that was joined by other civil rights groups. She explained that AALDEF intervened because the government and media narratives portraying Dr. Yanping Chen as working for the Chinese Communist Party—though false and defamatory—were being revived in legal filings despite being irrelevant to the legal issues at hand. Jane emphasized the importance of calling out these racialized national security tropes, which continue to shape public perception and legal arguments against Asian Americans.She also noted the stark contrast between AALDEF’s brief and one filed by Senator Ted Cruz , whose filing used “egregiously fear-mongering language,” portraying Dr. Chen as “a most dangerous spy.” Jane underscored that such rhetoric mirrors longstanding patterns of xenophobia and “national security threat narratives” historically weaponized against Asian and Muslim communities.AALDEF’s amicus brief examined the media’s historical role in fueling anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment, tracing examples from past periods like the Red Scare to illustrate how newspapers and pamphlets helped reinforce state-sponsored discrimination. Jane concluded by reaffirming AALDEF’s ongoing commitment to confronting these systemic biases and welcomed continued collaboration with partners working on similar issues.During the same meeting, Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC, reported that AAJC continues to monitor developments related to the China Initiative and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill, though progress has been delayed by the government shutdown. In partnership with the Asian American Scholars Forum (AASF) and Gisela, AAJC was co-organizing an Advocacy 101 training on November 3, 2025, to help scholars and academics engage effectively with policymakers. Joanna will explain the federal appropriations process and how the CJS China Initiative language fits within it, joined by Gisela Perez Kusakawa (AASF), Edgar Chen (NAPABA), Kelvin Lum (Stop AAPI Hate), and moderator Professor Xiaodong Zhang .On the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Joanna noted that both chambers of Congress have passed their versions, and AAJC has submitted its annual NDAA letter to the Armed Services Committees as negotiations enter the pre-conference phase. AAJC is particularly concerned about Rounds Amendment No. 3810, which would broaden the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) authority to review foreign agricultural land purchases. While AAJC supports CFIUS oversight, it warns the amendment could transform the process from evidence-based review to broad, prohibitive action against entire categories of persons. Ongoing coordination with Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), House Financial Services, and other congressional allies continues to ensure AAJC’s priorities are reflected in the final legislation. Fifth Circuit Weighs Challenge to Texas "Alien Land Law" According to Courthouse News on November 5, 2025, lawyers from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) presented arguments before the Fifth Circuit over whether Texas Senate Bill 17 — a new law restricting land purchases by citizens from “adversarial nations” such as China — applies to Chinese citizens residing in the U.S. The law, which took effect on September 1, 2025, bars noncitizens and non–green card holders “domiciled” in China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea from buying or leasing property in Texas for more than a year. Asian American groups denounced it as a modern version of “alien land laws,” which once targeted Asian immigrants. However, the Texas Attorney General’s Office maintains that SB 17 does not apply to Chinese citizens who have established permanent residence in the United States.U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge previously dismissed CALDA’s challenge, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing because they were not domiciled in China under the law’s definition. On appeal, CALDA attorney Justin Sadowsky argued that plaintiff Peng Wang , an F-1 visa holder in Texas for 16 years, remains at risk since visa holders are not considered domiciled in Texas for other legal purposes and must affirm intent to return to their home country. Texas Assistant Solicitor General Benjamin Mendelson countered that Wang is clearly domiciled in the U.S., as his intent is to live and work there permanently. The panel — composed of Judges Andrew Oldham , Kurt Engelhardt , and Jacques Wiener — questioned whether the attorney general’s assurance that he will not enforce the law against Wang ends the case. The hearing parallels an 11th Circuit case in Florida, where a divided panel similarly ruled that Chinese immigrants lacked standing because the state’s comparable law does not apply to those intending to reside permanently in the U.S. Federal Appeals Court Refuses to Block Discriminatory Florida Housing Law With a 2-1 ruling, the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta refused to preliminarily block SB 264, a discriminatory housing law in Florida, on November 4, 2025. The court rejected arguments that the law conflicts with federal law or is discriminatory. The law prohibits people who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and whose “domicile” is in China from purchasing property in Florida. The sole exception is extremely narrow: Individuals with non-tourist visas or those who have been granted asylum may purchase one residential property under two acres, provided it is not located within five miles of any “military installation.” A similar but less restrictive rule also applies to many immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. The 11th Circuit rejected claims that the law’s provisions requiring Chinese citizens to register their properties with the state conflict with a federal law governing foreign investments, or that the statute was improperly motivated by racism against Chinese people and Asians. The court also concluded that the four Chinese citizens represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA), and other organizations lacked legal standing to sue over Florida's 2023 law because it only applies to people "domiciled" in China, and they have lived in Florida for years. According to this ruling, certain Chinese immigrants who live in Florida and intend to remain there indefinitely are “domiciled” in Florida and thus should be exempt from SB 264’s restrictions on property purchases. The legal team who represented plaintiffs of the lawsuit stated in an ACLU press release : "This decision allows Florida’s unconstitutional ban on Chinese homebuyers to remain in effect, but clarifies that the law applies narrowly.” “All people, regardless of where they come from, should be free to buy homes and build lives in Florida without fear of discrimination,” said Ashley Gorski , senior staff attorney with the ACLU National Security Project. “Although today’s decision is disappointing, we’ll continue to fight laws like these that blatantly target immigrants based on their national origin and ethnicity.” “SB 264 explicitly discriminates against Chinese immigrants, and it has broader chilling effects on Asian Americans in Florida who simply want to buy a home,” said Clay Zhu , president of CALDA. “We will continue to fight SB 264 and similar ‘alien land laws’ across the country.” “SB 264 is not just unconstitutional—it harkens back to discredited century-old alien land laws that told generations of Asian Americans that this country was not their home,” said Bethany Li , executive director of AALDEF. “But our communities survived those past assaults on our rights, and we remain. We will continue to fight back for the dignity and belonging we deserve.” Media links: 2025/11/04 Bloomberg Law: Court Block Reversed on Florida Property Ban on Chinese Citizens 2025/11/04 Reuters: US appeals court says Florida can ban Chinese citizens from buying property 2025/11/04 Florida Phoenix: Federal appeals court nixes Chinese land-buying law challenge 2025/11/04 Florida Realtors: Court Refuses to Block Chinese Property Law 2025/11/05 South China Morning Post: Florida can ban Chinese citizens from buying property, US appeal court rules 2025/11/06 Newsweek: Florida Issues Crackdown on Chinese Citizens Buying Real Estate News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/11/14 Film Screening and Discussion: Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story2025/11/25 Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Elaine Chao 2025/12/01 Cook County Circuit Court Hearing - Estate of Jane Wu v Northwestern University2025/12/01 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2025/12/08 Committee of 100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Alice YoungVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. 2. C100: Conversations with Alice Young WHAT : Conversations, Recollections, Pioneers and Heros: Alice Young WHEN : December 8, 2025, 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm ET WHERE : Online event HOST : Committee of 100 Moderator: Peter Young , Chair of the Conversations Initiative, Committee of 100 New York Regional Chair, and Board Member Speaker : Alice Young , Trailblazing Lawyer and Advocate for Equality DESCRIPTION : Alice Young served as Partner and Chair of the Asia Practice at leading law firms including Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer and Milbank Tweed, specializing in corporate law, international transactions, and Asia business partnerships. As a member of the first graduating class of women of Yale College and one of the first Asian American women to graduate from Harvard Law School, she broke barriers on Wall Street and paved the way for women and minorities throughout her 40+ year law career. Beyond her legal work, Young has been a tireless advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. REGISTRATION : https://bit.ly/47LX0zn # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF November 7, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter