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

Newsletter - #226 11/6 Meeting Summary; Request for GAO Review; 12/16 Protest in Miami; From Congress; + #226 11/6 Meeting Summary; Request for GAO Review; 12/16 Protest in Miami; From Congress; + In This Issue #226 · 2023/11/06 Monthly Meeting Summary · Congressional Request for GAO to Review Federal Investigations into Foreign Influence of Research · 2023/12/16 Justice4All Protest in Miami, Florida · Latest Activities and Developments from U.S. Congress · News and Activities for the Communities 2023/11/06 Monthly Meeting Summary The November 6, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary is now available at https://bit.ly/41n2TiL . We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: · Gene Wu 吳元之, Member, Texas State House of Representatives, described the third special and perhaps more special sessions that the Texas governor has called after the close of the 2023 legislative session. Gene cautioned us not only the possible reintroduction of SB 147 and related alien land bills, but also the passage of dangerous and unconstitutional anti-immigration bills that will create the state's own code-based immigration laws. Gene will continue to conduct his town hall meetings to stay vigilant and informed. It is an effective model for communities across the country to organize and deal with the alien land bills and related issues that are appearing at the state and federal levels. The town hall meetings are organized with Professor Steven Pei and others on Sundays at 8:00 pm CT. All are welcome to join with the Zoom registration link at https://bit.ly/40U6aFS . Andy Kim , Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Executive Board Members, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Congressman Kim serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the CCP. These roles give him important insights into some of the dynamics that are both dangerous and concerning about the trajectory and how it intersects with the AAPI community and our nation. Congressman Kim is worried from his close look that the Select Committee is setting the stage for a new era of xenophobia and poorly planned policies that could lead our country and the AAPI community to be less safe. He described the systematic pattern where the decisions are being made about US foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific and parts of Asia that are different from Europe and other parts of the world. Congressman Kim feels very strongly about the need for the AAPI community to get further engaged in a broad array of issues. Congressman Kim is running for the New Jersey Senate seat in 2024. If you wish to support and stay engaged with Congressman Kim, please contact Jack Our at Jack@andykim.com . Dr. Sergio Lira, Co-Vice President, Texas Multicultural Advocacy Alliance (TMAC); President, Greater Houston, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Formed in 1929, LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latin-American civil rights organization in the United States. It has over 135,000 members today. Dr. Lira witnessed a long history of anti-immigrant treatment faced by the Asian American and Hispanic American communities, such as anti-Asian hate incidents during the COVID pandemic; alien land bills in Texas, Florida, and other states across the nation; and the case of New York Police Department Officer Anwang 昂旺. We need to work together to ensure that we fight and advocate together. Working in silos is not going to give us the strength to have real impact on legislation. Dr. Lira is excited to join TMAC and lend his expertise and experience to fight these issues. Together we can make positive change. Cindy Tsai 蔡欣玲 , Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100 (C100). C100 is about 35 years old. From its very first day, it has had a dual mission. One is to ensure full inclusivity of Chinese Americans in America. The second is to be a force to encourage constructive relationships between the people in the U.S. and Greater China. In today’s geopolitical world, Cindy said C100 cannot serve one of the missions without thinking about the other. Cindy shared two works in progress during the meeting. One is an interactive map to track state alien land bills with options to filter individual bills by categories and contacts at the state legislature level. The other is a playbook for those who are relatively new in political engagement and advocacy about basic rules and tools that should be understood before we get involved. It is like Political Engagement Advocacy 101 and will lessen some of the obstacles that we face. Cindy invited community members to contact her at ctsai@committee100.org if they wish to participate and contribute to these two resources. Andrew Chongseh Kim , Senior Foreign Attorney (Texas, Illinois), Bae, Kim & Lee LLC in South Korea. Andy Kim, aka amicably as "the other Andy Kim," joined the call from Seoul. Andy is also General Counsel, Korean American for Political Action, and author of a landmark white paper on the Economic Espionage Act. He sent greetings to all the leaders at the monthly meeting, especially to Congressman Andy Kim about the pride, excitement, and warm wishes of the Korean American community about his run for the Senate. Dr. Albert Wang , Chair, API Coalition. Dr. Wang reported on the formation of API Coalition to help unite and connect API elected officials and community leaders. API Coalition would hold a national summit after the end of the APEC meetings, which Congresswoman Judy Chu would also attend and speak. Dr. Albert Wang can be contacted at aybwang@comcast.net . Andy Li , President of API Coalition, can be contacted at andy.j.li@gmail.com . Casey Lee , Policy Advisor, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Casey substituted for Nisha Ramachandran , CAPAC Executive Director, and reported that CAPAC was monitoring two appropriation bills in the House that were scheduled for a vote. The first was on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The second was the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. CAPAC is reviewing any potentially harmful anti-Asian amendments for both that may impact our communities including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Section 702 reforms. Joanna Derman , Director, Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program, Advancing Justice | AAJC. Joanna reported on the imminent introduction of a bipartisan FISA 702 reform bill in Congress, a Tri-Caucus briefing on FISA section 702 reform for the first week of December, and continuing efforts to oppose the Rounds amendment in the NDAA. Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), gpkusakawa@aasforum.org . Gisela reported that AASF would have a convening to focus on AI for science and medicine the following Sunday. AASF leadership would also convene. The top priority for AASF is to prevent what AASF sees as multiple attempts to increase disclosure requirements. With legislation, AASF is also concerned with congressional attempts towards reinstating the Department of Justice’s China Initiative, including the use of appropriation bills. Read the 2023/11/06 monthly meeting summary: https://bit.ly/41n2TiL . Read past monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP Congressional Request for GAO to Review Federal Investigations into Foreign Influence of Research On December 11, 2023, leading Members of Congress requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a formal review of ongoing federal efforts to investigate allegations of foreign influence in federally funded research. The Members seek to ensure that researchers are not facing discriminatory treatment while federal agencies implement policies to protect U.S. research security. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) joined Ranking Members Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology to author the letter to Gene Dodaro , Comptroller General of the United States. “As a global leader in scientific research, the United States has long fostered and benefited from a culture of openness and international collaboration,” the Members wrote. “Contributions from U.S. scientists of diverse backgrounds and foreign researchers have made the United States a science and technology powerhouse. In recent years, however, concerns arose about foreign entities, especially from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), attempting to influence U.S.-based researchers whose scientific work is funded by federal agencies.”As a result of these concerns, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began investigating 246 scientists in 2018, 81 percent of whom identified as Asian. 103 of those scientists eventually lost their jobs. A November 2022 GAO report noted that U.S. university representatives and stakeholder groups have voiced concerns about racial bias in these investigations as well as harm to careers and reputations. “Federal agencies are in the process of implementing new research security policies at the direction of Congress and the White House,” the Members continued. “It is imperative that in developing and carrying out these policies, agencies reject racial biases that have historically plagued attempts to crack down on academic espionage.” To that end, the Chair and Ranking Members request GAO conduct a review and offer recommendations related to due process, agency data, and whether agencies’ present policies, procedures, and training ensure investigations are free from bias and do not result in discriminatory treatment. CONTACTS: Graeme Crews , (202) 597-2923 (CAPAC) Cassie Anderson , (202) 308-1766 (Science) Nelly Decker , (202) 226-5181 (Oversight) Read the Congressional letter: https://bit.ly/3t9rdrR . 2023/12/16 Justice4All Protest in Miami, Florida On December 16, 2023, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET, a protest will be held in Miami, Florida. It is an event for community members to gather in solidarity to oppose unconstitutional legislation and unfair property registration requirements targeting specific members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. SB 264, a legislation imposing a restrictive property purchase ban for certain community members, has raised significant concerns. Violations of this ban could result in severe civil and criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to 5 years. Moreover, SB 264 mandates property registration, threatening law-abiding, taxpaying AAPI community members with an unprecedented and unreasonable penalty of $1,000 per day if their properties remain unregistered by December 31st, 2023. The rally will witness the presence of notable Asian American political leaders including Congresswoman Judy Chu , Texas State Representative Gene Wu , and 2020 Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang . WHAT: In-Person Protest - Justice4AllWHEN: December 16, 2023, 2-4 pm ET/11-12 noon PTWHERE: Torch of Friendship, 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132HOSTS: Florida Asian American Justice Alliance, United Chinese Americans, and othersDESCRIPTION: The rally is an urgent call for unity and justice, aiming to bring together individuals of all backgrounds in opposition to discrimination and unfair treatment. It stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment to justice, diversity, and equality that Miami holds dear. For further information, please visit www.FAAJA.org and www.ucausa.org CONTACTS: info@faaja.org or info@ucausa.org . New Florida law blocks Chinese students from academic labs According to Science on December 12, 2023, a new state law is thwarting faculty at Florida’s public universities who want to hire Chinese graduate students and postdocs to work in their labs. In effect since July, the law ( Senate Bill 846 ) prohibits institutions from taking money from or partnering with entities in China and six other “countries of concern.” The list of banned interactions includes offering anyone living in one of those countries a contract to do research. Students could be hired only if they are granted a waiver from the state’s top higher education body. But how that process would work is not clear, and the 12 public colleges and universities covered by the law are still writing rules to implement the statute. More than 280 faculty members at the University of Florida (UF), which has the state’s largest research portfolio, have signed a petition urging UF to clear up the confusion and to voice support for an open-door policy on hiring. The state law applies to all academic interactions with China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela. UF now employs about 350 graduate assistants and 200 postdocs from the seven countries of concern. But UF faculty see a much bigger ripple effect from the new law. “A substantial number of skilled applications for our graduate programs originate from these countries of concern,” the petition notes, singling out China and Iran. “Restrictions on recruiting could significantly reduce our applicant pool … and lead to a significant erosion of UF’s standing within those international communities.” Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/46Ygcr5 Latest Activities and Developments from U.S. Congress 1. Short-Term Renewal of Section 702 of FISA to April 19, 2024 Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which will sunset at the end of the year without congressional action, would stay in place until April 19, 2024, after the Senate voted 87-13 to approve an $886 billion defense authorization bill with a short-term renewal attached. The House passed the measure by a vote of 310-118 on December 14, 2023. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) voted in opposition of the final version of the NDAA and issued a statement that said in part, "Further, this year’s bill includes a supposedly short-term extension of FISA section 702, which permits warrantless surveillance of Americans, through April 2024. But by failing to include language to prevent FISA Courts from recertifying this surveillance for another year, the bill effectively means a 16-month extension without necessary reforms ... Because the final NDAA fails to reduce wasteful spending and retains troubling policies related to key civil liberties, I voted in opposition.” Read Rep. Chu's statement: https://bit.ly/3TpeZFW . 2. Rep. Chu and Senator Hirono Introduce Resolution to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act On December 14, CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and CAPAC Executive Member Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI) introduced resolutions in both chambers of Congress commemorating the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Magnuson Act, which passed on December 17, 1943, repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. In June 2012, Rep. Chu introduced H.Res. 683, a resolution formally apologizing for the Chinese exclusion laws. The resolution passed the House of Representative unanimously on June 18, 2012. The Senate version of the resolution, S.Res. 201, passed the Senate unanimously on October 7, 2011.Read the Resolution: https://bit.ly/48hrIif . Read the CAPAC press release: https://bit.ly/41kW1T5 . 3. Florida Senator Says Garlic from China is a National Security Risk According to BBC on December 8, 2023, Republican Senator Rick Scott has written to the commerce secretary, calling for a government investigation into the impact on national security of garlic imports from China. In his letter, Senator Scott highlighted "a severe public health concern over the quality and safety of garlic grown in foreign countries - most notably, garlic grown in Communist China" and called for the Department of Commerce to take action, under a law which allows investigations into the impact of specific imports on the security of the US. The Office for Science and Society at McGill University in Quebec, which attempts to popularize and explain scientific issues, says there is "no evidence" that sewage is used as a fertilizer for growing garlic in China. "In any case, there is no problem with this," an article published by the university in 2017 says. "Human waste is as effective a fertilizer as is animal waste. Spreading human sewage on fields that grow crops doesn't sound appealing, but it is safer than you might think." Read the BBC report: https://bbc.in/3RpjjSX 4. Opposition to The DETERRENT Act On December 4, 2023, the American Council on Education (ACE) and a group of higher education associations wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in strong opposition to the "Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Education (DETERRENT)" Act. Read the ACE letter: https://bit.ly/41plhHH . On December 6, 2023, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) took to the House Floor to urge her colleagues to vote in opposition to H.R. 5933, the DETERRENT Act. Just Strategy has created an open petition to strongly oppose the DETERRENT Act for concerned individuals to sign on here: https://bit.ly/47Zu1a0 . News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2023/12/15 Webinar on Voices of AAPI Communities2023/12/16 In-Person Justice4All Protest in Miami, Florida2024/01/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/01/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/01/09 The Jimmy Carter Forum on US-China Relations in Honor of 45th Anniversary of Normalization2024/02/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. APAICS: AA & NH/PI Candidate Pipeline According to the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), a record 215 Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AA & NH/PI) candidates ran for state and federal office, including in U.S. territories, in the 2023 election cycle. AA & NH/PI candidates running for office increased over 40% this election cycle compared to 2021. With 123 projected winners, there are at least 659 AA & NH/PI elected officials nationwide.Every year, APAICS builds a comprehensive database of candidates through its AA & NH/PI Candidate Pipeline , which monitors general election results for state and federal elections nationwide. The Pipeline also includes information about AA & NH/PI candidates who ran at the state level. 3. Data Analytics, Data Science Degrees See Large Increases in 2022 According to AMSTATNews on December 1, 2023, this fall’s release of the 2022 degree completion data from the National Center for Education Statistics is marked by the large increases in the undergraduate and master’s degrees awarded in the recently introduced categories for data analytics and data science. The number of bachelor’s degrees in data science, for example, jumped to 897 in 2022, from 165 in 2021 and 84 in 2020. For bachelor’s degrees in data analytics, the 2020, 2021, and 2022 numbers are 325, 455, and 767, respectively.The number of bachelor’s degrees in statistics also grew, albeit more modestly than in prior years: 5,408 in 2022, a 2 percent increase over 2021. A 15 percent drop in the number of master’s degrees in statistics to 3,570 in 2022 stood out in the most recent release.Read the AMSTATNews report: https://bit.ly/46VXNep Back View PDF December 15, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #11 Amicus Brief Filed; "Red Scare" Series Wins Award; Briefing For Senator Warner #11 Amicus Brief Filed; "Red Scare" Series Wins Award; Briefing For Senator Warner Back View PDF August 21, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #344 [APA Justice] 8/4 Meeting; Ohio's Bills; China Initiative Harms Science, Security, and Dr. GK Chang+ #344 [APA Justice] 8/4 Meeting; Ohio's Bills; China Initiative Harms Science, Security, and Dr. GK Chang+ In This Issue #344 · 2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Ohio's Pending Alien Land Bills · Revival of China Initiative Harms US Science and Security · Dr. Gee-Kung Chang: "From Injustice to Integrity: A Journey Through Fire" · Third District Court Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Restrictions · News and Activities for the Communities 2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, August 4, 2025, starting at 1:55 pm ET.In addition to updates from: · Judith Teruya , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) · Joanna YangQing Derman , Program Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) We are honored by and welcome the following distinguished speakers: · Al Green, Member, U.S. Congress (invited) · Munira Abdullahi , Member, Ohio House of Representatives · Guangya Liu , Member, North Carolina House of Representatives · Min Fan , Executive Director, US 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 . *****Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) hosted Asian American Pioneer Medal Symposium and Ceremony at Stanford University on July 25-27, 2025. Picture provided by Vincent Wang , Co-Organizer of APA Justice. Ohio's Pending Alien Land Bills Ohio State Representative Munira Abdullahi is a confirmed invited speaker at the APA Justice monthly meeting on August 4, 2025. We have requested her to update us on House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 in Ohio, as well as several bills targeting immigrant communities and people of color this year as well.House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 seeks to restrict land ownership by foreign governments and nationals from “adversary” nations—particularly China—within 25 miles of military and critical infrastructure sites, citing national security concerns. Opponents argue the bill is overly broad, potentially banning ownership across nearly the entire state, and unjustly targeting ordinary immigrants and visa holders. Critics—including lawmakers, legal advocates, and hundreds of Ohio residents—warn the bill promotes racial profiling, echoes historical discrimination, and violates constitutional rights. A key forced-sale provision was removed, but the bill still faces widespread opposition and potential legal challenges. Read the Ohio Capital Journal report: https://bit.ly/4mh5m7J We thank Ohio State Representative Juanita Brent for bringing these pending bills to our attention during the APA Justice monthly meeting on June 2, 2025. Rep. Brent, the daughter of an immigrant, provided a comprehensive overview of six pending legislative bills in Ohio that raise serious concerns about discrimination against immigrants—particularly those from countries such as China and Korea. These bills reflect a broader national trend and illustrate the state's overreach into matters that should fall under federal jurisdiction. · House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 have drawn significant attention. They would prohibit individuals from countries the U.S. designates as adversaries from owning homes or businesses, especially near critical infrastructure. Similar legislation has been introduced in 31 other states. · Senate Bill 281 would require hospitals to allow federal immigration enforcement officers entry. Hospitals that fail to comply could lose grant funding and have their Medicaid provider agreements affected. · Senate Bill 282 proposes that courts consider a person’s immigration status when determining sentencing and bail. · House Bill 200 would create criminal penalties for unlawful presence, including fines and a 72-hour window for voluntary departure. It is currently facing opposition in the Public Safety Committee. · House Bill 42 mandates that certain agencies collect and report data on individuals’ citizenship or immigration status. It has received one hearing in the Government Oversight Committee. · House Bill 26 would require law enforcement to share information about arrestees with federal immigration authorities. It would also prohibit Ohio municipalities from providing benefits to undocumented immigrants. Municipalities that fail to comply could risk losing their Local Government Fund allocations. State Rep. Brent emphasized that these bills effectively legalize discrimination and hate—an alarming development. As a country, we have witnessed the consequences of such discrimination in the past. These proposed laws open the door to legalized bias based solely on a person’s country of origin or immigration status.State Rep. Brent stressed that immigration is a federal issue and not the responsibility of individual states. By pursuing these bills, Ohio is overstepping its authority. None of these proposals address legitimate state-level concerns, and many are likely unconstitutional. Nonetheless, they must be challenged at the state level. Revival of China Initiative Harms US Science and Security According to the South China Morning Post , the US House of Representatives is poised to advance a key spending bill that could revive the controversial “China Initiative” – a program that unfairly targeted Chinese American researchers, derailed careers and devastated lives long after it was ended in 2022. The Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill does not name the program directly, but language in the accompanying report calls for its re-establishment to “maintain America’s competitive edge” and “counter China’s malign ambitions to steal American research”.A scheduled committee meeting to debate the bill was cancelled on July 23, but experts said the provision was likely to remain as the legislation moved towards the Senate.“As a victim of the past China Initiative, I am disheartened by ongoing efforts in Congress to reinstate the misguided programme,” said Gang Chen 陈刚 , a mechanical engineer at MIT who was arrested in 2021 before all charges were dropped.“It is not only discriminatory, but also harms America’s ability to attract top global talent – ultimately weakening, not strengthening, our national security,” he said in a statement released by the Asian American Scholar Forum, a US-based non-profit organization that advocates for academic belonging and equity in Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.Professor Chen is among more than 1,000 US researchers and university staff led by Stanford physicists Steven Kivelson and Peter Michelson in signing a letter that urged lawmakers to remove the provision. The letter, dated July 22, warned that reviving the initiative would deter talent, damage innovation and inadvertently advance China’s own recruitment efforts.Read the South China Morning Post report: https://bit.ly/4omPcvo Over 50 civil society organizations inclduing Defending Rights & Dissent have also sent a joint letter urging the full Appropriations committee to strike the provision. Dr. Gee-Kung Chang: "From Injustice to Integrity: A Journey Through Fire" Robert Fisher , Partner at Nixon Peabody, was the attorney who successfully defended MIT Professor Gang Chen 陈刚 . He spoke at the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 5, 2025, and introduced Professor Gee-Kung (GK) Chang 張繼昆 , whom Robert also represented with colleague Brian Kelly .Rob said this is a critical time for the country and for the Asian American community. Although the China Initiative was officially ended, similar prosecutions are still occurring—particularly targeting professors, scientists, and professionals with ties to China.Rob explained that GK was accused of wire fraud based on allegations that he and a colleague from ZTE conspired to misuse J-1 visa students, supposedly having them work at ZTE while being paid by Georgia Tech.However, the defense pointed out that, even according to the government’s own account, the students were working at Georgia Tech. The indictment was fundamentally flawed—it failed to allege that the financial component was the actual object of the fraud. As a result, the court dismissed most of the charges, leaving only one remaining.That final charge—visa fraud—was also challenged. GK had no role in the visa application process, and Georgia Tech had never provided training on compliance or rules regarding foreign collaboration. Without knowledge or training, there could not have been intent to defraud. Eventually, the government dropped the last remaining charge. GK was fully exonerated after a four-year ordeal under the China Initiative.GK's case highlights a broader issue: many professors were once encouraged to collaborate with China, only to later face prosecution as political attitudes shifted. These retroactive investigations have damaged careers and chilled academic collaboration, especially within the Asian American community.Professor GK Chang shared his personal account of a harrowing legal ordeal during the May 2025 APA Justice monthly meeting. Quoting his written statement titled " From Injustice to Integrity: A Journey Through Fire ," GK told his story that "I stand before you today, not as a victim of injustice, but as a witness to the power of integrity, forged in the fiercest fires of adversity. My journey was never just about reclaiming my freedom — it was about turning pain into a higher purpose, one that lights the way for those still suffering injustice."GK was born in China in 1947, moved to Taiwan as a baby during the Chinese Civil War, and came to the U.S. in 1970 for graduate studies in physics. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in 1976 and became a U.S. citizen in 1981.With 23 years of experience in industry—including leadership roles at Bell Labs, Bellcore, Telcordia, and OpNext—GK became a pioneer in optoelectronic integration and fiber-optic communications, holding over 50 patents. He received multiple awards, including the R&D 100 Award and the Bellcore President’s Award.In 2002, he joined Georgia Tech as an Eminent Scholar Chair Professor. There, he led major NSF-sponsored research on fiber-wireless networks that laid the foundation for 5G and 6G technologies. He advised 30 Ph.D. students, published over 500 papers, and earned Fellow honors from IEEE and the Optical Society of America. He was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of National Tsing Hua University and received Georgia Tech’s Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award.On March 24, 2021, GK’s life was changed forever when nine federal agents arrested him at home without warning, accusing him of conspiracy and wire fraud under the now-defunct “China Initiative.” Despite his clean record and decades of academic and industry contributions, he was publicly indicted without prior notice. Though released on a low bail, the arrest devastated his personal and professional life. The media portrayed him as guilty, his reputation collapsed, and colleagues and friends distanced themselves, leaving him isolated and emotionally shattered.Despite being wrongfully indicted, GK stood firm, relying on his values, family, and a few loyal allies. Through careful review of over a million pages of documents with his legal team of Rob Fisher and Brian Kelly, he uncovered major flaws in the case against him: factual inaccuracies, missing evidence, and prosecutorial misconduct. The charges lacked legal grounding and were based partly on the testimony of a disgruntled former student. The government misunderstood academic norms and pursued the case without proof of intent, fraud, or personal gain—revealing a deeply flawed and unjust prosecution.Faced with multiple plea offers, including one to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor, GK refused to admit guilt for a crime he did not commit. He chose to fight on despite financial strain. A pivotal moment came in August 2023, when a prosecutor admitted in court that GK had not gained any money from the alleged offenses—contradicting the indictment’s claims. This crucial fact had been withheld from the grand jury, exposing serious prosecutorial misconduct and strengthening his case for vindication.The case shifted dramatically after the court dismissed 9 of the 10 charges on March 1, 2024. Empowered by this decision, GK demanded a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment, confident of full vindication. However, the emotional strain took a serious toll: he suffered a heart attack in May 2024 and underwent emergency surgery. As he recovered, his focus turned not just to clearing his name, but reclaiming his dignity. The ordeal was nearing its end, but had already come at a profound personal cost.The final charge was dismissed on April 14, 2025, through a motion filed by the prosecutor and approved by the judge, fully exonerating GK without a trial. Yet, the long-awaited freedom brought no joy. After four years of legal battles, he was left emotionally scarred, physically worn, and financially depleted. Professionally, the damage was irreversible—four crucial years of innovation and contribution at the peak of his career were lost forever. Despite the pain, the ordeal brought GK clarity and a renewed sense of purpose. He emerged not only as a survivor but as a seeker of truth, justice, and understanding. His faith in the justice system was shaken, as he came to see its vulnerability to error, bias, and ambition. He now believes that justice does not automatically protect the innocent and must be actively pursued with courage and conviction. Upholding what is right requires strength, even in the face of overwhelming adversity—because justice is never guaranteed, only earned. Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , GK concluded his statement by stating: "I share my testimony, 'A Journey Through Fire,' not for sympathy, but as a warning—and as a beacon."To those suffering similar injustice:"You are not alone."And by standing together,"we can help ensure that no one else must endure this tribulation again." Read the story of Professor GK Chang: https://bit.ly/GeeKungChang . Read his statement " From Injustice to Integrity: A Journey Through Fire ." Watch the video of Robert Fisher and GK Chang at the APA Justice monthly meeting on May 5, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbh1EkabX6I (19:00). Third District Court Blocks Trump's Birthright Citizenship Restrictions According to AP , Newsweek , The Hill , and multiple media reports, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Massachusetts blocked the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented or temporary immigrants. This marks the third court ruling to do so, despite a recent Supreme Court decision limiting nationwide injunctions.Judge Sorokin found the executive order unconstitutional in a 23-page ruling . He said a patchwork approach to the birthright order would not protect the states in part because a substantial number of people move between states. He also blasted the Trump administration, saying it had failed to explain how a narrower injunction would work. “That is, they have never addressed what renders a proposal feasible or workable, how the defendant agencies might implement it without imposing material administrative or financial burdens on the plaintiffs, or how it squares with other relevant federal statutes,” the judge wrote. “In fact, they have characterized such questions as irrelevant to the task the Court is now undertaking. The defendants’ position in this regard defies both law and logic.”Sorokin acknowledged his order would not be the last word on birthright citizenship. Trump and his administration “are entitled to pursue their interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and no doubt the Supreme Court will ultimately settle the question,” Sorokin wrote. “But in the meantime, for purposes of this lawsuit at this juncture, the Executive Order is unconstitutional.” For now, Trump's order remains blocked.Judge Sorokin's ruling aligned with the U.S. District Court in New Hampshire and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals covering the western states inclduing California. The issue will likely be decided by the Supreme Court. News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2025/07/28 (Digital) Travel Safety and Security Training2025/07/29 C100 Conversations – “Recollections, Pioneers and Heroes” with Linda Chao Yang2025/07/29 From Heartland to Mainland: 2025 Future Ag Leaders Delegation2025/07/29 Bridging Generations of U.S.-China Education Exchange: American Scholars to China2025/07/31 (Digital) Travel Safety and Security Training2025/07/31-08/10 Asian American International Film Festival2025/08/02-07 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings2025/08/04 APA Justice Monthly MeetingVisit https://bit.ly/3XD61qV for event details. # # # APA Justice Task Force is a non-partisan platform to build a sustainable ecosystem that addresses racial profiling concerns and to facilitate, inform, and advocate on selected issues related to justice and fairness for the Asian Pacific American community. For more information, please refer to the new APA Justice website under development at www.apajusticetaskforce.org . We value your feedback. Please send your comments to contact@apajustice.org . Back View PDF July 28, 2025 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

Newsletter - #199 8/7 Meeting; Warrantless Surveillance; New Red Scare; Chen v FBI; Understanding FBI; + #199 8/7 Meeting; Warrantless Surveillance; New Red Scare; Chen v FBI; Understanding FBI; + In This Issue #199 2023/08/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Warrantless Surveillance - Section 702 of FISA Must Not Be Reauthorized Without Major Reforms The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen vs FBI, DOJ, DOD and DHS Reminder: Webinar on Understanding the FBI: Its Mission, Motivations, and Tactics News and Activities for the Communities 2023/08/07 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, August 7, 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 Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), speakers will include: 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, to report on the latest developments of the Florida lawsuit Echo King 金美声 , President, Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA), to provide on-the-ground reports about the July 18 court hearing, press conference, and protests; and a brief report by Professor Shuang Zhao 赵爽 , Co-President, Yick Wo Institution 益和学会 Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy, and Shanti Prasad , Advocacy Manager, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), to give a brief introduction of CAA and its recent roles and activities in alien land laws, warrantless surveillance/reauthorization of Section 702, anti-Asian hate, and related topics Christine Chen , Executive Director, to give a brief introduction of APIAVote, observations on the communities' reaction to the alien land bills/laws, the introduction of laws in some states criminalizing those who assist voters (AP report: https://bit.ly/3NM9z3s ), and plans for the upcoming 2024 election 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 FCRTV Webinar on July 22, 2023 On July 22, 2023, Florida Chinese Radio Television (FCRTV) 佛州华语广播电视台 broadcast a webinar in Chinese. Titled 从微信禁令案到佛州地产限购法案，朱可亮律师讲解在美华人的维权之路和启发 (From the WeChat Ban Case to the Florida Alien Land Law, Attorney Zhu Keliang explains the road and inspiration of Chinese people in the United States to defend their rights), the featured speaker of the webinar was Attorney Clay Zhu 朱可亮. Watch the FCRTV video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOqobsVDX_A (2:05:26). Warrantless Surveillance - Section 702 of FISA Must Not Be Reauthorized Without Major Reforms On June 26, 2023, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), APA Justice, Brennan Center for Justice, and the Committee of 100 (C100) co-hosted a webinar on "Perils of Warrantless Surveillance - The Case for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Reform." Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal led off the webinar with opening remarks. Panelists were Gang Chen 陈刚 , Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, MIT; Elizabeth Goitein , Senior Director, Brennan Center for Justice; Ashley Gorski , Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU; Brian A. Sun 孙自华 , Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and C100 Board Member. The webinar was moderated by retired Judge Lillian Sing 郭丽莲 , California Superior Court. Section 702 of FISA was first enacted in 2008. The U.S. Constitution protects its people against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, under Section 702, the U.S. government engages in mass, warrantless surveillance of phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications between Americans and foreigners. Information collected under this law without a warrant can be used to prosecute and imprison people, even for crimes that have nothing to do with national security. Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans and the immigrant and scientific communities, have been targeted for warrantless surveillance that led to wrongful and unjust prosecutions. They include Temple University Professor Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 and possibly New York Police Department Officer Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 . The current authority of Section 702 will expire on December 31, 2023. Congress has started debate on the reauthorization of Section 702. It is not the only tool being used to spy on American citizens without a warrant, which is in possible violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. A number of civil society organizations and national organizations have already weighed in and issued statements to oppose Section 702 reauthorization and warrantless surveillance unless there are major reforms. Subsequent to the June 26 webinar, a group of diverse national, state, and local organizations and individuals has been formed to plan for follow-up actions by the Asian American communities. A kickoff planning meeting was held on August 3, 2023.Watch the June 26 webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k56a4KuSn0 . Read the APA Justice web page on Warrantless Surveillance: https://bit.ly/3O6T43Q The Case of Dr. Yanping Chen vs FBI, DOJ, DOD and DHS Dr. Yanping Chen 陈燕平 is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China. She was a cardiologist and medical researcher with the Chinese astronaut program. She came to the U.S. in 1987 to study and earned a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Washington University. She married a U.S. citizen, became a lawful permanent resident in 1993, and a U.S. citizen in 2001. In 1998, Dr. Chen founded the University of Management and Technology in Arlington, Virginia, to provide secondary and graduate education to working adults. More than 12,000 students have received degrees in the last 20 years.In 2010, Dr. Chen became the focus of a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigation. After 6 years of investigation, Dr. Chen was told that no charges will be filed against her in 2016. However, confidential information from the investigation was allegedly leaked to Fox News in or around 2017. On December 21, 2018, Dr. Chen filed a privacy lawsuit against the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security.According to Voice of America on August 3, 2023, Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling that would force Catherine Herridge , then a journalist at Fox News and currently a CBS News correspondent, to participate in a deposition regarding the identity of her anonymous sources from her 2017 series of stories. In 2022, Dr. Chen subpoenaed Herridge and Fox News to try to determine the alleged leaker’s identity, but the journalist and news outlet rebuffed her efforts, citing First Amendment protections afforded to the press.But in Cooper’s ruling, he said Chen’s need for the evidence outweighed Herridge’s First Amendment privilege.According to the Washington Post on June 5, 2006, Wen Ho Lee 李文和 , a former nuclear weapons scientist who came under government suspicion of being a spy for China, settled a lawsuit over violation of his privacy rights and received $1.65 million from the government and five news organizations, including The Washington Post. Under the settlement, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington DC and cited in a joint statement by the five news organizations, Lee received $895,000 from the government for legal fees and taxes related to his lawsuit accusing the U.S. Justice Department and Energy Department of violating his rights under the Privacy Act by leaking information that he was under investigation for suspected espionage.The five news organizations -- the Washington Post , the New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , the Associated Press and ABC News -- agreed to pay Lee a total of $750,000 as part of the settlement.Read the Voice of America report: https://bit.ly/3OlJ5Gf . Read the Washington Post report : https://wapo.st/43YOM2N . Read the APA Justice web page on Dr. Yanping Chen : https://bit.ly/APAJ_Yanping_Chen Reminder: Webinar on Understanding the FBI: Its Mission, Motivations, and Tactics On August 10, 2023, the Asian American Scholar Forum will host a webinar on Understanding the FBI: Its Mission, Motivations, and Tactics, featuring Michael German. Mike is a fellow with the Liberty and National Security Program of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, where his work focuses on counterterrorism, law enforcement, and intelligence reform. He previously served sixteen years as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1988- 2004), where he conducted criminal investigations and undercover operations. He is the author of “Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy“ (New Press, 2019). Register for the event at https://bit.ly/3pAMzwh News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Launches Community Events Calendar APA Justice has launched a Public Events Calendar on the front page of its website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . The new feature allows readers to view upcoming events with brief descriptions in one stop. Options are available to view the events by day, week, month, and agenda. We thank summer interns Charlotte Ding and Ryan Zhao for implementing this important functionality. 2. 2023/08/26 March on Washington On August 26, 2023, a 2023 March on Washington will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in 1963, to continue the fight for democracy, social justice and civil rights. Join the King family at the Lincoln Memorial to honor the past, acknowledge the present and march toward a future of progress and equality.Advancing Justice | AAJC is co-chairing this momentous event along with ADL, Human Rights Commission, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Legal Defense Fund, NAACP, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Negro Women, National Urban League and UNIDOS. Read the Advancing Justice | AAJC announcement: https://bit.ly/3E2JUPP . Register to join the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Contingent at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington: https://bit.ly/3qjWTsY 3. Ji-Hyun Lee - 120th President of the American Statistical Association The American Statistical Association announced the election of Ji-Hyun Lee as its president. Her term begins January 1, 2025, with a one-year term as president-elect beginning January 1, 2024. Lee is believed to be the first person of Asian descent to serve in that capacity. "Understanding basic statistical and data literary is not only just important for students but is becoming increasingly crucial for everyone in the workforce," Lee said. "With the rapid growth of data-driven jobs and widespread use of data in the various sectors, data science and statistical education are vital for building a strong American workforce and maintaining competitiveness." Lee is a professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions and the University of Florida College of Medicine. She was on the board of directors for the Korean International Statistical Association from 2017 to 2022. Back View PDF August 6, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #74 Your Action Needed For Rep. Ted Lieu's Letter; Nisha Ramachandran New CAPAC ED #74 Your Action Needed For Rep. Ted Lieu's Letter; Nisha Ramachandran New CAPAC ED Back View PDF July 22, 2021 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #196: Florida Hearing Today; TikTok Ban Lawsuit; Chinese Scientists; NASEM Roundtable; More #196: Florida Hearing Today; TikTok Ban Lawsuit; Chinese Scientists; NASEM Roundtable; More In This Issue #196 TODAY, July 18: Federal Court Argument Over Florida’s New Discriminatory Housing Law Texas’ TikTok Ban Hit With First Amendment Lawsuit Who Needs Chinese Scientists? America Does National Academies Roundtable Proceedings News and Activities for the Communities TODAY, July 18: Federal Court Argument Over Florida’s New Discriminatory Housing Law WHAT: The U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Florida will hear arguments in Shen v. Simpson . A press conference with the legal team and community leaders will follow. CONTACT : Dr. Jim Moyer, Press Secretary jimmoyer1956@gmail.com Attorney Echo King, President echokinglaw@yahoo.com Allegra Harpootlian, 303-748-4051, aharpootlian@aclu.org WHEN: Tuesday, July 18, 1:30 p.m. ET WHERE: Joseph Woodrow Hatchett U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, 111 N. Adams St., Tallahassee, Florida Court information: https://www.flnd.uscourts.gov/tallahassee On July 18, 2023, the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Florida will hear arguments in Shen v. Simpson, a lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 264, a new Florida law banning many Chinese immigrants, including people here lawfully as professors, students, employees, and scientists, from buying a home in large swaths of the state. This law also unfairly discriminates against immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, but it singles out people from China for especially draconian restrictions and harsher criminal penalties. The lawsuit Shen v. Simpson was filed on May 22, 2023, by four Chinese immigrants who live, work, study, and raise families in Florida, but are now prohibited from purchasing real estate there, as well as a local real estate firm whose business will be affected. The plaintiffs are asking the judge for a preliminary injunction to immediately block the law and declare it unconstitutional.The Chinese immigrants and real estate firm are represented by the DeHeng Law Offices PC, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Florida, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and the law firm Quinn Emanuel in conjunction with the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA). On June 27, the United States Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction challenging this prejudicial new law. Nineteen other groups have also express their support for the injunction. Ashley Gorski from ACLU and Clay Zhu from DeHeng Law Office will be in court arguing that this law violates the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to equal protection under the law and codifies and expands housing discrimination against people of Asian descent — something expressly forbidden by the Fair Housing Act. Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) and the Yick Wo Institution will hold a protest rally on July 18, denouncing the discriminatory SB 264 “Interests of Foreign Countries” Act. This demonstration will consist of a multiracial, multi-state coalition of concerned citizens, some of whom will be traveling in “freedom buses” to Tallahassee the morning of the hearing to support the civil rights of all US citizens and residents.Reminiscent of the “freedom rides” of the 1960s civil rights movement, these protestors have embraced the color YELLOW to symbolize the fight for the rights of the AAPI community.Those attending the rally in front of the courthouse will be wearing yellow.FAAJA was created after many Chinese Floridians, Chinese American groups, and countless other supporters protested in Tallahassee on April 19, 2023, against the passage of this bill,which violates Floridians’ civil rights and liberties. Despite FAAJA’s efforts, this unjust bill was signed into law on May 8, 2023, and took effect on July 1, 2023.This Tallahassee rally is supported by many major organizations with diverse backgrounds including APA Justice Task Force, Committee of 100 (C100), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Greater Houston League of United Latin American Citizens (GH LULAC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Stop AAPI Hate, United Chinese Americans (UCA) and more.The time and location of the press conference will be announced later.FAAJA hereby urges the court to rule in favor of the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary injunction and against this unfair treatment of certain targeted groups of people based on their race and country of origin.Read more coverage of the hearing by APA Justice: https://www.apajustice.org/ 2023/07/11 Shen v. Simpson Document 65: Plaintiffs' Report in Support of Their motion for a Preliminary Injunction . Update on Alien Land Bills On June 27, 2023, Louisiana Governor signed House Bill 537 into state law. It becomes effective on August 1, 2023.Follow the tracking map and state-by-state list of alien land bills at https://bit.ly/43oJ0YI . Read APA Justice's full coverage of Alien Land Bills: https://bit.ly/43epBcl Texas’ TikTok Ban Hit With First Amendment Lawsuit According to a press statement on July 13, 2023, researchers and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, asserting that Texas’s TikTok ban, initially imposed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last year, violates the First Amendment. The ban requires all state agencies, including public universities, to bar employees from downloading or using TikTok on state-owned or -issued devices or networks, as well as on personal devices used to conduct state business. The lawsuit challenges the ban’s application to public university faculty, asserting that it compromises academic freedom and impedes vital research. The Coalition for Independent Technology Research is a group of academics, journalists, civil society researchers, and community scientists that works to advance, defend, and sustain the right to study the impact of technology on society. The coalition’s members include professors at public universities in Texas whose research and teaching have been compromised by the ban. Texas is not the only state to have enacted a TikTok ban of one kind or another. At least 35 states have banned TikTok on state devices and networks. State university systems or universities in 20 states have banned TikTok on university devices, university networks, or both. Montana passed a ban in May 2023; two lawsuits have been filed challenging that law, one by TikTok and another by TikTok users. Coalition for Independent Technology Research v. Abbott (1:23-cv-00783) was filed with the Western District of Texas Austin Division.Read the press statement by the Knight First Amendment Institute : https://bit.ly/43r7W0Q Who Needs Chinese Scientists? America Does According to an opinion published by LA Progressive on July 11, 2023, outside the halls of Congress, where alarm bells constantly go off about the Chinese threat, scientists, research laboratory directors, and university officials recognize what a resource the Chinese scientists are. Xie Xiaoliang is one of Harvard’s premier scientists, a biophysical chemist known for his work on DNA. He’s leaving Harvard to take an academic position in his home country, China, one of about 1400 top Chinese scientists who in recent years have given up their US positions and returned to China.The reason is not so much China’s “Thousand Talents” program, which seeks to entice scientists to return home with promises of lucrative academic and research positions. It’s the lingering effects of the Trump and Biden justice department’s China Initiative.That program sought—with outstanding failure—to weed out Chinese scientists, including Chinese Americans, who were supposedly committing economic espionage. The University of Michigan’s president was among many major university leaders who wrote to the US attorney general to complain about the unfairness of the China Initiative, pointing out its racial profiling, lack of evidence of wrongdoing, and pressure on the university to “investigate researchers who are singled out only because of their personal or professional connections with China.” The open letter was signed by the overwhelming majority of Michigan faculty.The China Initiative has ended, but the careers of a number of prominent scientists of Chinese descent in the US were ruined or set back. Fear stalks Chinese visitors and citizens alike. Put simply, the scientific research of Chinese scientists is crucial to international scientific collaboration ( Karin Fischer , The Chronicle of Higher Education, Latitudes, June 14, 2023).There is, to be sure, reason for caution on national security grounds. Concern about research findings here being conveyed to the Chinese military is real. U.S. universities are well aware of the problem and have developed guidelines for collaborative research with security implications. But overwhelmingly, the view at universities and research facilities is that our society and economy would pay a high price if Chinese scientists were suddenly barred from entry. That means US “visa processes should be streamlined, backlogs cleared and talented individuals given expanded opportunities to obtain green cards,” says one writer long involved in promoting US-China ties.Congress isn’t listening, however; right-wing members, with some support from liberals, believe any contact with Chinese scientists is a national security danger. Recently, 10 Republicans on Rep. Mike Gallagher ’s special committee on China wrote Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge that the U.S. scrap the 1979 US-China Science and Technology Agreement, which is up for renewal. That agreement supports cooperation on many scientific projects in agriculture, physics, and the atmosphere, among other areas. Let’s remember that no one appreciates academic freedom more than visitors from China and other countries under authoritarian rule. When that freedom is violated by harassment and suspicion, word gets back to China very quickly, and the rewards for returning to China, in money and prestige, become tantalizing. Academic freedom is under assault in the U.S. for other reasons these days. It is in our self-interest to protect it from those who really don’t have the national interest at heart. Mel Gurtov , author of the opinion, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University (Oregon) and (from 1994 to 2017) Editor-in-Chief of Asian Perspective, an international affairs quarterly. Read the LA Progressive opinion: https://bit.ly/3XPJBAO Science : New Chinese journal gains impact. According to Science on July 13, 2023, just 3 years after launch, The Innovation , a China-based, English language journal, has made a splash. Last month, it notched a citation impact factor of 32.1—behind only Nature ’s 64.8 and Science ’s 56.9 among multidisciplinary journals—in the annual Journal Citation Reports released by the Clarivate analytics company. A group of young Chinese scientists pooled their savings to get the open-access journal up and running, according to the South China Morning Post , which first reported the story. Despite producing nearly 30% of the world’s reviewed scientific papers, China has produced few highly ranked journals. At least two-thirds of The Innovation ’s published papers come from China-based corresponding authors. It accepts only about 13% of submissions; acceptance rates at Science and Nature are below 10%. Read the Science report: https://bit.ly/44vIyss National Academies Roundtable Proceedings On November 14 and 15, 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) convened a two-day workshop under the auspices of the National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable to assess the state of the U.S. research enterprise in a time of increasing global competition. The workshop also featured discussion of the challenges confronting researchers as they seek to ensure the vitality of research and innovation in America, foster increased international scientific research cooperation, and simultaneously counter illicit foreign interference that threatens national security interests. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.Read the proceedings of the NASEM workshop: https://bit.ly/3K4zWR4 News and Activities for the Communities 1. Asian American Tech Worker Filed Suit According to NBC News on July 12, 2023, A former Asian American employee is suing the Silicon Valley tech company Lumentum, alleging that a yearslong pattern of racism ended with his termination when he tried to speak out. Andre Wong , 52, filed the complaint in the Santa Clara Superior Court on June 30, seeking $20 million in damages. His suit comes amid others by tech workers who say they’re pushing against the “bamboo ceiling,” barriers that have kept Asians from advancing to high-level leadership positions. Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/44JXId0 . 2. First Asian American Miss Texas speaks out against Gov. Abbott’s attack on diversity programs According to AsAmNews on July 8, 2023, Miss Texas is asking Governor Greg Abbott and other conservative lawmakers to stop their assault on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs in the state. Last year, Averie Bishop became the first Asian American to win Miss Texas and went on to compete in the Miss America competition. Since then, she has been using her platform to promote the idea that “Y’all means All.” MSNBC published an Op-Ed written by Bishop that addressed attacks on DEI policies from conservative Texas state lawmakers. The Texas Senate recently passed S.B. 17, in April. The bill bans diversity equity inclusion departments in public universities. The Op-Ed also comes after a recent U.S. Supreme Court deemed affirmative action programs in university admissions unlawful. Bishop wrote that she worried that the state’s “most vulnerable populations” would be ostracized without DEI policies. She believes the policies are essential to building a better Texas. Bishop herself is a first-generation law school graduate. Her mother was a Filipino immigrant. Growing up, she was one of just two visibly Asian students at her school. Now, she sees a different Texas.Bishop said she’s disappointed that many lawmakers do not want to celebrate that diversity. “Gov. Greg Abbott and state leadership must cease its assault on DEI policy and focus on improving the economic and social livelihood of all of us,” Bishop wrote.Read the AsAmNews report: https://bit.ly/3PZxSxB . Read the MSNBC op-ed: https://on.msnbc.com/43rMVn1 Back View PDF July 18, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #233 2/5 Monthly Meeting; USHCA; Restore Scholarship Programs; Enter The Dragon; More #233 2/5 Monthly Meeting; USHCA; Restore Scholarship Programs; Enter The Dragon; More In This Issue #233 · 2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · US Heartland China Association (USHCA) · Call to Restore Severed Scholarship Program · Enter The (Year of The) Dragon · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, February 5, 2024, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC); Joanna YangQing Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC; and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), invited and confirmed speakers are: · Erika Moritsugu (invited), Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House, will kick off the Lunar New Year by reviewing the Year of the Rabbit (2023) and looking forward to the Year of the Dragon (2024). · Lora Lumpe, Chief Executive Officer, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, will tell us about the Quincy Institute and its plans and activities. The Quincy Institute promotes ideas that move U.S. foreign policy away from endless war, toward military restraint and diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace in a world where peace is the norm and war is the exception. On November 13, 2023, it led a coalition of diverse organizations in a letter to Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping calling for more stable and productive bilateral ties. · Min Fan 范敏, Executive Director, US Heartland China Association (USHCA) will introduce USHCA and describe its mission and activities. See below for more description of USHCA. · Sandy Shan, Executive Director, Justice is Global, will share how individuals and organizations can help support grassroot rollout of a US-China climate cooperation bill this spring. In 2020 and 2022 , Justice is Global conducted two community canvassing projects that engaged swing state voters susceptible to anti-immigrant sentiments in conversations about the future of US-China cooperation. The positive outcomes from these two projects informed Justice is Global’s current work in supporting the rollout of a climate cooperation bill. 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 Year of The Dragon - Empowering Justice, Embracing Change According to ChatGPT, "Empowering Justice, Embracing Change: Welcoming the Year of the Dragon 2024 with APA Justice. May this year be a symbol of strength, resilience, and transformative justice for the Asian American community. Let us unite, roar against injustice, and soar towards a future where equality prevails. Happy Lunar New Year from APA Justice - Advocating for a brighter and more just tomorrow!" US Heartland China Association (USHCA) Originally the Midwest U.S.-China Foundation, US Heartland China Association (USHCA) was founded by U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson (IL); John Rodgers , Lawyer and Professor, and Governor Bob Holden (MO), former Chairman of the Midwest Governors Association. USHCA covers 20 states that stretch from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. 430 Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in 84 of the cities within the Heartland region. Our mayors lead 37 of the 100 largest cities in the United States. In the first such visit since the pandemic; USHCA led a bipartisan delegation of six U.S. mayors representing communities along the Mississippi River Basin to visit their counterparts in the People's Republic of China in November 2023. Watch the video of the visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJsS8beUppg (8:25). The six mayors are: · Mayor Jim Brainard , Carmel, Indiana · Mayor Robyn Tannehill , Oxford, Mississippi · Mayor Barbara Buffaloe , Columbia, Missouri · Mayor Kim Norton , Rochester, Minnesota · Mayor Lee Harris , Shelby County, Tennessee · Mayor Chokwe Lumumba , Jackson, Mississippi Min Fan 范敏, Executive Director of USHCA will introduce USHCA and describe its mission and activities at the February 5 APA Justice monthly meeting. Call to Restore Severed Scholarship Program According to a report by Diplomatic Courier on January 31, 2024, nearly 300,000 Chinese higher–education students studied in the U.S. during the 2022–2023 school year , while only around 350 U.S. students studied in China. Closing this gap will be key to improving U.S.–China relations in the long–term.In the 2022–2023 school year there were just under 300,000 Chinese higher–education students studying in America. That is down from a peak of over 370,000 in 2019–2020, yet China remains the largest source of international students in the U.S. education system. By contrast, it has been reported that there are roughly 350 American students currently studying in China [according to US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns , that number has doubled to about 700 during the Jimmy Carter Forum last month], down from 11,639 in the 2018–2019 school year and its peak of just under 15,000 in 2011–2012. Much of this drop has to do with the pandemic preventing study in China, but also deteriorating relations have kept American students away.What is the best method to increase this number? The U.S. should begin sending students to China again through programs like Fulbright, Peace Corps, and the Boren Awards, which have all been closed to China within the past four years.Peace Corps volunteers in China received notice in January 2020 that all programs in China were shutting down. President Donald Trump terminated the China and Hong Kong Fulbright programs on July 14, 2020 via executive order as a response to the Hong Kong national security law that broadly eroded Hong Kong’s independence. These moves were politically charged, short–sighted, and aimed at worsening U.S.–China relations. These programs have been questioned before as a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars, yet they have received bipartisan funding for decades. Shutting these programs down did not set back the Chinese government, but it did constrain American students, would–be China experts, and U.S. national security interests. Why should the U.S. reinstate these programs and increase the number of American students studying in China? Firstly, these programs create the next generation of China experts. Secondly, the U.S. should reimplement these programs to improve U.S.–China relations. There is a bill to bring back the Fulbright program , but it has been sitting in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for almost a year with three cosponsors. These programs also help improve relations in the day–to–day lives of citizens. For many Chinese, the first American they met was in one of these programs. Participants become pseudo–ambassadors for America, sharing our values and views with Chinese who otherwise might never have heard directly from an American.Ultimately, suspending the Fulbright, Peace Corps, and Boren Awards for Americans in China harms, rather than protects, national security and the future of U.S.–China relations. A crucial step in improving and preparing for the future of U.S.–China relations is to reestablish these government–funded grants. This way, future public servants will be able to more accurately understand, interact with, and create policy on China.Read the Diplomatic Courier report: https://bit.ly/3HGQrRO According to AP News on January 29, 2024, the Chinese government has protested to the United States over the treatment of Chinese arriving to study in America, saying some have been interrogated for hours, had their electronic devices checked and in some cases were forcibly deported from the country. Xie Feng , the Chinese ambassador in Washington, said dozens of Chinese holding valid visas have been denied entry over the past few months when returning to school from overseas travel or visiting relatives in China. The protest comes as the U.S. and China try to boost student and other exchanges to shore up their relations, which have turned confrontational in recent years over trade, technology, human rights and, more fundamentally, the future direction of the world.China’s state media have reported at least three cases since November at Dulles where Chinese students lost their valid student visas, received a five-year entry ban and were repatriated following long hours of interrogations. They were asked if their studies were financed by the Chinese government, if they were members of the Chinese Communist Party or its youth arm, and if their research was linked to the Chinese government, the Chinese military or key state laboratories. The students were headed to the National Cancer Institute, Yale University and the University of Maryland respectively.Read the AP News report: https://bit.ly/3OpWMF5 Enter The (Year of The) Dragon According to NBC News , it is the Year of the Dragon, and people can expect a lot of good fortune — but only if they are harnessing the animal’s most important quality: compassion.Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — will begin February 10, kicking off more than two weeks of festivities, customs and plenty of feasts. It celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a fresh year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.The upcoming year’s dragon sign is perhaps the most popular zodiac creature, associated with a host of positive qualities such as nobility, wealth and wisdom. The year’s dragon sign is, more specifically, a wood dragon. The element of wood is seen in Daoist tradition as a return to the natural state of being, which in the dragon’s case, points to a return to kindness. And Confucian thought interprets wood as a symbol of unlimited potential. The dragon, which corresponds to years 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 and 2024, has long been associated with highly valued traits, according to Jonathan H. X. Lee , a professor of Chinese folklore and religion at San Francisco State University. Those born in the year of the dragon are often said to be generous, make great leaders and have a lot of charisma. Read the NBC News report: https://nbcnews.to/47XogZy News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/02/01 CAMDC Deadline for Essay Contest2024/02/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/02/10 New Year's Day of the Year of the Dragon2024/02/13-15 Senior Executives Association Senior Executive Leadership Summit2024/02/13 Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism WHAT: Committee of 100: The Career Ceiling Challenges in Journalism WHEN: February 13, 2024, 5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern Time WHERE: Online Fireside ChatHOST: Committee of 100MODERATOR: Peter Young, Committee of 100 member and Chair of the Committee of 100 Asian American Career Ceiling InitiativeSPEAKERS: · Nicole Dungca, Investigative Reporter, Washington Post and President of the Asian American Journalist Association · Amy Qin, National Correspondent, The New York Times DESCRIPTION: Asian Americans have faced significant career obstacles in the Journalism industry, as is true in many industries,. Our two panelists will share their observations about the career ceilings problem in Journalism, their own personal experiences, and the advice that they would give to Asian Americans pursuing careers in the industry. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3u0p6qM 3. SEA: Senior Executive Leadership Summit WHAT : Hybrid Event 2024 Senior Executive Leadership Summit WHEN: February 13-15, 2024 WHERE: Online and In-Person: Partnership for Public Service, 600 14th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 HOST: Senior Executives Association DESCRIPTION: As the premier annual conference on public service leadership, the summit will inspire, develop and connect leaders across government, with a focus on current and aspiring Senior Executive Service (SES) members. This three-day event will include world-class keynote speakers, esteemed panels and productive group breakout discussions that will address the current obstacles federal leaders are facing and how to break boundaries and lead despite these challenges. REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/3HDSaay Back View PDF February 1, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #159 1/9 Meeting; Thomas Keon Under Fire; Franklin Tao; NSF Grant Inequity; Community News #159 1/9 Meeting; Thomas Keon Under Fire; Franklin Tao; NSF Grant Inequity; Community News In This Issue #159 2023/01/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon Under Fire Update on the Case of Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰 Asian Researchers Face Disparity With National Science Foundation Asian American and Academic Community News and Activities 01/09/2023 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, January 9, 2023. Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), to review 2022 and look to what is ahead in 2023 Sherry Chen 陈霞芬 , Hydrologist, U.S. Department of Commerce, to remark on her historic settlement and justice Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans, and Vincent Wang 王文奎 , Co-organizer, APA Justice; Chair, Ohio Chinese American, to recap Justice for Sherry Chen Congressional Reception and more Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, and Ashley Gorski , Senior Staff Attorney, National Security Project, ACLU, look forward to 2023 after the historic settlement of Sherry Chen as the Top 4 ACLU accomplishment in 2022: the Third Circuit Court decision on Professor Xiaoxing Xi's case; questioning of Asian American scientists at the border; upcoming debate in Congress about whether to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which may increasingly sweep up people communicating with family, friends, and business contacts in China; and efforts to strengthen protections against profiling and discrimination by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). John Trasvina , Civil Rights Attorney; Former Counsel, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution; Former Dean, University of San Francisco School of Law, to discuss the nomination for U.S. Attorney of Eastern District of Tennessee John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC on the Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program and Related Activities 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, Vincent Wang, and Jeremy Wu - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Read past monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP . Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon Under Fire On January 5, 2023, Inside Higher Ed published " Battling the Fallout of a Racist Comment ." According to the report, Purdue Northwest (PNW) faculty members want Chancellor Thomas L. Keon to step down after a racist remark. Keon is clinging to his job despite a reprimand from the Board of Trustees. As pressure mounts both on and off campus, Keon is resisting calls for his resignation.On December 14, Keon issued an apology. On December 16, the PNW chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) concludes in a press release that "the time has come for Chancellor Keon to resign, or else to be removed by the Purdue University Board of Trustees." On December 22, Purdue’s Board of Trustees announced that it had reprimanded Keon for his “offensive and insensitive” joke, which was “unbecoming of his role as chancellor, and unacceptable for an occasion that should be remembered solely for its celebratory and unifying atmosphere.” The day before the reprimand, the PNW Faculty Senate passed a vote of no confidence in the chancellor and requested Keon's resignation.“What he did was reprehensible, and no one who has done anything that offensive should ever be in a position to represent a university,” said Thomas Roach , PNW’s Faculty Senate chair. “And the Board of Trustees should know that, and they should have removed him immediately without us having to take that vote. The board is treating it as if he made this little mistake, and they don’t want to damage his career because of one mistake. Well, that’s a pretty big mistake for the chancellor of the university.” In addition to the faculty, some PNW student groups denounced Keon. Condemnations of the chancellor’s actions have also rolled in from outside groups, including the Asian American Scholars Forum , Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education , Association for Asian American Studies , OCA , Japanese American Citizens League , National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum Indiana Chapter , Committee of 100 , Friends of the Chinese American Museum , and Asian American Alliance. On January 6, the Urban League asked Keon to resign from his post on its local affiliate's board.On January 1, Mung Chiang 蔣濛 , a Chinese American born in China, began his tenure as the 13th President of Purdue University . At age 47, he is the youngest president of an Association of American Universities (AAU) university. Observers and advocates are reportedly hoping Chiang will address the issue regarding the chancellor. Update on the Case of Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰 Kansas University (KU) Professor Franklin Tao was the first academic to be indicted under the now-defunct "China Initiative" in August 2019.On January 18, 2023, Dr. Tao will be sentenced on a single count for false statements that he did not disclose his relationship with Fuzhou University (FZU) in China as a Chang Jiang Distinguished Professor. There was no evidence that Dr. Tao received any payment from FZU, but the disclosure was false because Dr. Tao had conflicts of time or interest, according to the government. As a result of the conviction of one count, Dr. Tao faces a sentencing guideline range of 0-6 months. Federal prosecutors want a sentence of 30 months in prison.According to the Sentencing Memorandum , attorneys for Dr. Tao requested a sentence of time-served, concluding that: "Dr. Tao not only has no criminal history; he has no prior arrests. There can be no serious suggestion that Dr. Tao is at risk to re-offend. Given that Dr. Tao has essentially been on probation for the past three and one-half years, required to wear an ankle-bracelet and unable to travel without Court permission; given the ruinous effect of this prosecution on his career, his life, and his family and his finances, a sentence of time-served is appropriate and justified. This conviction, alone, is enough, and is no 'slap on the wrist': the life that Dr. Tao knew prior to his arrest is over, forever. He was convicted of a felony—a label that he will be forced to wear for the rest of his life. He and his family have already endured great psychological trauma during the last three and one half years, with everlasting consequences for all of them. His family is on the brink of bankruptcy. No pecuniary harm resulted from Dr. Tao’s conduct. In the circumstances of this case, a sentence of time-served is sufficient to satisfy the statutory purposes of sentencing." Professor Tao was originally charged with eight counts of wire fraud and two counts of false statements. After the government voluntarily dismissed one wire fraud and one false statement count before trial, the jury acquitted Professor Tao of three additional wire-fraud charges and one false statement charge. The Court subsequently granted Professor Tao’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal and acquitted Dr. Tao on the three remaining wire fraud counts. The lone remaining count is false statements.Read more about Dr. Tao's case at https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK Asian Researchers Face Disparity With National Science Foundation On January 4, 2023, the New York Times reported on " Asian Researchers Face Disparity With Key U.S. Science Funding Source. " According to the report, White researchers fared best in winning grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) based on the findings of a paper published in November in the journal eLife . Asians encounter the highest rate of rejections, challenging an academic stereotype. The NSF is a federal agency that finances several billion dollars in grants each year to support a swath of basic science research in the United States, including biology, chemistry, computer science, geosciences, mathematics and physics. For university professors and others in academia, the NSF often provides the crucial financial lifeblood for a successful career. From 1999 to 2019, the proportion of proposals that received funding fluctuated between 22 and 34 percent depending on the number of submissions and the available budget, which varies based on yearly congressional appropriations. In 2019, for example, NSF received 41,024 proposals and financed 27.4 percent of them. A typical grant lasts three years, and the average annual award amount that year, including both new awards and continuing awards, was $189, 000.Latino scientists did slightly better than average that year, with 29 percent of their proposals funded, and proposals by Black scientists did slightly worse than average, at 26.5 percent. For proposals led by white scientists, 31.3 percent were funded, while only 22.7 percent of those led by Asian scientists were funded. The eCell paper was authored by seven researchers led by Dr. Christine Yifeng Chen , a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It was also reported and discussed by the American Physical Society on November 8, 2022. The eCell paper infers that white scientists have received a “surplus” of 12,820 NSF awards over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, Asian scientists have a “deficit” of 9701 awards. For Black and Hispanic scientists, the deficits are 417 and 175 awards, respectively. The racial disparity issue echoes a commentary published last year in the journal Cell by Yuh Nung Jan , a professor of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, that showed that Asian scientists in biomedical research rarely received top prizes in their fields. Dr. Jan found that just 57, or less than 7 percent, of 838 winners of American biomedical prizes were Asian, even though Asian scientists now account for more than a fifth of the researchers in these fields. The NSF will launch a new program called Analytics for Equity this month, asking researchers to propose projects that would investigate diversity data at the NSF and other federal agencies. The National Science Board, which sets policy for NSF, voted to establish a commission to study NSF review process, citing “internal and external reports of racial disparities in merit review." Asian American and Academic Community News and Activities Portman Amendment Excluded from FY23 NDAA. On December 9, 2023, seven community groups including APA Justice issued a press release applauding the exclusion of Senate Amendment 5810, the Safeguarding American Innovation Act, in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023. Introduced by Senator Rob Portman , this amendment would have had long standing impacts and ramifications for the broader Asian American and immigrant communities, particularly those of Chinese descent. It would have criminalized disclosures on federal grant applications and subjected immigrants, scientists, researchers and their families to imprisonment, steep civil fines, immigrant visa restrictions, and enduring damage. Supported by dozens of other immigrant rights groups, Asian American advocates, and professional organizations, the coalition submitted a formal letter to the offices of House Speaker Pelosi , House Minority Leader McCarthy , Senate Majority Leader Schumer , and Senate Minority Leader McConnell . AASF Campaign on Disclosure Requirements. After their submission of recommendations to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is continuing its campaign on disclosure requirements. Organizations are welcomed to join. The goal is to educate groups such as the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association that do not normally work on science or research security to become more engaged in disclosure issues. Read more about the AASF recommendations at https://bit.ly/3ZihfPZ . Contact Gisela Kusakawa , AASF Executive Director, for more details at gpkusakawa@aasforum.org Growing Concerns about Border Harassment. There are growing concerns that students and faculty of Asian origin, particularly those of Chinese origin, are increasingly getting harassed at the border. Members of the Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) were reportedly too frightened to travel abraod during the holidays and kept their travels domestic. AASF is gathering stories from its members and the community network in partnership with the US-Asia Institute at the New York University Law School. Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director of the ACLU National Security Project, will include this topic as part of his talk at the APA Justice monthly meeting on January 9, 2023. The President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Commission held its fourth public meeting over the course of two days on December 5-6, 2022, to approve additional recommendations for submission to President Joe Biden. Watch the meeting on YouTube day one (video 2:03:08) and day two (video 1:59:13). The Commission released its inaugural report detailing recommendations on six primary areas - Belonging, Inclusion, Anti-Asian Hate, Anti-Discrimination; Health Equity; Immigration and Citizenship Status; Language Access; Data Disaggregation; and Economic Equity - that were approved on May 12, 2022, and transmitted to the President on August 24, 2022. In addition to the December meeting, the Commission held public meetings in February, May, and September. Learn more about the Commission and the Biden Administration's whole-of-government approach to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. https://bit.ly/3invK4g 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 January 9, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #208 Alien Land Laws; Voice from Guam; Asian American History; Statisticians in China; More #208 Alien Land Laws; Voice from Guam; Asian American History; Statisticians in China; More In This Issue #208 Tell Congress NO to Alien Land Laws and the Rounds Amendment A Voice from Guam - "Applying Leverage to Uncle Sam" Asian American History - The AsianWeek Database Project Statisticians in China Speak Up On Transparency of Chinese Government Data News and Activities for The Communities Tell Congress NO to Alien Land Laws and the Rounds Amendment Reminder: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) put out a call for the public to tell Congress: Say NO to Discriminatory Land Laws. Tell your Members of Congress to speak out against any law that falsely equates Chinese people with the Chinese government." We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Take one easy step to tell Congress NO to discriminatory land laws at https://bit.ly/3qRsFOh Breaking News: The National Fair Housing Alliance announced that it will file a lawsuit against the discriminatory alien land law in Florida during the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 11, 2023. Correction : Scott Chang, an attorney for the National Fair Housing Alliance, said that NFHA and other organizations are still investigating and are likely to file a lawsuit against the discriminatory alien land law in Florida during the APA Justice monthly meeting on September 11, 2023 1. Call for Action by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Advancing Justice | AAJC is also urging the public to join the opposition against Senate Amendment 813 otherwise known as the “Rounds Amendment” and say NO to this discriminatory land law. Follow the link here to voice your concerns to Congress. Additional resources on discriminatory land laws can also be found here . The U.S. has seen a resurgence of discriminatory land laws introduced and enacted in states across the country! Similar legislation has also been proposed in Congress and the latest example is the Senate Amendment 813 which has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.Introduced by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-ND), the provision would effectively prohibit foreign nationals from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from owning agricultural land in the United States. It would require the President to block specific types of transactions based on recommendations from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). There are currently no exceptions for visa holders and there is a high standard for a waiver which has to be granted by the President of the United States. The good news is that there is still time to prevent the Rounds amendment from being formally adopted into law.Call your member of Congress and urge them to strike Senate Amendment 813 from the final version of the NDAA. When you talk with your elected official(s), let them know that you oppose continuing the legacy of discriminatory land laws. These types of discriminatory land laws have a long legacy in this country and single out citizens who otherwise have no connection to the actions of their governments, including the countries which have been deemed to be a “foreign adversary.” The amendment was adopted and subsequently included in the Senate version of the NDAA but coalition groups are currently applying pressure to strike out the amendment in conferencing. Help us win this fight! 2. National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Webinar On September 12, 2023, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) hosted a webinar titled " "Alien Land Laws: What's Happening Now and How You Can Take Action." Texas State Representative Gene Wu 吳元之 , who helped defeat Texas’ alien land law proposal, was the featured speaker to offer his insights. The success in Texas, where grassroots efforts narrowly blocked a reckless alien land law bill, underscores the power of collective action. This event was co-hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). The webinar covered an in-depth analysis of the alien land laws, strategies on how to engage and counter these measures, call to action on fighting the Rounds Amendment, and a platform to ask questions and share concerns during a Q&A segment.Watch the NIAC webinar: https://bit.ly/45R0EWr (1:03:55) A Voice from Guam - "Applying Leverage to Uncle Sam" According to the Pacific Island Times on September 11, 2023, August was a busy month for federal travel to Guahan (Guam in Chamorro). The island was treated to the “scoping” meetings on the Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (EIAMDS) on Guam. This occurred over three days in early August. The event was well-managed and well-staffed. We had representatives of the Missile Defense Agency that included flag officers and devoted advocates for the system.According to the report, "the organization of the events in poster sessions rather than townhall-style helped provide in-depth information but also avoided a public question and answer session."Criticisms of the planned EIAMDS were inevitable and on-point. The island is being offered a group of 20 'candidate' sites with little explanation about the actual uses of the sites and the intrusions they would make on our day-to-day lives. There was no explanation about which sites were just shooters or radar or sensor sites. There was no explanation about limitations made on uses of airspace and lands near the candidate sites. "There was a lot of discussion about how the island needs protection from ostensible Chinese missiles and the estimation of potential conflict was rated from probable to inevitable. We were told that we live in a dangerous world in which Chinese initiatives are rearranging the geopolitical character of the region. "At the end of the day, we weren’t being asked about whether we agreed with this assessment or how much of our lives and island we were willing to leverage in order to deal with this ominous trend. We were asked to make comments on the 'environmental impacts' of the proposed activity. The basic decision is out of our hands as a colony of the United States. "Many Guahan elected officials privately told me that 'leverage' is the key word. We shouldn’t worry too much. We will be able to leverage this massive intrusion into our lives in order to benefit the island. Leverage is the key word. "Paraphrasing Isaiah in the Bible, we can turn these Pentagon swords into Guam plowshares for our people. I could hardly wait for the opportunity to start leveraging the EIAMDS into hospitals, schools, jobs and businesses. Maybe we could throw in a little political empowerment. Not too much to ask for a vitally important colony which we were constantly told is part of the U.S. homeland. In the discourse over missile defense, Guam is part of America."The House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight field hearing on August 24 at the Guam Hilton. The title of the hearing was 'Peace Through Strength: The Strategic Importance of the Pacific Islands to U.S.-led Global Security.' Called to testify were Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios . The three freely associated states were represented by Foreign Ministers Kaleb Udui Jr. of Palau, Ricky Cantero of the Federated States of Micronesia and Jack Ading of the Marshall Islands. "The purpose of the hearing was basically to build regional support for the U.S.-led Global Security efforts in this part of the world. This means that the Chinese threat across the board demands dramatic American action in order to stabilize the environment and continue U.S. hegemony. The role of the Micronesian islands is key to this effort, especially the recently concluded financial agreements between the United States and the three freely associated states."In order to ensure approval of these agreements by Congress, the identified rationales are the threats posed by China and the necessity of U.S. dominance. This field hearing will be used as part of the corpus of justification for approval of the compacts. The robust financial arrangements that have already been concluded can be seen as the 'leverage' that our Micronesian neighbors have been able to exert in Washington D.C. When and how was the leverage going to be applied by the territories?"Taking center stage were illegal fishing activities by the Chinese, descriptions of Chinese economic penetration in the CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and Palau and allegations of bribery of officials in the FSM (Federated States of Micronesia)."Leverage is when you point out to the other side the negative consequences of not going along with your plan. There was no leverage, just the usual typical kind of hat-in-hand request, which many Guam officials have done for decades. "There is a rhetorical pattern that many island leaders can’t seem to shake. They think that loving Uncle Sam is a viable strategy for getting respect and assistance. The use of World War II experiences was vital to this approach. "But there is a lesson which everyone needs to know now. In the 21st century, asking Uncle Sam for assistance because we are poor, but loyal islanders neither attracts attention nor does it get rewarded. It is just old hat in Washington D.C. and actually has been since the time of Congressman Antonio B. Won Pat , who did use it effectively for a few years. But he had an audience in Congress that consisted of World War II veterans. That Congress does not exist anymore."The disruption caused by the ascendency of China is real. It has political, economic and strategic dimensions. It is unfortunate that in response to Chinese economic penetration, the primary antidote that Washington D.C. can think of for us is an anti-missile defense system. It took former National Guard General Rod Leon Guerrero to remind us that diplomacy should come first and that the EIAMDS should be a last resort. It isn’t exactly the message of the protestors, but it was closer than all of the other words uttered that day by our leaders."Author of the report is Dr. Robert Underwood, Former President of the University of Guam and Former Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). He is also Commissioner to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Please send your feedback to him at anacletus2010@gmail.com .Read the Pacific Island Times report: https://bit.ly/48c2in2 Asian American History - The AsianWeek Database Project From 1979 to 2009, AsianWeek chronicled the growth and development of Asian Pacific America within American history. Today, the AsianWeek Database Project brings back three decades of news, education, and entertainment surrounding the Asian American community. You can rediscover the people and events documented in the historical pages of the AsianWeek newspaper and website. Anyone can easily access this trove of information — for research, for reference, or to simply remember these important times in the community at: https://www.asianweek.com/ . In a beta version (there are typographical errors in the transcribed text that will be corrected in future versions), AsianWeek reported on "DOE's New Ombudsperson" on March 9, 2000.According to the report, " Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 faces a daunting task as the Energy Department's new ombudsperson, an office created as a result of a January report by the department's task force on racial profiling."He seeks to address the continuing problems within the department, especially among its Asian American staff, about the criminal prosecution of physicist Wen Ho Lee 李文和 . Many Asian Americans have rallied to the defense of Lee, as allegations have been made that he was singled out simply because of his Chinese heritage. "As a result, Wu says one of his goals is restore 'trust and faith through effective actions that would combat racial stereotyping or profiling and other unfair practices in the workplace, making the Energy Department 'a workplace of choice for not just Asian Americans but all Americans.'In an exclusive phone interview with AsianWeek just weeks after taking office, Wu discussed his responsibilities as the person who must 'identify systemic issues; gain some understanding of systematic issues; and recommend to managers or Energy Secretary [ Bill Richardson ] directly policy changes to benefit all managers and employees.'"The report was written by Frank H. Wu 吴华扬 (no relation to Jeremy Wu), an associate professor at Howard University Law School at that time. Today, he is President, Queen's College, City University of New York.Jeremy Wu retired from the federal government and is Founder and Co-Organizer of APA Justice.Dr. Steven Chu 朱棣文 served as the 12th Secretary of Energy under the Obama Administration from January 21, 2009, to April 22, 2013. He is the first person appointed to the U.S. Cabinet after having won a Nobel Prize. He is also the second Chinese American to be a member of the U.S. Cabinet.Bill Richardson passed away on September 1, 2023.Read the beta version of the March 2000 AsianWeek report: https://bit.ly/3sTvvDf Statisticians in China Speak Up On Transparency of Chinese Government Data According to the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a non-government think tank in Beijing, the decision on August 15, 2023, by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China to suspend the release of youth unemployment rates caught many by surprise. The NBS spokesperson's explanation for this decision, which cited differing public opinions on the scope and methodology of statistical calculations, was met with sharp skepticism and stinging cynicism.This development has reignited discussions about the government's transparency in statistical reporting. According to China's leading statisticians, while the NBS has made significant efforts to enhance the quality of statistical data, there remains a crucial need for China to draw lessons from the statistical systems of many Western governments. These systems often feature vibrant and open debates between the government and scholars.Statistical data is foundational for effective and sound economic choices, and the government should either make corrections or provide explanations when official figures are in doubt. The discrepancy between official figures and public perception is not uncommon, usually owing to people’s predominant exposure to specific sectors of the economy. This highlights the importance of providing statistical breakdowns that can help mitigate personal biases and boost public acceptance. It is essential for statistical bureaus to tune into the actual needs of the public and the market, and remain responsive by offering clarity on statistical indicators. A book reading event took place on June 18, 2023, nearly two months before the controversial NBS decision. Excerpts of the discussion by three academics are given below. 1. Wu Xiaoying 伍晓鹰, Research Professor of Economics at National School of Development and head of the Growth Lab "it was a daunting challenge to transform an outdated national statistical system designed for a planned economy and under Soviet influences to align with international standards and integrate into the international market and society."National statistical data are public goods... While national statistical agencies produce and manage data with public resources, they are not and should not be the exclusive owners of statistical data. "By reiterating that such data is a public good, we also encourage public scrutiny."Openness and competition are necessary to improve statistical data quality... the pivotal step is to welcome skepticism and recommendations from scholars at academic institutions and other government agencies."We should learn from the statistical system in many Western governments... Instead of complaining that the West dominates the rules, why can't we proactively participate in the rule-setting process?" 2. Huang Yiping 黄益平, Deputy Dean of the National School of Development and Director of the Institute of Digital Finance "China's statistical data, especially the earlier records, is indeed in doubt."Many may not be aware of the efforts statistical departments have taken to enhance data quality. "The NBS has made tremendous efforts to improve the quality of statistical data... This skepticism isn't baseless – manipulation of data did happen in the past."As someone who uses statistical data on a regular basis, I sometimes find a significant discrepancy between official figures and our intuitive perceptions."Despite differences between personal perceptions and the statistical data, the official figures are not necessarily faulty. "It's crucial to tune into what the public and the market really need. Statistics bureaus should ramp up their communication efforts with both groups to clarify data and indicators. "Even if such insights don't resonate with everyone, they can still significantly boost public comprehension and acceptance of data." 3. Xu Xianchun 许宪春, Distinguished Fellow at National School of Development of Peking University "If everyone publicly praises statistical work but privately criticizes the accuracy of the data, that would be unfortunate. I think different voices should be earnestly listened to to identify areas of concern and make necessary improvements."Whether it's for analyzing economic and social development trends, policy formulation, or academic research, government statistical data holds immense significance."If data discrepancies are found, regional statistical departments cannot alter them; corrections must be made at the enterprise level."Read the CCG report: https://bit.ly/48ckCwa News and Activities for The Communities APA Justice Community Calendar APA Justice has launched a Community Calendar to track events and activities of potential interest to the Asian Pacific American and academic communities. Options are available to look at a monthly, weekly, or a daily calendar, as well as an agenda view with event details. You can find the Community Calendar on the front page of the APA Justice website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . 1. National Science Foundation Listening Sessions According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Science Foundation will host two listening sessions on the implementation of the Framework for Federal Scientific Integrity Policy and Practice developed by the National Science and Technology Council. The listening sessions, open to the public, aim to collect information perspectives to inform “(1) Federal agencies' finalization of Scientific Integrity Policies, in response to the Framework and its implementation memorandum from the Office of Science and Technology Policy ; (2) Federal agency processes, procedures, and practices related to scientific integrity; and (3) other elements of Federal implementation of the Framework.” The sessions will take place Friday, September 15, 1–3 p.m. ET and Wednesday, September 20, 5–7 p.m. ET. Register for the sessions: https://bit.ly/3PjupIo . The event is posted in the APA Justice Community Calendar: https://bit.ly/45KGyga 2. Teachers Workshop - Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature WHAT: 2023 Teachers Workshop "Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature" WHEN: September 27, 2023, 3:30pm PT/6:30 pm ET HOST: 1990 Institute EVENT DETAILS: https://bit.ly/48c4g6K PRESS KIT: https://bit.ly/466d2S2 TARGET GRADES: 6-12 DESCRIPTION: Expert speakers on this subject to help teachers bring a nuanced dialogue on intersectional perspectives into classroom discussions. In particular, we want to encourage teachers to bring oft-missing Asian American perspectives to their students and encourage more inclusive community building and understanding.The event is posted in the APA Justice Community Calendar: https://bit.ly/45KGyga . Back View PDF September 14, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

Newsletter - #147 WSJ on Outflow; 10/3 Meeting; NAPA Fellows; OSTP Director Confirmed; Zhengdong Cheng #147 WSJ on Outflow; 10/3 Meeting; NAPA Fellows; OSTP Director Confirmed; Zhengdong Cheng Back View PDF September 26, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter