#21 Anti-Racial Profiling Project Launches; UPenn Webinar; Chinese American Museum Back View PDF October 7, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

#166 Webinar/Texas; Wen Ho Lee/Xiaoxing Xi, NYPD Angwang; 1/9 Meeting Summary; Arrowood In This Issue #166 Update on Houston Rally and Mini Series Webinars From Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to Today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Yet Another Victim of The "China Initiative" - Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 2023/01/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted Biden Administration Will Not Renominate Casey Arrowood Update on First Webinar and Houston Rally Against Racist Bills "A Call to Stop SB 147 and All Alien Land Laws" Webinar on February 17, 2023 The first of two webinars in a mini series on the discriminatory Texas Senate Bill 147 and historical alien land laws will be held on Friday, February 17, 2023, starting at 5 pm ET/4 pm CT/2 p.m. PT. Panelists for the webinar include Gene Wu 吳元之 , Representative, Texas House of Representatives Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Attorney, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) Jamal Abdi , President, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) David Donatti , Staff Attorney, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), is invited to give the opening remark.The webinar is co-sponsored by United Chinese Americans (UCA, www.ucausa.org ), APA Justice ( www.apajustice.org ) and 1882 Foundation ( www.1882foundation.org )Register for the webinar here: http://bit.ly/3jXSPv9 Houston Rally Against Racist Bills on February 11, 2023 Texas State Representative Gene Wu 吳元之 and a coalition of community organizations led a rally in Houston on February 11, 2023, to protest against the proposed discriminatory Senate Bills 147 and 552. Joining the rally and speaking to condemn the discriminatory bills were Sheila Jackson Lee , Al Green , and Lizzie Fletcher , members of U.S. Congress; Rep. Ron Reynolds , Vice Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus; Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner ; Alice Chen 谭秋晴 , City Council Member, City of Stafford, Texas; David Donatti , Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas; and members of the Chinese, Korean, Iranian, and other immigrant communities.Professor Steven Pei 白先慎 , Co-Organizer of APA Justice, was on the ground and spoke at the rally. He provided the organizers with 1,000 yellow whistles with the message of "We Belong" for distribution to rally participants. The whistles added significant volume to the voices at the rally. The event was livestreamed at Facebook and can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3HYqVaj (video 2:01:07). A photo album on the rally is here: http://bit.ly/3YFVl86 Media Reports on Houston Rally and More On February 11, 2023, Click2Houston reported on the rally by the Asian American community and leaders to express outrage for Texas Senate Bill 147. According to the report, “This type of legislation. This growing anti-Asian and anti-immigrant sentiment is a direct attack on our community and on our city, quite frankly,” Texas State Representative Gene Wu 吳元之 said. “Senate Bill 147 should not be addressed at the state level,” Congressman Al Green said. “This is something we can do at the federal level because we have a committee on foreign investments to do just this.”Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says one-quarter of the city is foreign-born and comes from outside of the US. He says the bill sets the wrong tone. “And then how do you enforce it? Do you assume? Or put the burden on every Asian American to demonstrate that they do not have any affiliation with one of those countries,” he said.Watch and read the Click2Houston report: https://bit.ly/3YsAkOv According to YahooNews on February 9, 2023, foreign ownership of farmland and other real estate, particularly by Chinese citizens or businesses, is becoming a hot issue in the United States, and not only in Texas. Florida, Arkansas, South Dakota and eight other states are considering legislation to restrict foreign ownership.Texas, though, may be a bellwether. With 28.8 million citizens, Texas is the second most populous state. Of its residents, 1.4 million define their ethnicity as Asian, and 223,500 say they are of Chinese origin, US census data shows. Houston, the fourth largest US city, has 156,000 residents who identify as Asian. They include US citizens with Asian heritage but also Chinese permanent residents -- or green card holders -- who are not naturalized citizens. Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst , sponsor of Texas Senate Bill 147, said that her proposed bans would not affect people with US citizenship or permanent resident status nor anyone "fleeing the tyranny" in their homelands. For Ling Luo 罗玲 , a first-generation Chinese immigrant and director of the Asian Americans Leadership Council, such statements are not convincing -- even to US citizens like herself."Who knows if you're a citizen or you aren't a citizen? It's not written on your face. Your Chinese face is what makes people come and abuse us, hate us, to beat us up," she said.Read the YahooNews report: https://yhoo.it/3E31Z0o From Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to Today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 Sharyl Attkisson is a five-time Emmy Award winning investigative journalist. She hosts the Sinclair Broadcast Group TV show Full Measure , as well as a Podcast.According to Attkisson Podcast 173 on February 2, 2023, from Wen Ho Lee 李文和 in 1999 to today's Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 , the FBI has for decades been wrongly accusing numerous innocent Chinese American scientist of being spies. This episode includes never-before-discussed background on the Wen Ho Lee story, which Attkisson broke on CBS News as a young reporter. Attkisson advises that when the government leaks a story, do not accept it at face value, conduct research, and check with reliable and trusted sources. Attkisson cited Wen Ho Lee as a case in point. More than 20 years ago, she received a tip that the People's Republic of China had stolen the design plan for the W-88 American thermonuclear warhead, but there was no suspect or how it was lost. When the government leaked the identity of a suspect in the name of Chinese American nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee, a Chinese American nuclear scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, before an arrest or charges were made, Attkisson was skeptical and did not follow other media in repeating the government's story as if Lee was already guilty. Based on the sources Attkisson had talked to, she concluded that the government used Lee as a scapegoat out of the embarrassment that the FBI and the government did not know how the W-88 secrets were lost. Attkisson then went on to tell the horrific behavior of the FBI falsifying information about Lee's lie detector tests. Wen Ho Lee either passed or failed his spy-related polygraph test depending on who was interpreting the results. Attkisson's video report is no longer available online, but the written report titled Wen Ho Lee's Problematic Polygraph is online here: https://cbsn.ws/3YM5qk7 Wen Ho Lee took a polygraph test on December 23, 1998, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Because Lee, a Taiwanese American had recently been to Taiwan, had visited China in the past, and purportedly had access to America's top nuclear secrets, the FBI focused on him as the prime suspect in the emerging case. According to the Podcast, the FBI still was not close to making an arrest even at the beginning of the test, but the Department of Energy's (DOE) head of counterintelligence, Ed Curran, was reluctant to leave Lee in his highly sensitive job in the Los Alamos laboratory's X Division. So he ordered the polygraph test. FBI agents were standing by ready to interrogate Lee if his polygraph answers proved to be deceptive. Lee was asked four espionage-related questions. The polygraph results were so convincing and unequivocal that sources say the Deputy Director of the Los Alamos lab issued an apology to Lee and began to reinstate Lee to the X Division. Furthermore, sources confirmed to CBS News that the local Albuquerque FBI office sent a memo to Headquarters in Washington saying it appeared that Lee was not their spy. The key decision makers in Washington were unconvinced. Several weeks after the polygraph, DOE decided to assign the unusual designation of the polygraph being incomplete. And officials in Washington also ordered a halt to Lee's reinstatement to the X Division. When FBI Headquarters in Washington finally obtained the DOE polygraph results, they said Lee had failed. The FBI then did their own testing of Lee and then claimed again that he failed the polygraph. Yet sources say the FBI didn't interrogate Lee or even tell him that he had failed the polygraph, which is an odd deviation from procedure for agents who are taught to immediately question anyone who is deceptive in a polygraph. Then on March 7, 1999, the FBI ordered another interrogation of Lee. This time in a confrontational style interview. One special agent doing the questioning told Lee no fewer than 30 times he had failed his polygraph. He repeatedly demanded Lee to know why. One investigative source told Attkisson that after this particular day of questioning, the lead FBI agent verbalized that she thought Lee was not the right man, but again others still remained unconvinced. Here are some selected excerpts from the interrogation: FBI special agent: "You're never going to pass a polygraph. And you're never going to have a clearance. And you're not going to have a job. And if you get arrested you're not going to have a retirement...If I don't have something that I can tell Washington as to why you're failing those polygraphs, I can't do a thing." Lee: "Well I don't understand." FBI special agent: "I can't get you your job. I can't do anything for you, Wen Ho. I can't stop the newspapers from knocking on your door. I can't stop the newspapers from calling your son. I can't stop the people from polygraphing your wife. I can't stop somebody from coming and knocking on your door and putting handcuffs on you." Lee: "I don't know how to handle this case, I'm an honest person and I'm telling you all the truth and you don't believe it. I, that's it." FBI special agent: "Do you want to go down in history whether you're professing your innocence like the Rosenbergs to the day that they take you to the electric chair?" Lee: "I believe eventually, and I think God, God will make it his judgement." FBI Culture. One of the lead FBI agents in the Wen Ho Lee case was Charles McGonigal , who was rewarded with promotions. On October 4, 2016, he was named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division for the FBI New York Field Office. On January 23, 2023, McGonigal was arrested and indicted allegedly for taking money from a former Albanian intelligence employee and from a representative of a Russian oligarch. The charges came in separate indictments unsealed in New York and Washington, D.C., after an investigation by FBI, his own agency, and federal prosecutors. On January 24, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray told employees in an internal message that McGonigal does not represent the actions of the rest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, despite the fact that he rose through the ranks for three decades. Innocent victims like Wen Ho Lee and taxpayers pay the ultimate price when the FBI failed to punish misconduct and rewarded them instead. The FBI has always denied racial profiling despite mounts of facts and cases to the contrary. Listen to the Attkisson Podcast: http://bit.ly/3YGuJnx (audio 27:07). Read the CBS News report in 2000: https://cbsn.ws/3YM5qk7 According to the Sinclair Broadcast Group website , Full Measure is an award-winning, weekly national news program, focused on investigative, original, and accountability reporting, and dedicated to pursuing untouchable subjects through fearless journalism. Full Measure , hosted by journalist Sharyl Attkisson , airs on Sinclair stations on Sunday mornings. The program is fed to 43 million TV households in the US each Sunday on our ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, Fox and Telemundo affiliates. A full TV station list by state and city is provided here: http://bit.ly/3Xp3dtJ . The broadcasts are also available online.According to the Full Measure broadcast of "Search for Spies" on February 5, 2023, the way the U.S. is addressing the need to protect American technology amid Chinese efforts to steal it is causing more harm than good and leading to innocent scientists being charged as spies.The report included an interview with Xiaoxing Xi 郗小星 , Professor of Physics at Temple University. Xi's rude awakening came early one morning in May of 2015 when armed FBI agents with their gun drawn, ordered his wife and two daughters out of their bedrooms with their hands raised, and arrested Xi.The FBI wrongly accused Xi of being a spy. "What we do know is that the FBI agent who investigated my case made up evidence, and he was told that I was not talking about the pocket heater before he went ahead and charged me," Xi said during the interview. Xi is suing the government, accusing “law enforcement agents of abus[ing] the legal process by obtaining indictments and search warrants based on misrepresentations or by fabricating evidence.” The FBI denies wrongdoing."I want to say that the fact that the Department of Justice is spending this much resource on these innocent Chinese-American academics, the question I would ask is, are they really catching real spies, right? Are they spending taxpayers' money responsibly in protecting our country," Xi said in the interview. After FBI misconduct was revealed in the Wen Ho Lee 李文和 case, Lee pleaded guilty to just one count of mishandling data, no spy charges, and was released with an extraordinary apology. Judge James Parker said those who led Lee’s prosecution "embarrassed our entire nation and each of us who is a citizen in it.” President Bill Clinton also questioned his justice department's actions.In closing, Attkisson said, "Prosecutors recently asked a judge to dismiss criminal charges against a New York City police officer and Army reservist whom the FBI had charged with being a Chinese spy in 2020."Watch and read the Full Measure report: http://bit.ly/3XnJRVW . Listen to the full interview with Professor Xi: http://bit.ly/3E35rYZ Yet Another Victim of The "China Initiative" - Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 The New York City police officer and Army reservist whom the FBI had charged with being a Chinese spy in 2020 is Baimadajie Angwang 昂旺 , According to the New York Times on February 10, 2023, Angwang was born in 1986 in a village in Tibet on southwest China. He traveled to the U.S. on a cultural exchange visa as a teenager. Angwang returned to the U.S. at 17, sought asylum and ultimately secured U.S. citizenship. In 2009, he joined the Marines and served seven months in Afghanistan. After an honorable discharge in 2014, he joined the Army Reserve, obtaining “secret” level security clearance.He joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 2016, inspired, he said, by the sharp uniforms and the kindness of street cops he relied on when he first arrived. He married and settled in suburban Long Island, a short drive to his job as a patrol officer and, later, community affairs liaison in Queens’s 111th Precinct, where many Tibetans live. His parents still live in Tibet.Federal authorities arrested Angwang in September 2020, they accused him of reporting on other Tibetans to a handler at the Chinese consulate in New York. They said he had lied on security forms and questioned whether his case for citizenship had been predicated on false claims. Angwang faced the potential of 55 years in prison. His indictment was yet another unjust case under the now-defunct "China Initiative" launched by the Department of Justice under Donald Trump .A federal judge dismissed the charges last month, at the government’s request. Pressed for clarity, prosecutors told the court that they had made a “holistic” assessment of the evidence, and that the charges should be dropped “in the interests of justice.” The case’s unraveling demonstrates the complexity of investigations based on classified intelligence, the broad powers of the federal government to sweep up communications and the challenges of prosecuting, let alone defending, those cases in court. Now that he is no longer accused of being a secret agent for China, Angwang started to ask hard questions. He has been on paid administrative leave from the Police Department for two years, and has not been allowed to rejoin.The hardest question: How could he — a naturalized U.S. citizen, New York City police officer and Marine Corps veteran — have been jailed for months over what he says were misunderstood phone calls and classified evidence that not even his lawyer could see in full? Angwang is rankled by the extreme secrecy with which the government held its classified evidence, describing it as an “abuse of power.” His lawyer, John Carman , said that what little evidence he was allowed to review was condensed and redacted. He was not allowed to share it with his client.Angwang and John Carmen have agreed to speak at the next APA Justice monthly meeting on March 6, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET/10:55 am PT.Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/40RZ9VS . Read the Angwang story and coverage on the APA Justice website: https://bit.ly/3RIqXId 2023/01/09 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The January 9, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at https://bit.ly/3YpMJTv . We thank the following speakers for sharing their updates and thoughts with us: Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心 , Chair of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, kicked off the New Year with us again by reviewing 2022 and looking to what is ahead in 2023. Rep. Chu described the formation of APA Justice in 2015, back when Sherry Chen and Dr. Xiaoxing Xi's cases became public, "we never knew how large of a problem targeting our communities would become and what new struggles we would face, but thanks to your leadership, the Asian American scientific and academic community's voices are louder than ever before, and more people are aware of the blatant racial profiling that our communities have faced at the hands of our own government... CAPAC will continue to prioritize calling out blatantly xenophobic, anti-China rhetoric, and pushing back policies that unfairly target Chinese American communities, which we unfortunately are expecting to see much more of in the year ahead." Watch Rep. Chu's video at: https://youtu.be/FLxSG7jNbco (video 8:59) Sherry Chen 陈霞芬 , Hydrologist, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), spoke about her historic settlement and 10-year fight for justice. Despite the low odds, a historical settlement was reached with DOC and Justice Department for Sherry’s employment case, and her lawsuit against both departments, ending the decade-long legal battle of three lawsuits, including the criminal case against Sherry Chen. Her life was turned upside down by the government’s illegal investigation. She was treated as a spy and arrested in front of her coworkers despite no evidence whatsoever. Despite being offered many plea deals, Sherry decided to maintain her innocence and reject these deals, ready to fight for justice at trial. Sherry discussed her meeting with DOC official Benjamin Friedman where she brought up several issues and concerns with the agency's recent changes, especially the lack of accountability and employee protections for privacy and civil rights. Mr. Friedman promised that he would bring her suggestions and concerns to the relevant offices. Sherry hopes that her case can be an example to others fighting for justice and civil rights. Though there is no amount of money or reparations that can undo the wrongful damages and harms Sherry Chen has experienced, the settlement does achieve her goal for this fight, to hold the government accountable and to bring positive impact to prevent this type of situation from happening to other individuals in the future. Sherry shared the letter of accomplishment she received from DOC here: https://bit.ly/3Xak0AW Vincent Wang 王文奎 , Co-organizer, APA Justice; Chair, Ohio Chinese American Association; and Haipei Shue 薛海培 , President, United Chinese Americans, provided recap of the Congressional Reception in honor of Sherry Chen on December 13, 2022. Patrick Toomey , Deputy Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described how the alliance between ACLU and the Asian American community continues to grow after the historic settlement of Sherry Chen marked one of the ACLU’s Top 4 accomplishments in 2022. The ACLU's areas of focus in 2023 will include: Xiaoxing Xi’s case, surveillance reform, border questioning, and DOJ/DHS policies against discrimination. John Trasvina , Civil Rights Attorney, Former Counsel, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution; Former Dean, University of San Francisco School of Law reported that the Senate Judiciary Committee did not approve the Casey Arrowood nomination for US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Now that the nomination has been returned to The White House, there are three possible outcomes: (1) Mr. Arrowood could be renominated. (2) The current interim US attorney, Trey Hamilton, could remain without any nomination being made. (3) Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis, the only Tennessee Congressional representative of the president's party, could start the process again to recommend a U.S. Attorney nominee to the Biden Administration. John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC, reported that Under new house leadership, one of the first things that Speaker McCarthy did was to create a new select committee on China, which AAJC has obvious concerns. AAJC will follow up with DOJ as one year has passed since the end of the "China Initiative." Legislatively, there is concern about language which would essentially reinstate the "China Initiative." Read the January meeting summary here: https://bit.ly/3YpMJTv . Read past monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP Biden Administration Will Not Renominate Casey Arrowood On February 5, 2023, Knox News reported that the current U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Francis “Trey” Hamilton III , is an interim appointment made by the district’s judges. President Joe Biden nominated Casey Arrowood for the U.S. Attorney position, but he was not approved during the last session of the U.S. Senate, so the nomination expired. Arrowood faced opposition from Asian communities and advocates because he was the prosecutor who helped mount an espionage case against University of Tennessee Professor Anming Hu 胡安明 as part of former President Donald Trump ’s “China Initiative.” The case was dropped by a federal judge in Knoxville.According to Knox News on February 6, 2023, President Joe Biden has decided not to renominate Casey Arrowood despite strong support from Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty . Earlier on December 3, 2020, Senator Blackburn issued an uneducated tweet that is insulting to all people of Chinese origin, "China has a 5,000 year history of cheating and stealing. Some things will never change..." Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF February 13, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

#227 1/8 Monthly Meeting; Justice4All; "China Spy"; Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act; + In This Issue #227 · 2024/01/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting · Justice4All Protest in Miami - A Call for Unity Against Racism · Asian American Officials Cite Unfair Scrutiny and Lost Jobs in China Spy Tensions · White House Statement on Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act · News and Activities for the Communities 2024/01/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, January 8, 2023, starting at 1:55 pm ET. In addition to updates by Joanna Derman , Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC and Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), confirmed and invited speakers include: · Rep. Judy Chu 赵美心, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, to kick off the New Year with us by reviewing 2023 and looking to what is ahead in 2024. · Haipei Shue 薛海培, President, United Chinese Americans (UCA), Hongwei Shang 商红伟, and Echo King 金美声, Co-Founders of Florida Asian American Justice Alliance (FAAJA) to give us a report on the December 16 Justice4All protest in Miami. · Ted Gong, Executive Director of the 1882 Foundation, will introduce the 1882 Project, 1882 Foundation, and its upcoming activities in 2024, and Martin Gold , Pro Bono Counsel, 1882 Project; Partner, Capitol Counsel, LLC, on a future lecture. · Dr. Yawei Liu 刘亚伟, Senior Advisor, China Focus, Carter Center to introduce us to the China Focus at the Carter Center and the upcoming Conference for the 45th Anniversary of U.S.-China Relations in Atlanta. The 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 . Justice4All Protest in Miami - A Call for Unity Against Racism December 16, 2023, was a stormy day in Miami, but hundreds from the state of Florida and across the nation gathered at The Torch of Friendship to protest the unfair legislation of SB264 and SB846. SB 264 was passed by the Florida legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, marking a troubling return to discriminatory policies reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act. It unfairly restricts most Chinese citizens — and most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea — from purchasing homes in the state. SB 264 has raised significant concerns. Violations of the 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. A lawsuit has been filed in the Northern District Court of Florida, arguing that SB 264 codifies and expands housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act. SB 846 put a roadblock in the path of Florida's public universities hiring Chinese graduate students and postdocs, which has sparked serious concerns among Florida’s academicians.Both state laws remind the communities of the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act when Chinese Americans and Asian Americans were subject to decades of discrimination and denied their lawful and constitutional rights. Leaders of the Chinese American community from across the country actively participated in this event, delivering inspirational speeches. Prominent figures included Congresswoman Judy Chu , former presidential candidate Andrew Yang , Texas State Representative Gene Wu , UCA President Haipei Shue , Co-founder of CALDA (Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance) attorney Clay Zhu , and North Miami Beach City Commissioner candidate Lynn Su . In addition, representatives from many organizations such as CASEC (The Chinese Association of Science, Education and Culture of South Florida), FAAJA (Florida Asian American Justice Alliance), The Yick Wo Institution, NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), LULAC (The League of United Latin American Citizens), and ACLU (The American Civil Liberties Union), lent their voices to the cause. The rally also saw strong support from African American, Indian American, Caribbean, Jewish, Cuban and other Hispanic communities, as well as professors from Florida’s public universities such as University of Florida, Florida State University, and Florida International University. Despite adverse weather conditions, impassioned speeches resonated through the crowd, delivering a clear and unified message: Florida must reject the echoes of a new Chinese Exclusion Act. The rally opened and closed with a powerful group sing-along of the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," symbolizing the collective strength and determination of Chinese Americans to overcome adversity.Visit the FAAJA website at https://www.faaja.org/ and read a press statement by The North American Economic Herald Media Group: https://prn.to/3H27hdt Asian American Officials Cite Unfair Scrutiny and Lost Jobs in China Spy Tensions According to the New York Times on December 31, 2023, national security employees with ties to Asia say U.S. counterintelligence officers wrongly regard them as potential spies and ban them from jobs.When Thomas Wong set foot in the United States Embassy in Beijing this summer for a new diplomatic posting, it was vindication after years of battling the State Department over a perceived intelligence threat — himself.Wong, a U.S. diplomat, faced a ban from working in China due to alleged concerns of foreign influence and preference. With a background in Chinese language and experience in the military, Wong aimed to contribute significantly to U.S.-China relations. However, he discovered that numerous Asian American diplomats encountered similar restrictions based on vague reasons provided during the security clearance process. This issue extends beyond the State Department, affecting various U.S. government agencies involved in national security and foreign policy. Employees with ties to Asia, regardless of their relevance, feel unfairly targeted by U.S. counterintelligence, limiting their potential contributions in crucial diplomatic, intelligence, and security roles.The concerns, notably raised by Asian American diplomats, led to bipartisan legislation attempting to address the problem. The military spending bill of December 14 includes language pushed by Representative Ted Lieu , Democrat of California, intended to make the department more transparent in its assignment restriction and review processes. While there have been instances of bans being reversed, many State Department employees still face restrictions without clear explanations. Additionally, counterintelligence officers can recommend bans based on investigations into job offers from countries deemed intelligence threats.The situation highlights the debate between addressing security risks and utilizing individuals with valuable language skills and cultural backgrounds to serve national interests. Despite some reversals, the issue of restrictive bans for government employees with Asian connections remains a point of contention within U.S. national security agencies. The New York Times report highlights instances of discrimination and suspicion faced by FBI counterintelligence officers due to their Chinese background. This issue has been exacerbated by concerns about Chinese espionage, leading to the establishment of the Justice Department's "China Initiative." This initiative involved investigating numerous ethnic Chinese scientists, often resulting in charges that were eventually dropped, causing harm to their careers and reputations. Despite the closure of the "China Initiative" in 2022, similar processes within national security agencies, occurring within secretive security clearance and assignment vetting, continue to impact individuals.Critics argue that the scrutiny faced by individuals with ties to China is unjustified, citing demographic shifts in the American population and emphasizing that having family in China does not inherently make someone susceptible to becoming a Chinese intelligence asset. However, some officials defend these security clearance denials or job restrictions, citing concerns about the Chinese government pressuring foreign citizens by targeting their family members in China.Legislation in 2021 revealed that the State Department had imposed the most restrictions for postings in China, followed by Russia, Taiwan, and Israel. The State Department refutes claims of discrimination, emphasizing adherence to guidelines from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and outlined criteria in the Foreign Affairs Manual. While there are senior Asian American officials in various U.S. agencies, concerns persist among Asian American employees regarding the ongoing suspicion and challenges they face due to their backgrounds.The passage underscores the persistent concerns of Asian American government employees, highlighted by Representative Andy Kim 's experience of being barred from work on Korean Peninsula issues, which he found disrespectful and humiliating. Many federal agencies conduct internal investigations without informing employees, such as the FBI's unit performing polygraph tests and potentially recommending security clearance revocation. At the State Department, background checks determine whether to impose assignment restrictions on diplomats.The security clearance process for officials is rigorous and intrusive, involving scrutiny of personal relationships, financial history, and more. Recent concerns about China's espionage have elevated the standards for clearance. Documents from the Defense Department show increasingly detailed assessments of China's spying efforts in the vetting of security clearances for federal contractors over the past two decades. In 2021, a Senate committee report exposed the Commerce Department's security unit for unlawfully investigating Chinese American employees like Sherry Chen . The report characterized the unit as a "rogue, unaccountable police force" that disproportionately targeted offices with high proportions of Asian American employees.Even government officers involved in China counterintelligence face suspicion from security officials due to their background, unfairly marking them as potential spies. Chris Wang , an FBI counterintelligence analyst, was placed in a surveillance program called PARM upon joining, subjecting him to extensive scrutiny of contacts, travel, and computer use. Despite his training and background, which included Chinese martial arts and study in Shanghai, he faced heightened suspicion due to his associations. Another former FBI officer, Jason Lee , is suing the agency for discrimination, citing instances where his familial ties were wrongly construed as evidence of espionage.Both Wang and Lee highlighted the challenges Chinese Americans face due to the stigma surrounding China, which often leads to unwarranted suspicions even when their connections are innocent. While the FBI asserted its commitment to fair polygraph tests and diversity, these cases shed light on the complexities and biases Chinese American employees encounter within security units.At the State Department, a group representing Asian American employees has been advocating for reforms to address assignment restrictions. Since 2016, legislation has been introduced to drive changes in this regard.While some diplomats, like Yuki Kondo-Shah , have successfully challenged assignment restrictions, there are ongoing concerns despite Secretary Antony Blinken 's recent announcement of relaxed restrictions. Specifically, the provision known as assignment review allows counterintelligence officers to recommend bans after investigating employees offered posts deemed to have special intelligence threats, extending beyond China to countries like Russia, Vietnam, and Israel. Tina Wong , a vice president of the U.S. Foreign Service union, highlights the problematic nature of this provision. Stallion Yang , another diplomat, gathered data for the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association, revealing prolonged investigations for employees with ties to Asia. While the State Department responded, stating only a few investigations led to rejection, diplomats argue that this overlooks cases where employees left due to extended investigations.Moreover, aspiring diplomats like Ruiqi Zheng , a China-born American, faced challenges securing security clearance due to ties abroad, ultimately being rejected after a nearly two-year process. Despite aspirations and selective fellowships, individuals like Zheng encountered barriers due to their backgrounds, reflecting ongoing challenges faced by foreign-born Chinese Americans within the State Department's security clearance process.Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/48FthXl . Read the case of Dr. Wei Su 苏炜: https://bit.ly/2E13gZU White House Statement on Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act On December 17, 2023, President Joe Biden issued the following statement on the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act:"Our nation was founded on the fundamental idea that we are created equal and deserve to be treated equally. But for 61 years, the Chinese Exclusion Act failed to live up to that promise. It weaponized our immigration system to discriminate against an entire ethnic group and was followed by further discrimination against many in Europe and all of Asia. The Act, along with racism and xenophobia in other parts of American life, was part of the anti-Chinese 'Driving Out' era which included the Rock Springs and Hells Canyon massacres. In 1943, the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed and it was followed by laws that led to an immigration system that better reflected our values as a nation of immigrants. "On this anniversary, we remember those whose lives, families, and communities were irreparably harmed. We remember the brave and diverse voices – from Frederick Douglass to Blanche Bruce to Pearl Buck to the American Jewish Committee and so many others – who spoke up in solidarity against that Act and demanded a fairer and more just immigration system. And we recognize that despite the progress we have made, hate never goes away. It only hides. Today, there are those who still demonize immigrants and fan the flames of intolerance. It’s wrong. I ran for President to restore the soul of America. To bring people together and make sure we give hate no safe harbor. To celebrate the diversity that is our country’s strength. "For generations, people of Chinese heritage have enriched our country – from Chinese laborers who did backbreaking work to build the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s to the Chinese Americans who serve in our military, to the authors, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and scholars of today. We honor them, and all immigrants, who continue to make extraordinary contributions to our nation."Read the White House stateme nt at https://bit.ly/48tXKrG News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/01/07 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2024/01/08 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 2024/01/09 The Jimmy Carter Forum on US-China Relations in Honor of 45th Anniversary of Normalization 2024/02/04 Rep. Gene Wu's Town Hall Meeting 2024/02/05 APA Justice Monthly Meeting Back View PDF January 2, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

#23 APA Justice Meetings; Charles Lieber Lawsuits; New Visa Rules; Early Voting; 2020 Census Back View PDF October 19, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

#164 Austin/Dallas Rallies; 2/6 Monthly Meeting; Fred Korematsu; America v America; Census In This Issue #164 Rallies in Austin and Dallas to Protest Texas Senate Bills 147 and 552 2023/02/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting 85 Organizations Signed On to Letter to Honor Fred Korematsu America Against America: Anti-Chinese Racism in the Race for Talent Initial Proposals for Revising the Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards Rallies in Austin and Dallas to Oppose Texas Senate Bills 147 and 552 On January 29, 2023, hundreds of people from Austin and Dallas rallied to voice their opposition toward two Texas senate bills that unjustly target Chinese Americans.According to the Dallas Morning News , multiple organizations with ties to the Chinese American community have planned rallies in major Texas cities to protest the proposed legislation after Gov. Greg Abbott expressed his support for Senate Bill 147 on Twitter. Democrats in the state held a news conference last week to denounce Senate Bill 147 and described it as racist and unconstitutional. The Senate bills have elicited outrage from Chinese Americans in North Texas, who have large enclaves in multiple cities, including Plano, Richardson, Irving and Allen. More than 250 people showed up to the January 29 rally, which was held at John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. Hailong Jin , board director of the DFW Chinese Alliance, which hosted the rally, said the bills are a painful reminder for the Chinese American community of the country’s past anti-Chinese legislation, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and California’s “Alien Land Law.” “You pass this law, other states will follow and anti-Asian hate will increase in this country — definitely,” Jin said.Plano City Council member Maria Tu , who spoke to attendees of the rally, called on Austin lawmakers to do right by their Chinese American constituents and to fight against the Senate bills. “I’m here today, not to represent any political position or stance,” Tu said. “I am here because I am Chinese, American, and I’m Texan.” Tu was joined by other local elected officials, including Democratic state representatives Carl Sherman , DeSoto , and Rafael Anchía , who urged attendees to continue speaking out against the bills and to make their voices heard by lawmakers in Austin.Read the Dallas Morning News report: http://bit.ly/3DAdcFD On January 30, 2023, the Austin American-Statesman reported that hundreds gathered at the Texas Capitol to protest Senate Bill 147.According to the report, for activist Helen Shih , hearing about Senate Bill 147 — a proposal to bar citizens of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from buying property in Texas — was stressful in a week filled with preparations for Lunar New Year events. The week also ended in grief after a mass shooting at a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, Calif."So it's like all of these things were happening simultaneously, and it was extremely stressful," said Shih, a member of the Rise AAPI board and an adviser to the United Chinese Americans board.Shih said SB 147 discriminates against the very people trying to flee oppression in those countries and find safety in America. Being able to buy a condominium or a small home helps people build a life here, the Houston-area activist said. She helped Austin activists organize a rally at the Capitol after co-organizing protests in the Houston area.Community organizations including United Chinese Americans, the Austin Chinese Engineers Society and the Asian Americans Leadership Council organized the rally. State Reps. Gene Wu , D-Houston, and Vikki Goodwin , D-Austin, and Austin City Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri spoke at the demonstration.Austin resident Sheng Peng said the rally was not just about protesting SB 147, but about raising alarm against these kinds of proposals, which might further provoke hatred and violence against Asians. Peng said that even if you are an American citizen, you are not safe from discrimination, stoked by SB 147, as long as you look Chinese. "And it's not good for the country," Peng said. "It's already a divided country. It will deepen the division further. So that's what this is about. It's not about a political game. It's about human rights. It's about the whole society." Read the Austin American-Statesman report: https://bit.ly/3Rv 2023/02/06 APA Justice Monthly Meeting The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, February 6, 2023. Speakers include: Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), to provide updates on the latest developments and activities of CAPAC John Yang 杨重远 , President and Executive Director, Advancing Justice | AAJC review 2022 to provide updates on the Anti-Profiling, Civil Rights & National Security Program and related Activities Gisela Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum, to provide updates on AASF activities Les Wong , President Emeritus, San Francisco State University, and Frank Wu 吴华扬 , President, Queen's College, City University of New York, will report on the latest development of forming a network of Asian American university presidents/chancellors. Michele Young , Attorney, Michele Young Law; Member of Sherry Chen Legal Team will reflect on Sherry Chen's fight for justice and historic settlement. Gene Wu 吳元之 , Member, Texas House of Representatives, has been a leading voice for Asian Americans and other communities across Texas in opposing Texas Senate Bill 147. As part of the expansion of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, California enacted the Alien Land Law in 1913, barring Asian immigrants from owning land. Other states followed with their discriminatory laws restricting Asians’ rights to hold land in America. These laws remained in place until the 1950s, some even longer. What do we know about Texas SB 147 and its implications? Rep. Wu . Please join this important discussion. The virtual monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to join, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers of APA Justice - Steven Pei 白先慎 , Vincent Wang 王文奎 , and Jeremy Wu 胡善庆 - or send a message to contact@apajustice.org . Read past monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP . 85 Organizations Signed on to Letter to Honor Fred Korematsu On January 30, 2023, Demand Progress Action and the Fred T. Korematsu Institute announced that a coalition of 85 civil society organizations called on Congress to support a new bicameral legislative package introduced by Senators Hirono and Duckworth and Reps. Takano and Tokuda to recognize civil rights hero Fred Korematsu for his activism against US incarceration of American citizens and residents of Japanese ancestry in concentration camps during World War II. APA Justice is one of the co-signers of the letter.Specifically, the broad coalition sent a letter to Senators Hirono and Duckworth and Reps. Takano and Tokuda endorsing: Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act , which would prohibit detention or imprisonment based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of an individual. Recognizing the importance of establishing a national "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution," which will help to ensure that Fred Korematsu's legacy is remembered and honored and that the lessons of the internment are not forgotten. Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act, which will honor Fred Korematsu for his decades-long fight for justice, and will serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting civil liberties for all Americans. Read about the Fred Korematsu story Fred T. Korematsu Institute: Fred Korematsu's Story 2017/01/30 Smithsonian Magazine: Fred Korematsu Fought Against Japanese Internment in the Supreme Court… and Lost America Against America: Anti-Chinese Racism in the Race for Talent On January 30, 2022, Alex Liang , Yale University's 2022-2023 Fox International Fellow at the Australian National University, posted an article titled "America Against America: Anti-Chinese Racism in the Race for Talent."According to the article, while President Xi Jinping laid out his vision for China at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 2022, sitting quietly behind him was the introverted and discreet professor-turned-politician who crafted ‘Xi Jinping Thought’: Wang Huning 王沪宁 . Since the late 1990s, Wang has served three General Secretaries at the highest levels and is China’s top ideologue, or political theorist. In his 1991 book America against America , then-Professor Wang focused on contradictions and conflicts in American society and predicted America’s fall due to domestic strife. He called out America’s systemic racism writing that racial discrimination, particularly against Black Americans, was potentially ‘the biggest social problem’ and may ‘eventually become a fatal problem’. Today, his government is leveraging America’s racial challenges in the race for scientific talent.In the final days of the Trump Presidency, in January 2021, the US Attorney for Massachusetts charged Professor Gang Chen 陈刚 with grant fraud and making false statements, felonies that could have landed Chen twenty years in prison. Chen immigrated to the United States from China over thirty years ago and has been an American citizen for over two decades. Yet, at the press conference announcing the charges against Chen, the US Attorney, Andrew Lelling, said they "were not just about greed, but about [Chen’s] loyalty to China." A year later, its case fell apart and the government dropped all charges. Chen was vindicated. "We thought we had achieved the American Dream…until this nightmare happened," Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Gang Chen said in February 2022.Questioning Chen’s loyalty to his country was not only insulting to him and other Chinese Americans. It may also have long-term strategic consequences for America’s race for talent. The US Attorney’s ‘loyalty’ comment fed into a long-standing stereotype that casts Chinese Americans ‘as inherently foreign and therefore not truly “American”’ — the perpetual foreigner stereotype. Chen is not alone. During the September 2021 trial of Professor Anming Hu 胡安明 of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, US law enforcement agents admitted to falsely accusing him of spying for China, using false information to surveil him and his teenage son for two years, and trying to convince Hu to become an American spy. Ultimately, a court found Hu innocent. Reflecting on the ordeal, he said, ‘It was the darkest time of my life.’Both Chen and Hu belong to an unfortunate group of ethnically Chinese scientists who became victims of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) "China Initiative." This outraged both the Asian American and scientific communities. Randy Katz , Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California Berkeley went so far as to say that these investigations were "conducted in a manner that does not adhere to our American values." The "China Initiative" and its consequences threaten America’s preeminence in science and technology as it has forced people to ask the question of who can attain the American Dream.Although the Biden Administration ended the "China Initiative" in February 2022, it had a "chilling" effect that lingers in American academia. As Xi Jinping continues to promote his "China Dream" narrative in China, racial discrimination in America imperils the very values that define America. To dispel the "American nightmare" narrative, the American Dream has to be seen as attainable regardless of background or skin color. As with China’s rise we enter a new age of great power competition, Western liberal democracies should not shy from, but should instead double down on these values, including respect for civil rights and freedom from racial discrimination. If we do not, Wang may ultimately be proven right.Read Alex Liang's article: http://bit.ly/3jozh2P Gordon Chang on A Long History of Insecurity, Fear, Vulnerability among Asian American Communities. In an interview conducted by Stanford News , Gordon Chang 张少书 , Olive H. Palmer Professor in Humanities in the School of Humanities and Science, talked about the recent tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay as part of a long history of violence inflicted upon Asian Americans. “Asian Americans in American history have often been seen as quiet and unassuming. Some believe this makes them easy targets for assault, insult, and robbery, and that they won’t respond,” Chang said. “But there is a contrary narrative, which is that Asians can be cruelly violent, irrational, and dangerous – for example, in films such as Apocalypse Now , Kill Bill , Chinatown , and Gran Torino . I fear that these recent incidents will stimulate further anti-Asian fears and cycles of further prejudice and violence.” It’s now up to all of us to think about how to address gun violence and other injustices, he added. Read the Stanford News interview: https://stanford.io/3jqShOh Initial Proposals for Revising the Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards On January 26, 2023, the Office of the Chief Statistician announced that it is taking a key step forward in its formal process to revise OMB’s (Office of Management and Budget) statistical standards for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data across Federal agencies (Directive No. 15) by publishing an initial set of recommended revisions proposed by an Interagency Technical Working Group. Those initial proposals include: Collecting race and ethnicity together with a single question; Adding a response category for Middle Eastern and North African, separate and distinct from the “White” category; and Updating SPD 15’s (Statistical Programs and Standards) terminology, definitions, and question wording. Input from non-governmental stakeholders and the public will help guide the Working Group as it continues to refine and finalize its recommendations. The White House encourages everyone to provide your personal thoughts and reactions on these proposals, including how you believe they may affect different communities, by April 12, 2023. Read the announcement and how you can provide input and participate in the process: http://bit.ly/3jrDwLa Read NPR's report for additional background and context: https://to.pbs.org/3JBE0J7 Subscribe to The APA Justice Newsletter Complete this simple form at https://bit.ly/2FJunJM to subscribe. Please share it with those who wish to be informed and join the fight. View past newsletters here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_Newsletters . Back View PDF February 2, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

#255 Registration Open for FBI Forum; Students from China; Bill Tracker; Trailblazers; More In This Issue #255 · Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI · Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection · C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024 · Trailblazing Asian American Legislators · News and Activities for the Communities Registration Open: 06/06 Community Forum with The FBI WHAT: A Dialogue Between Academic & AAPI Communities and The FBI WHEN: June 6, 2024, 4:00 - 6:00 pm Central TimeWHERE: This is a hybrid in-person and virtual event (registration required) · In-person: O'Connor Building, Rice University, Houston, Texas HOSTS: · Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition (TMAC) · Science and Technology Policy Program, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Office of Innovation, Rice University · APA Justice Task Force OPENING WELCOME: · Sergio Lira, Vice President, TMAC; President, Houston Council, League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC) · Paul Cherukuri , Chief Innovation Officer, Vice President for Innovation, Rice University PANELISTS: · Jill Murphy , Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, FBI Headquarters · Georgette "GiGi" Pickering , Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office · Kelly Choi , Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Houston Field Office · Gordon Quan , Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Quan Law Group, PLLC; Former Houston City Mayor Pro-Tem · David Donatti , Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Department, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas · Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum SUMMARY REMARKS: · Douglas Williams, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston Field Office · Neal Lane , Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Former Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy MODERATOR: Steven Pei , TMAC and APA Justice Task Force DESCRIPTION: This event brings together Jill Murphy, the deputy assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, who oversees the FBI’s espionage investigations, and the leadership of the FBI Houston Field Office with members of the academic and Asian American communities to discuss the gaps between national science and technology policy and its implementation at the forefront of law enforcement, as well as to explore the possibility of a regular communication channel. REGISTRATION: · In-person. To be announced by Rice University · Zoom: https://bit.ly/3wjg759 Welcoming Students from China and Customs and Border Protection On May 8, 2024, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns posted a message on X welcoming students from China to study in the U.S. It is encouraging that the U.S. is welcoming Chinese students to come and study here again.However, marginalizing the secondary screening by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and related problems faced by the Chinese students at the border may inadvertently undermine the effort.Numbers can be misleading, depending on how they are used. There were about two dozen scientists and researchers prosecuted under the China Initiative. One may argue that it was a very small percentage of all the scientists and researchers in the U.S. (according to the National Science Foundation, there were 24 million employed as full-time scientists and engineers in 2019, https://bit.ly/3WxPIuM ). It is also true that the percentage is very small by that measure. But an issue is defined by how it is framed. The impact of the China Initiative can be very big from another perspective. When you look at the population of impacted persons under the China Initiative, those of Asian and particularly Chinese origin will stand out. The fair question to address the concerns at the border is: Among the students and scholars who faced secondary screening by CBP, what is the percentage of them being Asian or Chinese? How is their rejection rate compared with other groups of students and scholars? That may tell a different story.This observation was reported by U.S.-China Perception Monitor :2024/05/10 中美印象简报： 中国学生被关“小黑屋”是否被夸大 According to AP on April 13, 2024, far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that. Only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of close to 25,000 a decade ago. “We need young Americans to learn Mandarin. We need young Americans to have an experience of China,” Ambassador Burns said. Meanwhile, China is hosting American high school students under a plan Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled in November to welcome 50,000 in the next five years.Read the AP report: https://bit.ly/3WAUJTz C100 Updates Alien Land Bill Tracker for 2024 Committee of 100’s ongoing effort to identify and monitor legislation that restricts property ownership by foreign governments, businesses, and people has been updated to cover the 2024 legislative session. It shows a continuing effort by state governments and Congress to limit the ability of such entities to own property in the U.S. As of April 25, 2024, · 151 bills restricting property ownership by foreign entities have been considered by 32 states (115 bills) and Congress (36 bills). · Of the 151 total bills, 78 are under consideration that would prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning property. · Of the 151 total bills, 7 passed and were signed into law in Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska (2 bills), South Dakota, and Utah, respectively. · Of the 7 bills passed so far, 3 prohibit Chinese citizens from purchasing or owning some form of property: Indiana’s HB 1183, Nebraska’s LB 1301, and South Dakota’s HB 1231. C100 has also updated the interactive map to track legislative activities by state and Congress in 2024, especially those related to the People’s Republic of China. It also allow users to view legislation that has passed or is currently under consideration in 2023.Visit the C100 Alien Land Bill Tracker at https://bit.ly/3Hxta4B Two lawsuits have been filed against Florida's alien land law known as SB 264: · SHEN v. SIMPSON (4:23-cv-00208) , filed on March 22, 2023 · National Fair Housing Alliance, Inc. v. Secretary of Commerce (1:24-cv-21749) , filed on May 6, 2024 Trailblazing Asian American Legislators According to the New York Times on May 6, 2024, opposition from the Asian American community in Texas, including a former Republican lawmaker of Chinese descent, helped roll back some provisions in an alien land bill known as SB 147. That former state representative was Dr. Martha Wong, an iconic trailblazer in the Texas legislature. Dr. Wong, a native Houstonian, is a third generation Chinese American. She is the first Asian American elected to the Houston City Council (1994-2000) and the first Asian American woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives (2003-2007). She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and both a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Houston. She is 85 years old. On March 2, 2023, she testified in front of the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs on SB 147. "It's unusual for me to get up at 4:45 to get here and I see that I got here so late that I'm registered to be the last speaker," she remarked about her interest and importance of the matter. "The part regarding the security of our land is very important ... sometimes is that there are unintended consequences. The unintended consequences I think are what most people were speaking about today. The unintended consequences is causing many Asians to be discriminated against. It's not that the bill is discriminating, but it's that it's causing other people to be discriminating. I don't know how many of you know of which ethnicity I am - maybe only because of my name. I could be Korean, I could be Vietnamese, I could be Chinese, I could be Filipino."Watch Dr. Wong's testimony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMtMLubX_lY (14:06) Gene Wu was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012. Prior to being elected, he served as a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where he sought justice for thousands of crime victims. He is currently an attorney in private practice. Rep. Wu has been the leading voice opposing not only alien land bills but also across the nation. "This is not just a Chinese problem this is not just a Russian problem or Iranian problem or North Korean problem this is a problem for every community that has been targeted," says State Representative Gene Wu. "Senate Bill 147 is unconstitutional and un-American, and it's bad for business I hope my colleagues will see the consequences on this bill and work with us to ensure that every single Texan has the opportunity to live their American dream."To read more about alien land bills and Rep. Wu's leadership role, visit https://www.apajustice.org/alien-land-bills.html . He also hosts a monthly town hall meeting. Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for his next meeting and how to attend.According to a blog by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Sam Park and his family immigrated from South Korea to Georgia in the early 1980s. That was made possible only after immigration quotas, which severely restricted immigration from Asian countries and date back to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, were abolished by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. He was raised by a single mother. By the power of the vote, Sam Park became the first Asian American Democrat elected to the Georgia Legislature in 2017. Since he was the only Asian American legislator serving in the Georgia Legislature, it was a lonely and challenging endeavor. Yet in knowing his history, Sam Park recognized that he stood on the shoulders of those who came before him and that he had a responsibility to continue the work of perfecting our union for all. He has learned that it is one thing to break a barrier, it is another matter to pave the way for others. Over the past eight years, Sam Parks has seen an increase in Asian American political participation, and more Asian Americans are running and getting elected to the Georgia Legislature, where it now has one of the largest Asian American legislative caucuses in the country. Read Rep. Park's blog: https://bit.ly/4dGfseJ News and Activities for the Communities 1. APA Justice Community Calendar Upcoming Events: 2024/05/22 Heritage, Culture, and Community: The Future of America's Chinatowns2024/06/03 APA Justice Monthly Meeting2024/06/06 A Dialogue Between Academic/AAPI Communities with The FBI2024/06/20-22 Social Equity Leadership Conference2024/06/27-30 2024 Chinese American Convention Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. 2. Did You Know? There were 10 charter members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) when it was formed 30 years ago in 1994: Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (Inaugural Chair), Rep. Patsy T. Mink , Del. Robert Underwood , Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi , Sen. Daniel Akaka , Sen. Patty Murray , Sen. Daniel Inouye , Rep. Neil Abercrombie , Rep. Robert Matsui , and Del. Eni Faleomavaega? Read the CAPAC press release: https://bit.ly/4ao5A6G 3. Sampling of AANHPI Heritage Month Activities and Articles 2024/05/16 Smithsonian Magazine: Explore Amazing Contributions Made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Four Smithsonian Stories 2024/05/16 The Dallas Morning News: Richardson’s Chinatown: The history, development and needs of an Asian American enclave 2024/05/16 South Seattle Emerald Opinion: The History and Heritage of Asian and Pacific Islander Communities Belong in Our Classrooms 2024/05/01 PBS: What to Watch | Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Library of Congress: Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month! Smithsonian: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Back View PDF May 20, 2024 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

#209 7/3 Meeting Summary; Coalition Opposes Section 702; Meet Oscar and Agnes; Calendar In This Issue #209 2023/07/03 Monthly Meeting Summary Posted National Asian American Coalition Opposes Reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA Without Major Reforms Science Editorial: Future Generations Are Watching Meet Agnes Hsu-Tang 徐心眉 and Oscar Tang 唐骝千 Community Calendar 2023/07/03 Monthly Meeting Summary Posted The July 3, 2023, APA Justice monthly meeting summary has been posted at https://bit.ly/46dE3CW . We thank the following speakers for their updates and discussions: Al Green , Member, U.S. House of Representatives; Member of the Executive Board and Chair of Housing Task Force, CAPAC, on affirmative action, multicultural advocacy coalition and unity, history of alien land laws and SB 147, Green-Chu Preemption Bill, March on Washington, and more Nisha Ramachandran , Executive Director, CAPAC, nisha.ramachandran@mail.house.gov , on affirmative action, alien land bills, and push back against legislations and amendments that are harmful to the civil rights and civil liberties of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities Gisela Perez Kusakawa , Executive Director, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), gpkusakawa@aasforum.org , on anti-Asian narrative, Friends of the National Asian Pacific American Smithsonian Museum, teach-in with Mike German at the Brennan Center to demystify the FBI, and in-person OCA National panel with Dr. Xiaoxing Xi Clay Zhu 朱可亮 , Partner, DeHeng Law Offices 德恒律师事务所; Founder, Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance (CALDA) 华美维权同盟, on motion for preliminary injunction, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart joining the Florida lawsuit pro bono, joint amicus brief 19 diverse groups, and statement of interest by the Department of Justice Scott Chang , Senior Counsel, National Fair Housing Alliance, on the history and purpose of NFHA, monitoring of state alien land bills, and possible lawsuit with longtime partners, Relman Colfax PLLC Edgar Chen , Special Policy Advisor, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, on the history and purpose of NAPABA, its advocacy efforts with local affiliates to combat new alien land laws as legal ambassadors and interpreters, caution against one-size-fits-all solution, critical local knowledge, holding legislators accountable, and appreciation for African American legislators in places like Alabama and Louisiana. Cindy Tsai 蔡欣玲 , Interim President and Executive Director, Committee of 100, on the history and purpose of C100, the importance of empowering local communities to address state and municipal laws prohibiting land purchases, guidebook and interactive map, standardized database of information and anti-Asian incident reports, the Yellow Whistle Campaign, and interactions with FBI field offices. Read the 7/3 meeting summary: https://bit.ly/46dE3CW . Read past monthly meeting summaries: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP Correction from last issue of APA Justice newsletter : 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 National Asian American Coalition Opposes Reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA Without Major Reforms On September 14, 2023, a coalition of 52 Asian American organizations wrote to Congress to oppose the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) unless significant revisions are put into place. The letter, led by Asian American Scholae Forum (AASF), Advancing Justice | AAJC, and Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and Stop AAPI Hate, wrote "with a sense of urgency and a shared commitment to safeguarding the principles of justice, equality, and privacy in our nation. As Asian Americans and allies, we understand all too well the perils of unchecked national security programs and the historical discrimination our community has endured. Our shared history serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers of racial profiling and prejudice in the name of national security. That is why we write to express our strong opposition to the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without comprehensive reforms.""Our community is no stranger to the dangers of unrestrained national security programs. The Asian American community has a long history of being treated as 'perpetual foreigners' and scapegoated as national security threats based on our race, ethnicity, religion, or ancestry. During World War II, over 120,000 U.S. residents of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated in remote detention camps in the name of 'national security' in what was one of the darkest stains in our nation’s history. The racist rationale behind this measure was concern that any people of Japanese descent, regardless of whether they were citizens or children, were more prone to acts of espionage or sabotage."Yet history continues to repeat itself from the treatment of Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities post 9/11 to the current hate, violence, and bigotry against Asian Americans. In the past decade, we have had programs within federal agencies that have raised concerns and fears that race, ethnicity, national origin, and/or religious beliefs were being used to profile and target Asian Americans, particularly Chinese American scientists, researchers, and scholars. This intensified under the now defunct Department of Justice’s 'China Initiative,' which created a chilling effect on the Asian American community who feared that once again they were being scapegoated as threats based on their race, ethnicity, and national origin. "The lesson from these abuses is clear: Without rigorous checks in place, national security and law enforcement officials may act based on prejudice rather than facts. The result is a system that fosters bigotry and leaves Asian Americans open to abuse and as collateral damage. Even to this day, we continue to be convenient scapegoats. "One such authority is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which will expire at the end of this year unless reauthorized by Congress. Section 702 allows the government to acquire the communications of non-Americans located outside of the United States without a warrant. But this surveillance inevitably sweeps in Americans’ communications as well, which agencies such as the FBI, CIA, and NSA then search for—again without a warrant. The breadth and scope of this surveillance, which amounts to warrantless access to billions of communications, along with government agents’ “persistent and widespread” violations of the minimal privacy safeguards they are required to adhere to under Section 702, demonstrate that the law is in dire need of reform. " I. Section 702 Surveillance is Overbroad and Overused. " II. Government Officials Abuse Section 702 & Impact on Asian American Communities. " III. Section 702 Is in Dire Need of Reform. "The coalition calls for the communities to spread the word by using this social media toolkit https://bit.ly/3PcehZ6 with sample posts and graphics. They encourage your organization to amplify what is at stake for Asian Americans and why this fight matters to our community. The lead organizations will also develop materials, training, and other resources to support your organizations' direct engagement and advocacy to Congress on this issue.The Washington Post reported on the coalition letter on September 14, 2023. According to the report, the coalition demands that a warrant be required to access Americans’ data in a 702-related search and place new surveillance limits to only target people possessing “information of genuine intelligence value." Civil liberties groups recently met with National Intelligence Director Avril Haines and other intelligence officials, urging them to commit to a range of related reforms to the contentious spying power that is set to expire on December 31, 2023, unless it is reauthorized by Congress. Read the coalition letter: https://bit.ly/3LkEmnt . Read the Washington Post report: https://wapo.st/44Ss6lo . Science Editorial: Future Generations Are Watching According to a Science editorial, "in many ways, the current US scientific enterprise is the intellectual descendant of 87 scientists who gathered in Philadelphia 175 years ago to establish the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of Science ). They joined disparate, scattered scientific disciplines to identify and address key challenges of the day."Scientists have made extraordinary advances to improve lives around the world."The world is at a critical juncture. One path leads to ethical and transparent scientific collaboration with the potential to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and protect the planet. Another path leads to barriers that slow progress, distort scientific evidence, and even use science in harmful ways. Both futures are possible, but neither is inevitable. AAAS and the research community must make an active decision to engage in the former, or the latter vision may become the reality by default. AAAS must take a leadership role to cultivate an inclusive and mobilized global scientific community that enables and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions that lead to the first vision."AAAS is committed to advancing scientific achievement. An open and inclusive scientific enterprise is essential to confronting the world’s complex problems. "Scientists need the tools to participate and build trust in the communities where they live. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed cracks in the foundation of that trust and perpetuated polarization and misinformation in many countries."AAAS must also continue to ensure that the voice of science is heard in policy-making, so that relevant, solutions-oriented, and actionable evidence is clear and available to federal, state, and local decision-makers."Does the world still need an organization incorporating the whole scientific ecosystem? Now more than ever, science is essential to the decisions that will determine the prospects for future health, prosperity, and peace. The scientific enterprise and AAAS must help shape the next 175 years and not be bystanders as history unfolds before us. Future generations are watching."Author of the Science editorial is Dr. Sudip Parikh , chief executive officer of AAAS and executive publisher of the Science journals. ceo@aaas.org Read the Science editorial: https://bit.ly/45TdMuc Meet Agnes Hsu-Tang 徐心眉 and Oscar Tang 唐骝千 According to the New York Times on September 12, 2023, the New York Philharmonic had secured a $40 million donation from the financier Oscar L. Tang 唐骝千 , a co-chairman of its board, and his wife, Agnes Hsu‐Tang 徐心眉 , an archaeologist and art historian, the largest contribution to the endowment in the ensemble’s 181-year history. The Philharmonic, the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, has been led by giants including Mahler , Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein .Tang, who has served on the Philharmonic’s board since 2013, said he hoped the gift would help usher in a “new golden age” under superstar maestro Gustavo Dudamel , who will take the podium in 2026, with a focus on music education and social change, as the Philharmonic works to connect with new audiences, especially young people and Black and Latino residents. Hsu-Tang, who has worked on international cultural heritage protection and rescue, advising UNESCO in Paris as well as the Cultural Property Advisory Committee under President Barack Obama , said "We support institutions that are game changers — that want to make changes, that act on changes — rather than institutions that were forced to make changes because of the pandemic,” she said. “This is not just a golden age for the New York Philharmonic. It’s a renaissance for New York, and it’s a renaissance for music, arts and culture.”Hsu-Tang, who also serves as chair of the board of the New‐York Historical Society, and Tang are among the city’s most prominent cultural philanthropists. In 2021, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that the couple had pledged $125 million to help rebuild its wing for modern and contemporary art, the largest capital gift in the museum’s history.After the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, Tang teamed up with the architect I.M. Pei 貝聿銘 , the cellist Yo-Yo Ma 马友友 and others to establish the Committee of 100, a Chinese American leadership organization for advancing dialogue between the United States and China.Tang and Hsu-Tang have also championed efforts to fight racial discrimination. In early 2021, the couple founded the Yellow Whistle campaign to combat anti‐Asian hate, distributing 500,000 free yellow whistles emblazoned with the slogan “We Belong.” On Tuesday, the Philharmonic announced that Dudamel would come to New York in April for a festival celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts, which have helped introduce new generations to classical music. Dudamel, who had not been previously scheduled to appear this season, will lead the ensemble’s spring gala concert and participate in educational activities.Read the New York Times report: https://nyti.ms/3Rk4UJz Community Calendar APA Justice has launched a Community Calendar to track events and activities of interest to the Asian Pacific American, academic, and other communities. You can find it on the front page of the APA Justice website at https://www.apajustice.org/ . Mark Your Calendar: The Committee of 100 will hold its annual conference and gala in New York City on April 18-20, 2024. Upcoming Events: 2023/09/19 National Voter Registration Day 2023/09/20 Committee of 100 Asian American Career Ceilings: Voting and Representation National Science Foundation Listening Session 2023/09/21 Appeals Court Hearing of Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰 Appeal 2023/09/25-27 AAUC National Unity Summit 2023/09/27 1990 Institute: Teaching Asian American Narratives through Literature Visit https://bit.ly/45KGyga for event details. NOTE: Support Professor Feng "Franklin" Tao 陶丰, the first academic researcher to be prosecuted under the now-defunct "China Initiative," by attending the oral argument in Courtroom 2 of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals at 1823 Stout Street, Denver Colorado on Thursday, September 21, 2023, starting around 9:30 am MT. He is appealing one last count against him after all other charges were dismissed or acquitted. If you are not able to attend in person, you may watch it livestreamed through this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz4oP87ziTjb7WpRwIGZf0g . Read about his case at https://bit.ly/3fZWJvK Back View PDF September 18, 2023 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

#35 Sign On To Letter To President-Elect To End DOJ's "China Initiative" Back View PDF December 16, 2020 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter

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

#152 OSTP in the News; Update on Dr. Yanping Chen; Chinese Academics Vindicated; Chip Ban Back View PDF October 27, 2022 Previous Newsletter Next Newsletter