NAAPAC e-Newsletter No. 2021-08-07
- FW: NCAPA Newsletter – Quarterly Updates
- FW: Are you a student leader looking to elevate AAPI issues?
- FW: Don’t Let the EAGLE Act Fly Through Congress – CODEPINK – Women for Peace
- FW: From Quora – Do you agree?
- FW: [APA Justice] Outraged: DOJ to Retry A. Hu; Rep. Ted Lieu Letter to AG; 08/02 Meeting; Combat Hate
- FW: Gerrymandering Can Change The Political Makeup of the Entire Congress
From: National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
Subject: NCAPA Newsletter – Quarterly Updates
#WhoWeAre is an inclusive, digital campaign by the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). This campaign creates a space for a national discussion about meaningful and relatable representation of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. By bringing power to truth, the campaign calls out unfair representations of our community and raises awareness of those stories that represent #WhoWeAre.
Calendar/Events Updates
Keep updated on all the events hosted by our NCAPA members. See the full list at:ncapaonline.org/calendar/
Are You Vaccinated Yet?
It’s back to school time and #WeCanDoThis!
We’re joining Made to Save and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a Back to School Week of Action on August 7-8 and August 14-15.
We’ve compiled a toolkit of resources to help you get Asian American and Pacific Islander communities vaccinated.
Find an appointment here: https://buff.ly/3qFU4OB
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NCAPA and AANHPI Leaders Meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris
by ncapa | Aug 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: emma@ncapaonline.org
August 5th, 2021
Washington, DC—The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), National Director, Gregg Orton issued the following statement after several coalition leaders met with President Biden and Vice…
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From: Advancing Justice | AAJC
Subject: Are you a student leader looking to elevate AAPI issues?
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Calling all student leaders who want to elevate Asian American and Pacific Islander issues! We’re excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our Fall 2021 Youth Leadership Summit!
Our 9th annual Youth Leadership Summit will take place VIRTUALLY from Monday, October 18 to Friday, October 22.
To prioritize the health and safety of the students and our staff, we have decided to transition the Summit from a 3-day in-person convening to a 5-day virtual convening that will take place online in approximately 3-hour blocks.
Our Youth Leadership Summit is a multi-day leadership development program for high achieving college students dedicated to addressing issues impacting Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. The Summit will bring together 12 student leaders virtually for five days of advocacy trainings and leadership development workshops focused on advocacy, policy, and civic engagement; providing a unique opportunity for young advocates from across the country to both interact with their peers as well as learn from and network with national leaders. Read about our Spring 2021 class and alumni projects.
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How to apply:
The application includes:
- This online form including references.
- Your resume. In addition to completing the online form, please send a copy of your resume to Joy De Guzman, Manager of Community Engagement, at jdeguzman@advancingjustice-aajc.org.
More information about the program and the application process can be found here. The deadline to apply is on Friday, August 27.
The Youth Leadership Summit is made possible through the generous support of State Farm.
From: Nancy Tai
Subject: Don’t Let the EAGLE Act Fly Through Congress – CODEPINK – Women for Peace
https://www.codepink.org/eagleact
Don’t Let the EAGLE Act Fly Through Congress
Send a letter to the House of Representatives today to ask them to vote no on the latest environmentally destructive and wasteful anti-China bill, H.R. 3524 The EAGLE Act. We know U.S. imperialism impacts people outside of the United States the most, so we invite all people to send a message to Congress that this anti-China fueled militarism must END! Read our alert on The EAGLE Act here. You can read H.R. 3524 the EAGLE Act here.
From: JOEL WONG
Subject: From Quora – Do you agree?
What is the significance of the Chinese government’s crackdown on tech and education companies which have wiped out more than $1 trillion in company market caps (August 2021)?
It reinforces the idea that in China, capitals don’t run the country, the government does. No matter how big or strong a particular business model is, if it’s a threat to social stability and longevity of the country, it will be regulated. Both Chinese tech companies and cram school business models have long attracted criticism from the society. With tech companies, it’s the monopolisation of digital data which can lead to an insurmountable gulf between new entrants and existing players. Basically, as big tech companies gather more data from its customer, it can use the data to push out potential competitors, particularly when it comes to AI. This has led to players like Alibaba or Meituan and DiDi dominating their section of the market, because no one else have the data to compete with them. This might be look for the investors and financial spreadsheet, but it can also lead to a dystopian future where countries are ruled by large transnational corporations bend on profits.
As for cram school business model, China has one of the most competitive private education sector in the world. A large portion of family income is used by parents to put their kid through private education so they may remain competitive in a country of 1.4 billion people. The demand is extremely high for all kinds of after-school education programs big or small. The problem with this is, families can either choose to have one child and give all their resources to this one child, or have two or more with less to give, therefore not affording the children the edge they need to compete with others.
China is facing a population decline in the next decade, and if the private education sector continues to thrive and further stretch families’ disposal income, there’s very little incentive to encourage people have more children.
China is gradually easing off the pressure on families by regulating private education companies so that a fundamental block on family size can be removed.
However, it is unclear whether this will be successful or not, because the private education market is fundamentally driven by demand, not supply. As long as the demand remains, parents will try and do put all their resources into their children. China needs to reform its public education system so that the demand for hyper competitiveness is lessened.
All of these are bad news for investors wanting to make quick bucks off China market, but in my view, these are fundamental societal issues that the Chinese government try to tackle.
Never mind the market share. In the west, or rather, in most liberal capital oriented country, the market dictate the rule of the country and of the people. China is a different beast of its own. It does things differently so one must learn to read it differently.
From: Jeremy Wu
Subject: [APA Justice] Outraged: DOJ to Retry A. Hu; Rep. Ted Lieu Letter to AG; 08/02 Meeting; Combat Hate
Outraged: DOJ Intends to Retry Professor Anming Hu
On July 30, 2021, the U.S. Government announced that it intends to retry the case against Professor Anming Hu. The first trial of an academic under the “China Initiative” fell apart and ended in a mistrial after FBI revealed serious misconduct, including falsifying information and fabricating facts in its failure to find a non-existent spy in Knoxville, Tennessee.
After the government made its announcement, defense attorney Philip Lomonaco filed a renewed motion for judgment of acquittal, which was originally filed on June 11, 2021, by citing “the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction. There is no evidence that Professor Hu willfully intended to deceive NASA… Without the intent to deceive there can be no wire fraud conviction. Without the convictions for wire fraud, the remaining counts would fail as well… In the alternative, Defendant would rely on previous briefings to the Court regarding the lack of intent to harm NASA as being a defense to wire fraud as well.”
After the mistrial was declared on June 16, 2021, the Intercept published “Ridiculous Case”: Juror Criticizes DOJ for Charging Scientist with Hiding Ties to China, in which Wendy Chandler, a juror in the trial, commented on the FBI, “It was the most ridiculous case. If this is who is protecting America, we’ve got problems.”
APA Justice is outraged by DOJ’s blatant disregard of the facts and misconduct in the first trial. It will only strengthen the community’s resolve to fight for justice for Professor Hu and his family and his eventual acquittal. What happened to Professor Hu and his family is not an isolated event; it is part of systemic racial bias, discrimination, and profiling by our federal government against scientists and researchers of Asian descent across the country. We must stop the racial profiling and criminalization of our Asian American and immigrant communities.
Congress, media, and community organizations have begun to react to the DOJ decision.
Read more about the background and the latest development of the Anming Hu case here: https://bit.ly/APAJ_AnmingHu
Rep. Ted Lieu Delivered Bicameral Letter to AG to Investigate Racial Profiling
On July 29, 2021, Rep. Ted Lieu delivered a bicameral coalition letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for an investigation into the Department of Justice’s “repeated, wrongful targeting of individuals of Asian descent for alleged espionage.”
“Over the years, multiple people who happened to be of Asian descent have been falsely accused by the Department of Justice of espionage,” including the false accusations of spying alleged against Wen Ho Lee, Sherry Chen, Xiaoxing Xi, Anming Hu, and many others.
“The common thread in every one of these cases was a defendant with an Asian surname — and an innocent life that was turned upside down.”
“No person should be viewed by our government as more suspicious because of the individual’s race. We thus request an update on the mandated implicit bias training and request an investigation to determine whether the Department of Justice has a written or unwritten policy, program, pattern or practice of using race (or other civil rights classifications such as religion, gender and national origin) in targeting people for arrest, surveillance, security clearance denials or other adverse actions. We also specifically request whether, under the ‘China Initiative,’ there is a written or unwritten policy, program, pattern or practice to target people based on their race, ethnicity or national origin.”
On July 30, 2021, Axios published an exclusive report: Nearly 100 members of Congress call for probe into DOJ’s alleged racial profiling of Asians.
Read more at: https://bit.ly/3xbDiIU
08/02 APA Justice Monthly Meeting
The next APA Justice monthly meeting will be held on Monday, August 2, 2021. Nisha Ramachandran, Executive Director of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), will provide updates on CAPAC. Congressman Ted Lieu will speak on his bicameral letter to the Attorney General and related matters. Professor Kai Li, Vice President of Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), will describe the background and current activities of AASF. Advancing Justice | AAJC will provide updates on its Anti-Racial Profiling Project and related activities. The DOJ decision to retry Professor Anming Hu’s case and follow-up to the June 30 Congressional Roundtable will also be discussed. The monthly meeting is by invitation only. If you wish to participate, either one time or for future meetings, please contact one of the co-organizers for APA Justice – Steven Pei, Vincent Wang, and Jeremy Wu, or send a message to contact@apajustice.org.
Read past APA Justice monthly meeting summaries here: https://bit.ly/3kxkqxP.
Resilience: Combating Anti-Asian Hate
Although anti-Asian hate incidents and crimes are appearing less freqeuntly in the media, it does not mean that they are not happening. We must remain vigilant. This was the warning given by Sonal Shah, President of The Asian American Foundation during the July 12 APA Justice Meeting. In particular, on May 26, 2021, President Biden tasked the intelligence community to produce a report on the origin of the coronavirus in 90 days. Regardless of the finding, it may create opportunities for some who want to blame the Asian American communities, especially the Chinese American community. Sonal suggests that we should be aware and ready.
On July 23, 2021, author, journalist and activist Helen Zia penned an essay to spotlight the cover story of the Time Magazine: “Our American Story – Family Portraits of Resilience in a Year of Violence.” In leading off the article, Helen wrote, “As the daughter of immigrants from China, growing up in New Jersey in the mid–20th century, I knew one element of Chinese culture to be nonnegotiable: children were expected to revere parents, teachers and other elders. In many Asian-American cultures, elders have a special status; they are valued and beloved for the wisdom of their years and all they have endured. My brothers and I knew never to challenge or disrespect adults. After a lifetime spent absorbing these lessons, it is especially painful today to see cherished elders of any background become targets of the kind of assaults that Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people are now facing…
The COVID-19 pandemic and global economic crisis have inflicted terrible losses—of health, community and loved ones. Amid a toxic mix of misery, fear and racist innuendo, too many people have been ready to lash out. Social media has exploded with disturbing images of verbal and physical assaults on our elders. But to us, they are not the face-masked victims of grainy videos. They have names, faces, dignity. They are leaders; churchgoers; essential workers; shopkeepers; grandparents—beloved members of their families and communities. They want the world to know that they are survivors, not victims. That they are still standing, speaking out, fighting for their humanity…
We can begin by recognizing the resilience of the AAPI elders who have been targeted in unacceptable, random acts of violent hate. In their faces, we see the long journeys of revered grand-parents, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers who have struggled and sacrificed for future generations. By bringing our Asian-American universe into focus for all to see, we hope you—our neighbors, co-workers, members of all faiths and beloved communities—will see our elders as we see them, and as you see your own: the ones who made the foundation of our families, our homes and our country with their blood, sweat, tears and love. In knowing their stories, perhaps we can finally bring our parallel universes together.”
Read more about Helen’s essay and the stories of the Eng, Kari, Chan, Sung, and Lau families here: https://bit.ly/3zZ1jVn
On March 19, 2021, the Washington Post published a report on “Asian woman, 75, beats back man who punched her in San Francisco: ‘I am amazed by her bravery’.” The elderly woman, Xiao Zhen Xie, was standing at an intersection in San Francisco, waiting for the traffic light to change, when a White man with shaggy blond hair ran up and punched her face. Xie picked up a wooden plank and hit back, striking the man’s face and sending him to the hospital. “This bum, he hit me!” Xie said to onlookers, a video of the aftermath shows, as she held towels up to her bloodied eye. Read more at https://wapo.st/3jdsxko.
Xie’s grandson started a GoFundMe campaign and raised $1 million with an initial goal of $50K. Xie decided to donate the bulk of the money to a newly formed California nonprofit corporation – Asian Community Assistance Association – to continue protecting the AAPI community, promoting safety, and preventing any further increase in Asian hate crimes. Read more at https://bit.ly/37g7LLc
Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him, arguing that the incarceration was justified due to military necessity.
In 1983, Prof. Peter Irons, a legal historian, together with researcher Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, discovered key documents that government intelligence agencies had hidden from the Supreme Court in 1944. The documents consistently showed that Japanese Americans had committed no acts of treason to justify mass incarceration. With this new evidence, a pro-bono legal team that included the Asian Law Caucus re-opened Korematsu’s 40-year-old case on the basis of government misconduct. On November 10, 1983, Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in a federal court in San Francisco. It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history.
Korematsu remained an activist throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton. In 2010, the state of California passed the Fred Korematsu Day bill, making January 30 the first day in the U.S. named after an Asian American. Korematsu’s growing legacy continues to inspire people of all backgrounds and demonstrates the importance of speaking up to fight injustice.
Let these inspiring stories be the guide to our resilience against modern-day anti-Asian hate, whether it is in the form of verbal or physical assault or in the repeated, wrongful targeting of people of Asian descent for alleged espionage.
From: APIAVote
Subject: Gerrymandering Can Change The Political Makeup of the Entire Congress
Gerrymandering Can Change The Political Makeup of the Entire Congress
States have already begun the community districting process, making decisions on how electoral districts are drawn for the next 10 years. In this moment, there is great opportunity for our communities voices’ to be heard, included, and taken into account in this decision-making process. There is also great opportunity for several states to gerrymander themselves to benefit a powerful few.
Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives has a +4 majority. According to Mother Jones, “Republicans could pick up anywhere from six to 13 seats in the House of Representatives…through its control of the redistricting process in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas alone,” when they may not have otherwise won. Gerrymandering is not only an issue in Republican states, however. We also know Democratic states such as Maryland, New York, and Illinois also have the ability to wipe out incumbent Republicans through gerrymandering. Re-drawing districts to benefit one political party is unacceptable, regardless of partisanship, but has the ability to change the entire political makeup of Congress.
District lines need to accurately represent and take into account our communities — where we live, where we congregate, where we work, where we play. As state governments are redrawing district lines NOW, we need your action is needed NOW. This means giving testimony, preparing community maps that show where our communities live, work, worship, and advocating for communities of interest in unity with other racial and ethnic groups. We must not allow states to redraw district lines in a way that disenfranchises our communities and unilaterally benefits their political power. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved, we still have some events coming up you can join! Please stay tuned for these events. If you’re interested in supporting the redistricting process in your respective cities, states, and regions, let us know where you are so we can connect you with the right folks!
March On for Voting Rights This August 28th
This August, on the 58th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, APIAVote is coming together with democracy advocates across the country to join the historic March On for Voting Rights.
On Saturday, August 28th, the March On for Voting Rights will take place in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Miami, Phoenix, Houston, and across the country as we protect voting rights and demand that Congress act by passing federal voting rights legislation.
Can we count on you to help us spread the word about the marches?
Visit marchonforvotingrights.org for more information.
We hope to see you there!
In the News
Biden meets with top Democrats on voting rights as senators ready a scaled-back proposal.
July 29, 2021
By Nicholas Fandos and Nick Corasaniti
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the top Democrats in Congress met at the White House on Friday to discuss their party’s faltering efforts to pass major voting rights legislation. Mr. Biden’s meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York came at a crucial moment, as activists are pushing the president to use his power and Democrats’ control of Congress to protect voting rights while they have the chance.
Voting rights groups press for a more aggressive response to G.O.P. restrictions.
August 3, 2021
By Nick Corasaniti
Dozens of voting rights groups and left-leaning get-out-the-vote organizations said on Tuesday that they were sending a letter to the Biden administration demanding more aggressive action to pass federal voting legislation. The letter also criticizes what the groups perceive as a misguided White House strategy that puts too much emphasis on organizing — the grass-roots work of registering, educating and turning out voters — to combat dozens of new voting restrictions passed by Republicans across the country this year.
Americans are not satisfied with the way Asian Americans, immigrants are treated, poll finds
July 29, 2021
By Jeanine Santucci
Satisfaction with the way Asian Americans are treated in the U.S. has plummeted after a year of documented increases in hate crimes and instances of racism, a new poll shows.
Americans are also at an all-time low in their satisfaction with the treatment of immigrants in this country, according to the Gallup Poll released Thursday. Americans’ views on the treatment of immigrants have declined in the 20 years since Gallup began polling them on the topic, and this year’s 33% satisfaction rating marks the lowest point.
Dozens of legislators from other states to join Texas lawmakers in D.C. to lobby for voting bills
August 2, 2021
By: Vanessa Williams
More than 100 state legislators from across the country will converge in Washington on Monday to join their Texas counterparts in pushing the Senate and President Biden to take action on voting reform legislation.
The lawmakers represent more than 20 states, including some in which Republican-led legislatures have passed or are considering new voting restrictions, and will urge senators to pass the For the People Act, or at least show progress on a federal voting law, before their summer recess. They are scheduled to rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday and press their case during other public events and private meetings.
Asian Americans Emerge as Force in US Politics
August 3, 2021
By: Elizabeth Lee
Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law, removing barriers preventing African Americans from voting, the face of the American voter has gradually changed. During the 2020 elections, Asian Americans flexed their political muscle in presidential and congressional races, contributing to a record voter turnout across the nation.
Demographers and other experts say Asian Americans will steadily grow into a dominant force in American politics.
APIAVote is looking to hire a new Field and Research Associate. Read the full job announcement, including all requested materials, here.
Applications are being accepted through Monday, August 16, 2021 at 6:00PM EST.
APIAVote is also looking for undergraduate students or recent graduates interested in protecting voting rights, mobilizing AAPIs to the polls, and ensuring our communities’ voices are heard. The APIAVote Internship Program strives to encourage and cultivate young AAPI student leaders to explore a career in the public sector or the political arena. This internship program will also provide hands-on experience and training on how to organize and implement voter activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process.
We have a rolling deadline for fall intern applicants. These internships are unpaid and can be based in Washington, D.C. or virtually.