More than 80 Asian American and civil rights organizations are speaking out against a new proposal in Congress they say would quietly bring back the Justice Department’s controversial “China Initiative.”
In a letter sent to House Appropriations Committee leaders on Sept. 9, the groups called on lawmakers to remove language from the upcoming federal spending bill that would direct the Department of Justice to reestablish an office focused on threats from China.
Leaders of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF), Stop AAPI Hate and Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) say it’s a thinly veiled attempt to restart the “China Initiative,” a Trump-era program that was widely criticized for unfairly targeting Asian American scientists and academics.
John C. Yang, president and executive director of Advancing Justice – AAJC said, “This language once again threatens to reverse the progress we have made and target Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars under the guise of national security. Let’s be clear: the first iteration of this program did not address national security. Instead, it fueled division, upended lives and curbed our country’s global competitiveness.”
Chilling effects on science
Reviving this program would send a chilling message to the world’s top minds: that the U.S. values suspicion over science.
Gisela Perez Kusakawa, executive director of AASF, said, “We must not repeat a chapter that not only ruined so many lives, but also weakened our innovation ecosystem and compromised our national interest.”
A recent survey conducted by AASF revealed that many scientists of Chinese descent now avoid applying for federal grants or engaging in certain research, out of fear of being unfairly investigated.
- 72% said they don’t feel safe in the U.S.
- 45% said they avoid federal funding altogether
- 42% said they’re afraid to continue their research
The groups argue that bringing back the initiative would do more than harm individual careers. In their letter, they warn it would “hamper America’s scientific progress and innovation” and risk a “significant loss of talent.”
Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate said the “China Initiative” “shattered lives, violated civil liberties, and chilled academic freedom, all while weakening America’s global leadership.”
The groups also drew connections between the China Initiative and the long history of Asian Americans being treated as outsiders or threats, from the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 19th century to Japanese American incarceration during World War II—and more recently, the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter and the full list of signatories can be read here.
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