UCA Convention July 15 Morning
Panel 1: “China Initiative” and Our Fight for Equality and Justice in America Friday, July 15 9:00 – 10:00 AM (Regency Room)
In this opening panel, we will hear from a wide range of speakers on the impact and ripple effects of the DOJ’s China Initiative and the potential implications on Chinese American civil rights. We will hear from legal experts as well as from Professor Anming Hu, the first academic to stand trial under the China Initiative, and his team.

Session Chair
Jinliang Cai
Tennessee Chinese American Alliance; UCA Board Chair


Moderator
Gisela Perez Kusakawa
Staff Attorney,
Asian Americans Advancing Justice


Panelist
Prof. Anming Hu
Associate Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville


Panelist
Philip Lomonaco
Attorney representing Prof. Hu


Panelist
Wendy Chandler
Juror


Panelist
Melba Harmon
Juror



Panelist
Jinliang Cai
Tennessee Chinese American Alliance; UCA Board Chair
Professor Anming Hu of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was the first academic to stand trial under the Department of Justice’s China Initiative. After the trial, the jury deadlocked, the judge declared a mistrial, and ultimately issued a full acquittal on the basis that the government failed to meet its evidentiary burden.This panel will discuss the case and what it has revealed about the U.S. government’s China Initiative, public anti-China sentiment, and the challenges facing Chinese American community.