Conversation with Senior FBI Official

December 16, 2018December 16, 20181 Comment

Conversation with Senior FBI Official

Asian American Community leaders met with senior FBI official and representatives to discuss about community concerns

December 14, 2018. Contact: Aryani Ong, (240) 370-6660, aong@sixhuesblog.com

Washington, D.C. – On December 7, 2018, a group of community leaders met with a senior level FBI official and representatives at the FBI headquarters to convey concerns raised within the Chinese American community about the role of bias in its investigations, among other issues.

The FBI stated that its mission is to protect all Americans, including Chinese Americans, while also highlighting national security threats and the political influence from foreign nations such as China.

The community leaders acknowledged the serious threat posed by trade secret theft within the U.S. where intellectual property has found its way to foreign nations, including China. They also expressed support for vigorous law enforcement action where wrongdoing occurs. At the same time, the community leaders spoke about the fear and suspicion created by certain actions by the FBI, particularly related to cases where apparent innocent parties were involved.

The 90-minute meeting at FBI headquarters was closed door, permitting for a frank and confidential conversation. Both sides expressed interest in a continuing dialogue. Community groups who want to dialogue with the agency can contact FBI field offices. Several already have held meetings or forums involving the FBI in Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. According to the FBI, it has community outreach specialists in each of its field offices who regularly engage with the various communities they serve.

The community leaders attending the meeting were Robert Gee, Vice Chair, Washington DC Region, Committee of 100; Andrew Kim, Visiting Scholar, South Texas College of Law and Litigator, Greenberg Traurig; Aryani Ong, community advocate; Steven Pei, scientist and Honorary Chair of United Chinese Americans; and Jeremy Wu, retired government official.

亚裔社团领袖和高级联邦调查局(FBI)官员和代表会谈，讨论社团关注的问题

华盛顿特区——2018 年12 月7 日，一行共5 位亚裔社团领袖在联邦调查局总部和一名联邦调查局高级官员和代表会谈，传达並表示了华裔社团对于联邦调查局工作存在偏见与相关问题的关切。

联邦调查局表示，其使命是保护包括华裔美国人在内的所有美国人，同时也强调来自包括来自如中国等外国对美国的安全威胁和政治影响。

社团领袖们理解盗窃美国商业秘密所构成的严重威胁，包括一些知识产权已经流入中国和其他国家。他们亦表示支持在发生不法行为的情况下采取有力的执法行动。与此同时，社团领袖们明确表示联邦调查局的某些行动对社区产生的恐惧和怀疑，特别是涉及明显无辜华裔的案件。

这次在联邦调查局总部举行的90 分钟的闭门会议，允许双方进行坦诚和保密的讨论，双方都表示愿意继续对话。各地愿意和联邦调查局交换意见的社团可以和联邦调查局的地方分局联系。奥斯汀，休斯顿，洛杉矶，旧金山和华盛顿特区等地都已经和联邦调查局有过联系，举办过座谈会。

联邦调查局表示他们在各地的分局都有负责和他们所在的社区沟通的专家。

出席会议的社团领袖是Robert Gee (朱健荣) ，百人会华盛顿特区副主席；Andrew Kim (김종세, 金鈡世)，南德州法律学院访问学者和Greenberg Traurig 诉讼律师；Aryani Ong (王爱玲)，社团活动家；Steven Pei (白先慎)，科学家和美国华人联合会荣誉主席；Jeremy Wu (胡善庆) ，退休联邦政府官员。

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Speak Up! Community Action Alert!

March 2, 2018December 21, 20193 Comments

Voice Your Concern with FBI Director Wray’s Remarks on Chinese Students, Scientists and Professors as National Security Threat

Many in Asian American communities, particularly Chinese Americans, were shocked and concerned to hear high-ranking US officials characterize, at a recent Senate hearing, all persons of Chinese origin in the United States, particularly Chinese students, professors and scientists as potential national security threats, therefore requiring “a whole-of-society response by us” to such an existential threat.

Spurred by the community’s broad concerns, leaders of 14 national Asian American organizations sent a letter on March 1st to FBI Director with a request for a meeting. Given that several Chinese American scientists in recent years have been mistakenly targeted for prosecution of espionage-related charges, these organizations seek to create an ongoing dialogue with the FBI to foster better communications and mutual understanding between these communities and the FBI. Now is your turn.

Actions so far:

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1) Sign up on here to register your concern, and support the organizations’ efforts to create a dialogue with the FBI Director.

2) Contact your House Representatives and Senators. Find their contact info here. See below for sample language for a phone call or letter.

3) Share this action alert with your friends, neighbors and colleagues.

社区行动指南！

发出我们的声音，反对联邦调查局局长把中国学生，科学家和教授都列为国家安全威胁的言论！

在最近的参议院听证会上，这位联邦高级官员将所有美籍华人，特别是中国学生，教授和科学家都列为潜在的国家安全威胁，因此需要动员“我们全社会的举措”来对应这种前所未有的威胁。这种言论令亚裔社区尤其是华人社区感到极为震惊和不安。

由于亚裔社区对此事件的广泛关注和不满，14个全国性亚裔组织于3月1日致函FBI局长，要求与局长见面，展开亚裔社区和FBI之间的对话。鉴于近年来有数位华裔科学家被错误无辜地起诉从事间谍等相关活动，这些亚裔组织试图与联邦调查局展开对话，以促进社区与联邦调查局之间更好的沟通和相互理解。现在是轮到你行动的时刻了。

你可以采取以下行动

1） 请在此填表, 来表达您的关注和担忧，并支持这些亚裔及华人组织与联邦调查局进行对话；

2）联系你的联邦众议员和参议员。你可以在这里找到他们的联系信息, 并请参阅下面说法和建议给他们打电话或写邮件表达你的看法；

3）与你的朋友，邻居和同事分享这个行动。

Sample Language for Phone Call or Letter
给议员打电话或写信可以用以下文字

I am a constituent from [City, State]. I am calling to express my concerns about the FBI Director’s remarks during a recent Senate hearing. He made a blanket statement that characterized all Chinese students, professors and scientists as potential spies. By making such statements, he is approving law enforcement to target people based on their ethnic background and national origin, not on their actions. This is against the American principles and values. I know examples of innocent Chinese Americans being wrongfully accused as spies and caused severe damage to their life and family. I’d like to ask my congressman/senator to

Call on the FBI Director to clarify his statement, and reaffirm that the FBI will not engage in profiling based on national origin or ethnicity.
Encourage the FBI Director to speak to the coalition of national organizations that sent him a letter on March 1 calling for a dialogue between the FBI and the Asian American community.
Assure the voters in [your congressional district or state] that the congressman/senator will not tolerate broad profiling based on a person’s ethnic identity or national origin.

Background Reading
背景阅读

Call for Meeting with FBI Director Wray Regarding Profiling of Students, Scholars, and Scientists with Chinese Origins

March 2, 2018March 2, 2018

New York, NY, March 1, 2018 – Today, United Chinese American (UCA, ucausa.org) has released a letter joined by 13 national civil rights and community organizations to FBI Director Christopher Wray, urging him to meet and discuss recent remarks he made characterizing all persons of Chinese origin in the United States as a national security threat. We believe such statements are overreaching and against the American principles of equality and justice. Our statement is below.

The Honorable Christopher Wray
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations
FBI Headquarters
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535-0001

March 1, 2018

Dear Mr. Wray,

We write to express concern over remarks you made at the Senate Hearing Select Committee on
Intelligence on February 13, 2018. We are a coalition of organizations, representing a range of
communities, including Chinese Americans, Asian Americans, and others committed to American
principles of civil rights. We include community groups, fraternal associations, non-profit organizations, and professional associations. All of the organizations represented are non-partisan. What unites us is our interest in promoting belonging and equality, including of immigrants. On behalf of our many thousands of members, who are loyal citizens, native-born and naturalized, as well as immigrants, we request a meeting at your earliest convenience. We believe there is an opportunity to engage in positive dialogue to advance our nation’s ideals as well as its national security.

At such a meeting, we would offer you an opportunity to speak directly to representatives of the millions of Asian Americans — our nation’s fastest-growing minority group. The truth is that many of our
constituents were shocked, with feelings of both anger and sadness, that anyone would suggest they
were a threat to all of American society. Thus we would like an opportunity to discuss how
well-intentioned public policies might nonetheless lead to troubling issues of potential bias, racial
profiling, and wrongful prosecution. We can communicate a message back directly to many who are
troubled by what may be a misinterpretation of your comments.

There are now over 18 million Asian Americans, and those with ethnic Chinese origins constitute the
single most numerous population. We are taxpayers. We include sixth- generation Californians. Among
us are individuals who have served and continue to serve in the federal government, law enforcement
(such as the FBI itself), armed forces, and with intelligence agencies. Many of us, or our ancestors,
came as students or scholars. We contribute to society as entrepreneurs, in every scientific discipline,
and at all academic institutions. Foreign students continue to come in this tradition. While here, they
add to our academic institutions and deserve fair treatment.

After 9/11, with our nation at its most vulnerable, President George W. Bush and your predecessors at
the FBI and other law enforcement authorities reached out to Arab American and Muslim American
communities to ensure everyone came together in unity. Our goal is to ensure that in discharging the
FBI’s duties, the agency is aware of the many millions of innocent, law-abiding, and patriotic Asian
Americans, in particular Chinese Americans, who are affected directly or indirectly by its actions and
statements. No doubt you are familiar with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II,
two-thirds U.S. citizens, for which Presidents of both parties have apologized and Congress issued
redress. We would like to avoid such a situation in the future. Ongoing dialogue is crucial.

We are ready to talk and to listen. We request the opportunity to do so with you.

Sincerely,

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Washington (AAJC)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA)
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA)
Asian Services in Action (ASIA)
Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.)
Committee of 100 (C100)
Council of Korean Americans (CKA)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
OCA – Asian American Advocates (OCA)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
United Chinese Americans (UCA)

Organizations listed alphabetically

You can download this press release here in PDF format

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October 11, 2017February 2, 2018

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Panelists: C.W. Chan, Hamilton Chang, Christine Chen, Ed Gor

Guest Introducer: Jay Lin Moderator: Haipei Shue

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June 2, 2017February 2, 2018

Political and Community Leaders Sharing Their Successful Stories

Speaker: Michelle Wu

Moderator: Narantsin Kylie Jia

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Michelle Wu is the President of the Boston City Council. She is the first Asian American woman to serve on the Boston City Council, as well as the youngest current member. In January of 2016, she was elected as President of the Council. Born in Illinois on January 14, 1985, Michelle Wu graduated from Harvard University in 2007 and Harvard Law School in 2012. Wu worked as the Constituency Director for Elizabeth Warren’s 2012 campaign and was elected to Boston City Council At-Large in 2013.

Political and Community Leaders Sharing Their Successful Stories: Cindy Wang

June 2, 2017February 2, 2018

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Speaker: Cindy Wang

Moderator: Narantsin Kylie Jia

Cindy Wang is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, Cindy has brought her commitment and passion for service from the Midwest to the East Coast. She has previously served as President of the KCCAA Youth Hope Fund, a student-run non-profit organization dedicated to providing worldwide disaster relief and humanitarian aid. Under her leadership, the organization raised over $11,000 in two years for victims of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 Haiti Earthquake, and impoverished children in Yanzibian, China. Currently, Cindy is pursuing a Political Science degree with minors in Consumer Psychology, English, and Mandarin Chinese.

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June 2, 2017February 2, 2018

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June 2, 2017February 2, 2018

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UNITED CHINESE AMERICANS

Serve | Lead | Inspire

Category: Political Engagement

Conversation with Senior FBI Official