Exploration of Teen Suicides

Join us for a special screening of "Unmasked", a documentary exploring youth suicide and mental health. Created by a group of high school seniors, "Unmasked" was nominated as "Best Short Documentary" for an LA Film Festival. After the film there will be a Q&A Panel with some of the filmmakers. To reserve your FREE tickets click here!

Profiling Not OK

The following information was brought to my attention by Jack Peng, President of the Chinese American Forum. It was written by S.B. Woo, President of the 80-20 Initiative. People are asking that this information be shared.

Gathering Momentum The US Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan commission, has by a  majority vote decided to request DOJ for an investigation regarding the questionable prosecution of Sherry Chen, Prof. Xiaoxing Xi and others.    Click here to see the Media report.   UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS  1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 1150  Washington, DC 20425 www.usccr.gov  November 18, 2015  The Honorable Loretta E. Lynch Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice  950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW  Washington, DC 20530-0001  Dear Madame Attorney General:  On behalf of the United States Commission on Civil Rights we write to urge you to examine whether, in the government’s efforts to stop espionage by the Chinese government and Chinese institutions, it may be rushing to judgment in investigations involving Asian Americans, primarily of Chinese descent. We are concerned that the government is failing to exercise sufficient due diligence when targeting Asian Americans for investigation, surveillance, and arrest, due to their race or national origin. Recent news reports have detailed embarrassing attempts by the federal government to prosecute Chinese Americans for spying and economic espionage, only to drop the charges “in the interest of justice” after it became clear that serious errors had been made that were fundamental to the charges.  A Temple University physics professor, Xi Xiaoxing, was arrested for allegedly sharing confidential schematics of laboratory equipment with scientists in China. FBI agents raided his home with guns drawn and he was taken away in handcuffs in front of his wife and children. The charges against Dr. Xi, a naturalized citizen, were dropped after scientists, including the co-inventor of the equipment in question, informed the government that the blueprints he shared were not for the equipment. Another American citizen, Sherry Chen, was a hydrologist for the National Weather Service when she was arrested for spying for China. She was arrested at her workplace and led away in handcuffs past her coworkers. The evidence in her case was weak and prosecutors dropped the charges a week before trial. According to a former federal prosecutor who specialized in computer crimes and industrial espionage, “it’s clear there was a little bit of Red Scare and racism involved.” We are concerned these and other examples may show a pattern of overzealous targeting of Chinese Americans. Members of Congress and national Asian and Chinese American organizations have raised similar concerns with you, but the Department of Justice’s response has been to dismiss these concerns without addressing the underlying policies and practices that led to mistakes which precipitated these wrongful prosecutions of American citizens. This is not the first time a person of Chinese descent was arrested for spying with flimsy evidence and suspicions based on the suspect’s race. Dr. Wen Ho Lee was a federal nuclear scientist who was arrested for spying and held without bail in solitary confinement for over nine months. Unable to prove its accusations, the government dropped its spying charges and charged him with one count of mishandling sensitive documents, which did not require solitary confinement.  Dr. Lee received an apology from a federal district court judge for his denial of bail and solitary confinement and for the government’s misconduct in investigating and prosecuting the case. While these Chinese Americans were able to eventually have their charges dropped, they—and their families—suffered tremendously because of, at best, lack of diligence on the part of the investigators, and at worst, racial bias. Temple University demoted Dr. Xi as chair of its physics department and the government recently informed Dr. Chen it plans on firing her for many of the same reasons for which she was prosecuted. They watched their professional reputations get tarnished and incurred debt to defend their innocence. They endured months of being labeled traitors to their country, and were ostracized by neighbors, friends, and professional colleagues. Not only is there personal loss, but the nation loses promising and productive scientists when improper investigations foster anxiety in the Asian American scientific community over fears of unfair treatment.  Similar to the recent request of 42 members of Congress4 calling for an investigation, we urge you to investigate whether federal investigators and prosecutors improperly over-relied on race in recent prosecutions, and to increase training and oversight over ongoing and future investigations and prosecutions against Chinese Americans for spying and espionage. As the Department of Justice states in its 2014 guidance on the use of race, biased law enforcement practices “have a terrible cost, not only for individuals but also for the Nation as a whole.” Very truly yours,  Martin R. Castro,  Chairman Patricia Timmons-Goodson,  Vice-Chair Robert Achtenberg, Commissioner  Commissioner David Kladney,Commissioner  Karen K. Narasaki, Commissioner

Come Share Holiday Cheer

Life is short. Enjoy your tea and company.

V.P. Winny helps our speaker serve tea

The treasured tea set from Taiwan

Restaurateur and Tea aficionado Kenny Lin brought his 25–year-old dragon tea set (which he had brought with him from Taiwan in 1996) to Teresa O’Neill’s for our November gathering. Kenny explained that the art of drinking tea dated back almost 5000 years. In 2737 there was an Emperor who was also known as a researcher and scientist. He liked trying different plants and herbs. He also had a practice of drinking boiled water. As legend has it , one time he accidentally ate an herb that made him deathly ill. At the same time, a leaf—Camelia sinensis—fell into his cup of boiled water. This leaf-flavored water counteracted whatever bad thing he had eaten, and besides, it tasted very good. Thus tea drinking was borne.
Kenny said that according to modern research, drinking tea can avert heart disease, keep your weight down by stimulating your kidneys, and prevent gallstones. It stimulates your brain and cleanses your digestive system. While tea has caffeine, it is better than coffee as tea also has antioxidants. Also, if you chew the tea leaves, it helps get rid of bad breath.
There are many types of tea (green, yellow, red, white). Some teas are best for the morning (Longjing, Yellow needle) and some are best for the night (Iron Goddess, Pu’er). But no matter the tea, it is also important to have good equipment. Kenny has a purple sand teapot from Yixing, China, a gift from when he and Winny visited as part of a USCPFA delegation. The pot can keep water hot for two hours.
Kenny put a pouch of loose tea leaves into the pot and poured 100C water on top. “The first brewing I don’t serve,” he said as he dumped what looked good enough to many of the rest of us. “I need to wake up the tea leaves. The 2nd brewing is the best.” Vice President and wife Winny Lin helped serve small cups of the tea, which indeed did taste like the best.
“Life is short,” concluded Kenny. “Enjoy your good tea and company.” That evening we certainly did that.
***And as a special treat, Billy Lee who had just returned from a trip to China, brought several lucky members a tin of tea to take home.***

Tea Anyone?

Cut Out The Eyes

Join Asia Society Northern California and the Center for Asian American Media for a special screening of Cut out the Eyes, a documentary by Chinese film director Xu Tong, shown as part of the Cinema on the Edge Film Festival in San Francisco. Q&A with Karin Chien, the President and Founder of dGenerate Films, will follow the film. 
Where: 145 Ninth Street, First Floor, San Francisco 
When: November 20, 7-9pm

Chinese-American Civil Rights Fighter

“American Heathen”  --The Stanford Graphic Novel Project

by Winny Lin

Vice President of CA South Bay Chapter

Out of the blue, I received an email about the publication of a graphic novel project about Wong Chin Foo,王清福, the very first Chinese-American activist, and his journey.  Thanks to both Shimon Tanaka and Scott Hutchins, Stanford lecturers and project leaders, I received a copy and started reading.

The novel tells the story of a Chinese-American who in the 19^th century pioneered the struggle for the civil rights of his own people while under the restrictions of the Exclusion Act.  Today, the scenery has changed.  Chinese-Americans are working in every field, no longer are they isolated in restaurants and laundries.  Nevertheless, we are still struggling to improve our rights and places in the United States of America. 

It was amazing how Wong knew to use the same tactics we are using today to fight for the rights for Chinese-Americans--- newspaper, associations, testimony in US Congress, and traveling lectures.

In 1874 Wong became a naturalized US citizen.  However when he exercised his right to vote, he was thrown into jail.  In the novel he is quoted as saying “Cutting my queue, speaking perfect English, lecturing to thousands---none of it matters.” It is still true that in parts of America today, there is still subtle discrimination against Chinese-Americans. I remember when our attorney first jokingly called my husband, “Chinaman” many years ago, my smile froze and did not know how to respond. Last year when I subbed in a 5^th grade classroom in Kentucky, a girl was mocking me and my accent. Where did all these come from? History and stereotype!?

The novel goes on to explain that Wong founded a weekly newspaper, The Chinese American, in New York City for distribution east of the Rockies.  The purpose was to keep the people informed and organized to fight for their rights. In 1893, he wrote in his paper about the Geary Act which extended the Exclusion Act and made it even more onerous.  The new law required all Chinese to carry their resident permit, or they would be deported or get a year of hard labor.  As difficult as it is to imagine, Chinese were not allowed to bear witness in court.

Wong established the Chinese Rights League and organized meetings to discuss how to protest the hideous Geary Act. “We won’t let stand a law that treats us like branded cattle” he is quoted as saying.  Over a thousand prominent Americans came  to support his rally at Cooper Union in New York City.  This reminded me of the rally held in Washington DC in 1963.  I was not surprised to see in the novel that Wong is compared to Martin Luther King, Jr.  However, Wong used the same strategy way before King. Interesting!

The novel reports that he spoke for 150,000 Chinese in the US and testified at Congressional hearings.  He faced Congressman Thomas J. Geary himself and said “I will not be photographed against my will like a criminal.  I would be hanged first.”  Why should Chinese be singled out for this treatment?  Although Wong did not completely succeed, Secretary of the Treasury Carlisle did make modifications to the government’s enforcement procedures under the Geary Act.  So his effort did pay off!

Wong traveled the globe giving speeches to the American public and promoted the awareness of Chinese culture, Confucianism, and the evil of opium brought by western world to China.  He even defended Chinese food against the rumor of rats and cats served in Chinese restaurants. One time he offered $500 reward for anyone who could prove that Chinese ate cats and rats.  It is so sad that people in the Mid-West still asked me if our Chinese restaurants in town serve cats and rats! History and stereotype! It has not changed yet.

Other than his fight for civil rights, Wong struggled with his own identity.  Was he a Chinese or an American? Once he was educated by Christian missionary and  baptized into the Baptist faith. However, when he spoke to the general American public, he often praised Confucius’ teaching as the reason for a harmonious society and criticized “the hypocrisy of Christianity”.   And that is “why I am a heathen”, he proclaimed.  He worked hard to protect the rights of Chinese in America, but was often sought after by Chinese tongs (secret societies often engaged in illicit activities), because he wrote about the vices existing in  of Chinatowns.  When he was in China, the Qing government put a reward on his head, due to his anti-government activities.  So where could he find his place?  Over 150 years later, many of us also are facing the dilemma: Chinese or Americans?  Or do we get the best of two worlds?

 Before reading this graphic novel, “American Heathen”, I was not aware of Wong Chin Foo (王清福) and his Chinese-American activism.  USCPFA South Bay chapter recently had several speakers to speak on the topics of Chinese-American’s history:

1.     Sweet and Sour: Life in Chinese Family Restaurants by author John Jung and artist Flo Wong

2.     The Angel Island Story by Buck Gee, president of the Board of Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

3.     Long Overdue Dedication to Fishing Village by activist and historian Gerry Low-Sabado.

I have found these very interesting and relevant, since I immigrated to the USA during the influx of college graduates from Taiwan in the 70’s.  This publication of “American Heathen”, a project of a group of twelve students at Stanford has added more depth of my understanding of the struggle of Chinese-Americans.  Since the project leader, Shimon Tanaka came on October 25 and explained the process how the book was done, I feel more appreciative of this graphic novel, especially each of us present was gifted a signed copy. Thank you, Shimon. 謝謝！

photo #1 Many of us asked Shimon to sign our copy of the book.
photo #2 On behalf of the chapter, I presented Shimon with a certificate of appreciation.
photo #3 Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.