May Newsletter

Hope you have had a good start of 2022, and are looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year on Feb 1 as all of us. We’d like to share with you the following important items:

  • MIT Professor Gang Chen to speak in public the first time after his case was dismissed on Sunday (Jan 30) - webinar registration open

  • Community member testimony requested for Ohio Senate hearing on Senate Bill 214 that requires teaching Asian American history for K-12 students

  • Parents and teenagers participants needed to for University of Maryland research about Asian experience during the COVID pandemic


On January 14, 2021, FBI agents arrested MIT Professor Gang Chen at his home and charged him with wire fraud for allegedly failing to disclose affiliations with entities associated with China in applications for U.S. government grants. The MIT administrators and faculty stood by Professor Chen and provided legal support and wrote a “We are all Gang Chen” letter respectively. After a year of traumatizing experience for Prof. Chen and his family, on January 20, 2022, the Justice Department dismissed all charges against Prof. Chen, conceding their failures to present any credible evidence for their claims.

On January 25, 2022, New York Times published multiple versions of a report in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English based on a 3.5-hour interview with MIT Professor Gang Chen. The English title reads, "In the End, You’re Treated Like a Spy,’ Says M.I.T. Scientist." The Chinese title is “我们在残害我们自己”：华裔教授陈刚案背后的愤怒与幻灭” (can be translated as "'We Are Killing Ourselves': The Anger and Disillusion Behind the Case of Chinese American Professor Gang Chen." )

On the Jan 30 webinar hosted by AAASE, AASF, AAJC, APA Justice and the Brennan Center, Prof. Chen and his defense attorney Robert Fisher will provide a briefing of the case, and Prof. Chen will also speak about the impact this ordeal has had on his personal and professional life and relay his continuing concerns with the “China Initiative.” Congressman Ted Lieu and Seton Hall Law Professor Maggie Lewis will also join the webinar to share their perspectives about Prof. Chen’s case and about the “China Initiative”.

What: Reflecting on Professor Gang Chen's Case under the “China Initiative”

When: Sunday, January 30, 2022, 11:00 am Eastern Time

Where: Zoom

Registration: https://bit.ly/130GangChenWebinar

Read more about the case of Professor Chen at the APA Justice dedicated web page for Prof. Gang Chen.

Community Member Testimony Requested for Ohio Senate Hearing on Senate Bill 214 That Requires Teaching Asian American History for K-12 Students

The Ohio Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee is expected to hold a hearing on Senate Bill 214 in the week of Feb 7. Senate Bill 214 was introduced by Tina Maharath, Ohio First Asian American woman elected to the Senate, and co-sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko.

The bill requires superintendents of Ohio K-12 school districts develop curriculum focusing on both Asian American history nationally and the history of Asian Americans in Ohio and the Midwest. The curriculum should include the contributions of Asian Americans to the local, state and federal governments; arts, humanities and sciences; and economic, cultural, social and political development in the country.

Senate Bill 214’s sponsors, Senators Tina Mahath and Kenny Yuko have called for community members to provide “proponent testimony”, either in written or in person. Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee Chair, Senator Andrew Brenner, said he will hold the hearing if the proponent testimonies are sent to him.

We encourage parents, students and other community members, organizations and businesses to provide testimony in support of this bill. Key points (划重点):

  • The testimony can be a short statement or a long essay (use your creativity!) on why you support including Asian American history in K-12 education, and/or a personal story of your or your family members that relate to this bill.

  • Send your testimony and along with a completed “witness slip” to Sen. Brenner’s office at brenner@ohiosenate.gov (deadline: End of Day Feb 6).

  • Testimony template: click here (partial credit to OPAWL)

    • It has a list of resources about Asian American history that you can use in your testimony

  • Testimony toolkit provided by OPAWL

  • Testimony examples:

Read more details about the bill at the Ohio Senate website, and in the recent Columbus Dispatch article. Contact Vincent.Wang@ohiocaa.org if you have any questions.

Parents and Teenagers Needed for University of Maryland Research about Asian Experience

WHAT: Professor Charissa S. L. Cheah of University of Maryland is doing research to understand the experiences of Asian American families during the COVID pandemic. Its aim is to bring awareness about the unique challenges and strengths of Asian American families and communities.

WHO: Chinese, Korean or Filipino parents and their teenagers (12 to 17 years old) to each complete a survey, once a year for two years. A nominal payment will be made as appreciation - $20 for parents, and $15 for teens upon completing the first survey; $25 for parents and $20 for teens upon completing the second surve.

It takes 30-40 minutes to complete the survey. Each parent and teenager would answer questions about their experiences with racism, relationship with each other, identities, parenting experiences, mental health, and community and civic engagement.

WHY: The findings from the research will inform scientific knowledge, interventions, and policies that promote Asian American families' resilience, especially their community and civic engagement.


HOW: Express your interest here or email ProjectArise1@gmail.com


See the Project Arise website and the flyers (English flyer; 中文传单) for more details.

Ohio Asian American Association (OCAA)

Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Ohio (APAPA Ohio)

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