Good evening and welcome to The Yappie's eleventh Asian American politics and activism briefing. As we head into 2020, consider reading this New York Times piece by Quoctrung Bui and Amelia Nierenberg on why Chinese restaurants are shuttering across the U.S. Let us know what you think by replying to this email, and send tips, ideas, events, and opportunities to [email protected].
The Big Story
U.S. PROTESTS AGAINST INDIA’S CONTROVERSIAL CITIZEN LAW SPREAD: Tense demonstrations over India’s contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, which critics argue is unconstitutional and discriminatory against Muslims, are expanding in the United States. Here’s what you need to know…
- What’s happening: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which smooths the path to gaining Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan but excludes Muslims, sparked international condemnation and violent protests across India after clearing the country’s parliament earlier this month.
- In response, hundreds of Indian American students are now holding peaceful demonstrations against the CAA on college campuses and in cities across the country, according to India’s PTI news agency, with marches against being held in Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The Indian-American Muslim Council also condemned a “brutal” police crackdown on students at two major Indian universities, PTI reports.
- Why this matters: Students and activists calling for the withdrawal of the CAA are now urging the U.S. to get involved. In a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, a coalition of South Asian student organizations pushed for targeted sanctions to be imposed against Indian government officials tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the Agenda
FEDERAL DATA POINTS TO ESCALATING HOMELESSNESS CRISIS IN CA: A substantial spike in homelessness in California fueled a 2.7% increase in the nation’s homeless population in 2019, according to newly released data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development—suggesting that the homelessness and poverty crisis among Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the state is worsening. Read more.
- The details: Homelessness in California reached a “crisis level” in 2019 and increased by 21,306 people (16.4%), more than the total national increase of every other state combined. The release of the data comes after a November PRRI/AAPI Data survey found that 1 in 4 California AAPIs are working and struggling with poverty, and 2017 figures from HUD showed that homelessness among Asian Americans is growing faster than any other racial group.
UPDATE—AAPI GROUPS BLAST CUOMO OVER DISAGGREGATION BILL VETO: AAPI groups are expressing frustration following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) decision to veto legislation championed by Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou (D) that would require state agencies to collect and publish detailed data on AANHPI ethnic groups. In a petition led by the Chinese-American Planning Council, the groups alleged that Cuomo’s veto “shows a lack of willingness to stand up for our communities.” Read more.
CAMBODIAN REFUGEE GRANTED PAROLE BY GOV. NEWSOM DETAINED BY ICE: Tith Ton, a Cambodian refugee who was granted parole by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) after serving 22 years of a life sentence for the killing of a rival gang member, has been handed over to federal immigration authorities for possible deportation, the Sacramento Bee’s Theodora Yu writes. AAPI activists, the Asian Law Caucus, and the Asian Prisoner Support Committee had urged Newsom to halt the deportation of Cambodian refugees like Ton with past criminal convictions. Read more.
UPDATE—OFFICIALS REACH TRUCE WITH MAUNA KEA PROTESTERS: Activists protesting the planned construction of a $1.4 billion telescope on Mauna Kea have agreed to move part of their encampment off a major roadway, the Honolulu Civil Beat reports. Hawaii Gov. David Ige ordered the withdrawal of law enforcement from Mauna Kea earlier this month and plans for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope have been delayed until February. Read more.
WASHINGTON STATE’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OPPONENTS AREN’T GOING AWAY: Less than a month after Washingtonians narrowly rejected Referendum 88, which would have ended a two-decade ban on affirmative action, Chinese immigrant activists in the state are vowing to monitor the development of related executive orders or legislative bills “that would circumvent people’s will,” the Seattle Times reports. Read more.
AMERICAN SAMOANS’ CITIZENSHIP STATUS REMAINS IN LIMBO: The citizenship status of thousands of individuals born in American Samoa is still unclear after a federal judge in Utah, who previously ruled that they should be recognized as U.S. citizens instead of “noncitizen U.S. nationals,” put the order on hold pending appeal. The government of American Samoa joined U.S. attorneys in opposing the grant of birthright citizenship in court, while NBC Asian America’s Michelle Broder Van Dyke writes that some American Samoans are concerned about losing their indigenous political system and land rights. Read more.
THE LONG READ—THE CLIMATE CRISIS ISN’T JUST TAKING PACIFIC ISLANDERS’ HOMES, IT’S TAKING OUR IDENTITIES: Leilani Rania Ganser, a Kānaka Maoli and CHamoru activist, writes in VICE that indigenous communities are facing a loss of identity and culture as rising tides continue to swallow the Pacific Islands. Read more.
2020 Watch
HOW THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS ENGAGING WITH AAPI VOTERS: 2019 was a “meaningful year” for the Republican National Committee (RNC) with events for AAPI voters being held in 13 states and 17 cities, according to a recap shared with The Yappie by President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
- The details: In September, the Trump campaign held the largest AAPI engagement and training event in GOP history in Atlanta, Georgia. The roughly 350-person event, conducted in both English and Mandarin Chinese, was organized through the RNC’s APA Community Engagement and Trump Victory Leadership Initiative (TVLI). Trainings were also held in Arizona, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, and Washington, with a specific focus on engaging with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian American communities.
- “We’re proud to offer the training in native languages that help us to be truly connected with Asian Pacific Americans around the country,” Trump Victory Director of APA Engagement Esther Lu tells The Yappie. “APA TVLI Training provides a platform and opportunity for APA folks to learn about information such as GOP history, value system, community organizing skills, and President Trump’s winning policies on economy, education, and immigration.”
BREAKING—YANG PUSHES DNC FOR MORE DEBATE POLLS: Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang (D) is urging the Democratic National Committee to commission four early-state polls in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina before Jan. 10 in an effort to encourage more diversity on the next debate stage, according to a Dec. 21 letter to DNC Chairman Tom Perez obtained by The Daily Beast. Yang was the only candidate of color on stage at the most recent Democratic debate in Los Angeles. Read more.
- Meanwhile… Yang now leads in contributions from Asian Americans, according to an AAPI Data analysis of FEC Q3 data, and his campaign is touting high-profile endorsements from actors Steven Yeun and Ken Jeong. The Democratic hopeful’s little-discussed Taiwanese American heritage is also the subject of a recent Popula article by Professor Catherine Chou. Read more.
BOOKER VOWS TO STAND WITH AAPI COMMUNITIES IN NEW PLAN: The U.S. refugee cap would be increased to a minimum of 110,000 and a new White House office on hate crimes and “white supremacist violence” would be created if Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) wins the presidency, according to an AAPI plan published this month by his campaign and reviewed by The Yappie. The document, released as Booker participated in a Tagalog caucus training with Filipino and AAPI leaders in Nevada, details the 2020 hopeful’s plans for economic and educational opportunities targeted towards the AAPI community. Read more.
ICYMI—WARREN CAMPAIGN TO HOLD FIRST AAPI CALL SATURDAY: Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Massachusetts) campaign will hold its first national AAPI call at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 4, National AAPI Community Engagement and Organizing Director Mary Lou Akai-Ferguson says. The call will feature Roger Lau—the first Asian American campaign manager for a major presidential candidate—and policy advisor Ganesh Sitaraman as special guests, and the campaign will discuss its “vision, strategy, and how you can get involved in organizing your local AAPI community.” Participants can RSVP here for dial-in information.
- The call comes after the campaign formally unveiled its “AAPIs with Warren” engagement arm, and Warren held a listening session with Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) and AAPI activists earlier this month. Warren now has staff on the ground in California, Washington, Virginia, and Texas who are focused solely on organizing the AAPI community, the campaign tells The Yappie.
- What’s next: Supporters can text AAPI to 24477 or sign up here to join the campaign’s digital community platform. Organizers in Oakland, California are discussing ways to engage AAPIs during Lunar New Year festivities on Jan. 8.
DEEP DIVE—FOR SANDERS, ASIAN VOTERS COULD BE KEY TO CALIFORNIA: Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (D-Vermont) campaign is working to maximize Asian American primary voter turnout by building a sophisticated network of AAPI volunteers and organizers, National AAPI Organizer Supreet Kaur tells ABC News. Read more.
- Notable: Sanders has tapped several AAPIs to fill key roles in recent months, including campaign manager Faiz Shakir, California political director Jane Kim, constituency organizing director Yong Jung Cho, and national co-chair Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), the campaign tells The Yappie. The campaign has also made campaign materials accessible in six Asian languages—more than any other campaign.
The Trump Era
UPDATE—TRUMP FILLS MORE SPOTS ON AAPI ADVISORY COMMISSION: President Donald Trump has tapped new individuals—including RNC member and former Massachusetts state Rep. Keiko Matsudo Orrall—to be members of his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the White House says. Read more.
- The announcement comes after Paul Hsu, the chairman of the commission, confirmed The Yappie’s reporting that Tina Wei Smith will serve as the next executive director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs.
ICE ASKS COURTS TO DEPORT DREAMERS: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun asking immigration courts to reopen administratively closed deportation cases against DACA recipients as the Supreme Court appears inclined to let the Trump administration terminate the Obama-era program, CNN reports. An expected ruling in 2020 could determine the fate of more than 16,000 AAPI “Dreamers,” including many from South Korea, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and China. Read more.
UPDATE—HOUSE DEMS ASK TRUMP TO FIRE MEDICARE CHIEF: House Democrats, including Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey), are urging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma to quit for demonstrating “incredibly poor and misguided judgment when spending taxpayer dollars,” POLITICO reports. Verma, a Trump appointee who serves as the official overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare, attracted scrutiny from congressional investigators this year after steering millions of taxpayer dollars towards public relations contractors. Read more.
DOJ PROBE INTO HARVARD ADMISSIONS CONTINUES: The Justice Department’s investigation into alleged discrimination against Asian American applicants in Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies remains ongoing, according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The Crimson in November. Harvard prevailed in a lawsuit that threatened the legality of the policies in October, but affirmative action supporters fear the case could ultimately land in front of a less friendly Supreme Court. Read more.
ANALYSIS—BREAKING THE U.S.-NORTH KOREA DEADLOCK: The U.S. and North Korea “stand once again at the precipice of a renewed military escalation,” but Washington can take several steps to jumpstart talks with Pyongyang, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft’s Jessica Lee writes. Read more.
- The takeaway: “Instead of weakening relations with South Korea, the United States should focus on salvaging diplomatic talks with North Korea,” Lee says. “Only through a peaceful resolution to the longstanding conflict between the Koreas can the existing terms of the U.S.–South Korea security relationship be revised.” Read more.
On the Hill
UPDATE—TRUMP SIGNS AANAPISI FUNDING BILL INTO LAW: President Trump has signed the FUTURE Act into law, a move that restores millions in funding for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), according to a White House statement forwarded to The Yappie by a spokesman for the bill’s main sponsor Rep. Alma Adams (D-North Carolina). Congressional negotiators struck a deal to make $15 million in AANAPISI funding permanent earlier this month, and members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus praised the FUTURE Act’s signing as a “victory for communities of color.” Read more.
UPDATE—SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP COURT PICK SINGHAL: The Senate has voted 76–17 to confirm Anuraag “Raag” Singhal to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, roughly five months after President Trump nominated him for the lifelong spot, the Sun Sentinel reports. Singhal is the first AAPI and Indian American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the Eleventh Circuit, according to the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, which backed his nomination. Read more.
GOP BILL DRAWS OPPOSITION FROM NQAPIA, ASIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS: Rep. Chris Stewart’s (R-Utah) Fairness for All Act, H.R. 5331, described as a compromise to protect both LGBTQ Americans and religious liberty, has failed to win the support of the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, a leading network of LGBTQ AAPI groups. In a statement on behalf of more than 35 Asian religious leaders published by The Advocate, NQAPIA executive director Glenn Magtanpay said the measure contained “unacceptable carve-outs for religious exemptions that could allow discrimination in the name of religious beliefs.” Read more.
DELEGATES ‘LETTING TERRITORIES DOWN’ WITH ABYSMAL VOTING RECORDS: Despite being given limited voting rights on certain procedural measures on the House floor, the current group of delegates in the 116th Congress—including those from American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—are on pace to have the worst voting participation scores ever, according to an analysis published by CQ earlier this month.
- As of November 15, Del. Auma Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) had the worst voting record of the group, only voting 23.4% of the time compared to the 59.2% average vote record of all seat-holders prior to 2019.
- Del. Michael San Nicolas (D-Guam), who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for potential campaign finance violations, cast only 49.3% of votes he was eligible for compared to the 76.3% average of his predecessors.
- The CQ analysis comes as San Nicolas is proposing to expand territorial representation in Congress, the Pacific Daily News reports. In a bill referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources earlier this month, the Guam delegate called for the establishment of non-voting representatives for each U.S. Territory in the U.S. Senate.
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