By Sunita Sohrabji. Ethnic Media Services.
Rep. Judy Chu, a California Democrat, and Dominic Ng, appointed by President Joe Biden as chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ?APEC?, have been accused of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party and being unpatriotic.
AAPI community leaders are concerned that tensions between the United States and China, which have escalated in recent weeks over allegations of Chinese spying, have sparked a new wave of xenophobia as high-ranking Asian-American politicians range become targets of Republican attacks.
Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress, is accused of being "unpatriotic" by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, because of her support for Dominic Ng, President Joe Biden's appointee as president of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ?APEC?. Gooden and five other House Republicans accuse Ng of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Chu, a Democrat from California, is the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus ?CAPAC? and perhaps one of the most well-known AAPI members of the House. A second-generation Californian and Los Angeles native, she is also the daughter of a World War II veteran.
"Pure Buffoonery"
"This is absolutely alarming, but not surprising, given the parties involved," John C. Yang, president and CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, told Ethnic Media Services. "Gooden has questioned Chu's patriotism, which is repulsive, reprehensible and inexcusable."
"Congresswoman Chu is a true patriot. Any accusation of being a communist is pure buffoonery," Yang said.
"Suggesting that Dominic Ng is in any way a spy is ridiculous and goes against common decency," he added.
Yang noted that every time China enters the national conversation as an adversary, there is a palpable increase in racist attacks. "We have geopolitical differences with China, but also a hot war with Russia, but no one is profiling Russian Americans."
The White House should issue a statement on how Chinese Americans have contributed to the nation's well-being, Yang suggested.
"Increasing xenophobia"
Manjuusha Kulkarni, CEO of AAPI Equity Alliance and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told EMS that she was very discouraged by the attacks on Chu and Ng. "Respectable citizens who are leaders in our community are being targeted just because of their ethnicity," he said, adding that he wouldn't be surprised to see an increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community. "We are escalating xenophobia once again," he said.
“Chinese Americans are not responsible for the spy balloons and there is no evidence that they are engaging in dangerous activities. Many Chinese immigrants are against the CCP, and that may be why they immigrated: to seek a new life and a different form of government."
Kulkarni said she is alarmed by the number of bills in state legislatures across the country that appear to be fueled by xenophobia. Of particular concern to her is Texas SB 147, which, in its original form, would have barred Chinese citizens from buying homes in the state. The bill has been amended, after a barrage of concerns about racism.
Chu's loyalty and competence in question
In an interview with Fox News' Jesse Waters on February 22, Gooden stated that Ng had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. He went on to say that Chu should be investigated, along with Ng.
"I question his loyalty and competence," Gooden said. "If she doesn't realize what's going on, then she's totally out of touch with one of her core constituencies."
Gooden went on to say, "I'm really disappointed and surprised that someone like Judy Chu has a security clearance and the right to confidential intelligence briefings until this is resolved." He asked that the congresswoman be relieved of her committee assignments.
"Loyalty should not be questioned"
Democrats and Republican Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, who co-chairs the new House Select Committee on China with Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, immediately denounced Gooden's remarks, saying they were racist. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi appeared on Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan on February 26 and condemned the attack on Chu.
“Unfortunately, one of my colleagues attacked Judy Chu, the first Chinese-American congresswoman in the United States Congress, saying that she is somehow not loyal to the United States. I myself find it offensive as an Asian American," Krishnamoorthi said.
Gallagher agreed. "Well, let me tell you, we shouldn't question anyone's loyalty to the United States. I think that's off limits. It is beyond the limits," he stressed.
FBI letter
On February 15, Gooden and five Republican members of Congress sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray alleging Ng's ties to the CCP and calling for an investigation. The letter said that between 2013 and 2017, Ng served as executive director of the China Overseas Exchange Association, which is a front organization for the United Front Work Department, a Chinese intelligence service whose mission is to serve Liaison with foreign political parties, influence operations, and gather intelligence.
COEA later merged with the China Overseas Friendship Association, which "remained a front group for UFWD when Mr. Ng began a 5-year term as COFA's executive director in 2019," the members of the committee stated. Congress in the letter.
"Organizations like the UFWD and its affiliated groups play an increasingly important role in Chinese foreign policy, allowing political actors like Mr. Ng to gain influence in sensitive US institutions to defend the interests of communist China. This tactic is regularly employed by the CCP to infiltrate governments and influence policies for CCP-oriented results,” they wrote. “The Biden Administration has allowed the CCP to infiltrate the third-party sector and, consequently, political leaders who have existing relationships with these groups and are aware of US intelligence. New invasions cannot be tolerated ».
The letter was signed by Gooden and Reps. Tom Tiffany, R-Minnesota, R-Florida, Ben Cline, R-Virginia, Doug La Malfa, R-California, and Keith Self, R-Pennsylvania.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
You may be interested in: Use of public transportation, one of the main fears among Americans
