September 12, 2024, New York, NY — The Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of prominent Chinese Americans, issued a statement today strongly condemning the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of two bills, H.R. 1398 and H.R. 9456, which aim to reinstate the defunct China Initiative and impose stricter regulations tied to Alien Land Laws.
The organization expressed concern that the House’s decision to designate this week as “China Week” could lead to increased racial profiling and hostility toward Chinese Americans, instead of addressing critical national issues such as government funding, support for veterans, and infrastructure improvements. The Committee of 100 specifically criticized these bills for perpetuating dangerous and misleading narratives.
The China Initiative, which has since been abandoned, was a failed program that fostered racial animosity, xenophobia, and widespread suspicion toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, particularly Chinese Americans. Reintroducing this program would once again instill fear in the AAPI community. The program not only ruined the careers and lives of innocent individuals but also weakened the academic environment in the U.S., stifling the country’s ability to maintain its leadership in scientific innovation.
Regarding H.R. 9456, which seeks to add the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review land purchases by immigrants from China, Iran, and Russia, the Committee of 100 stated that the proposal dangerously echoes the discriminatory Alien Land Laws of the past. These laws unfairly treated immigrants as security threats. Immigrants play a vital role in the U.S. economy and competitiveness, and unnecessary restrictions only further complicate their ability to contribute to American society.
Both bills, the Committee warned, legitimize harmful and xenophobic narratives about immigrants, creating an environment ripe for anti-Asian violence.
The Committee of 100 urged the U.S. Senate not to advance these harmful bills and called on Chinese Americans, the broader Asian American community, and all those who have experienced oppression to reach out to their local representatives to explain the damage these bills could cause.
Furthermore, the Committee welcomed the opportunity to work with Congressional leaders to recognize and address past and future harms to the AAPI community, while fostering dialogue toward a more secure, inclusive, and united America.
