The Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is alarmed by the recent termination of Professor Kevin Wang from New College of Florida under the state’s controversial SB 846 law. Wang, who is seeking asylum in the United States and was legally authorized to work, was allegedly dismissed—despite nearly two years of dedicated teaching. His case underscores the immediate impacts of SB 846 on our talent pipeline and how contradictory it is to our American principles.
Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract, citing a university regulation based on that law, known as SB 846.
His letter of dismissal, which was reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight, stated that the school’s decision to cancel his contract as an adjunct professor was “not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.” Instead, it claimed, Wang’s immigration status – and, implicitly, his country of origin – made him ineligible for employment at New College.
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For Wang, his firing carried echoes of the political repression he fled in China, he told Suncoast Searchlight during an interview this week on campus. He also shared a letter that further elaborated his thoughts on the matter.
“Before coming to the United States in May 2022, I was a university professor in China,” Wang wrote in his letter for Suncoast Searchlight. “I faced political repression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for criticizing Xi Jinping and the CCP’s domestic and foreign policies, resulting in the loss of my teaching position and my freedom to teach, research, and express myself in China.
“I never expected to face such a distressing experience after escaping persecution from the CCP in China..."
In the article from The Tampa Bay Times and in coverage from WUWF, AASF’s Executive Director Gisela Kusakawa said that the law “creates a hostile atmosphere that prospective students and faculty will want to avoid.”
Statement from Asian American Scholar Forum Executive Director Gisela Kusakawa:
“It is with great irony that an asylum seeker fleeing political repression in China for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party and exercising rights to free speech would then find himself a casualty of xenophobia in our country. This is not what our country is about. The United States has long been a beacon of democratic principles welcoming asylum seekers, especially those who have challenged authoritarian regimes. Our asylum laws are in place precisely as a testament to our American values of freedom, equality, and democracy.
Professor Wang’s case is an example of how we need to reflect and challenge unjust laws like SB 846 that run counter to our values here at home. We cannot let the erosion of our American principles continue and need to speak up as part of our responsibility as citizens and patriots. Professor Wang’s case is a stark reminder of the real-world harm these policies inflict, particularly on scholars who have already risked their safety to stand up for free speech and freedom.
AASF has been supporting the legal efforts against SB 846, including working to ensure pro bono counsel for the professors and students challenging this unjust law. In a recent court victory, a preliminary injunction was granted, halting aspects of the law that unfairly restrict employment opportunities for foreign nationals.
AASF remains committed to defending scholars, scientists, and researchers from injustice. We call on universities and policymakers to protect our communities and live up to our American ideals of anti-discrimination and freedom. When we live up to our values, we benefit as a country from the pipeline of talented scholars who came here seeking a better life and the American dream and promise to be able to live in a free and just country.”
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Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) is a national nonprofit that promotes academic belonging, openness, freedom, and equality for all. In response to heightened anti-Asian sentiments and profiling in the U.S., AASF has been a leading national voice fighting for the rights of Asian American and immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars. AASF membership includes members from the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Science, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, in addition to past and current university presidents, provosts, vice provosts, deans, associate deans, and past and current department chairs.
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