The Asian American Scholar Form (AASF) works to ensure a seat at the table for the Asian American scholar community striving to lift up their voice and advance and protect the civil rights of all. We accomplish this goal through partnerships, education, and building bridges. AASF convenes high level discussions and meetings with the White House, federal agencies, academic institutions, associations, and community leaders. We ensure that the Asian American scholar community is educated on the laws and policies that impact their rights, while engaging with policymakers to provide them with the crucial expertise and lived experience of Asian American and scholar communities. Recently, AASF educated the public on state legislation that would chill Chinese student recruitment in a New York Times article. We educated our communities and Congress on warrantless surveillance, a bill that would inhibit participation in research, and a proposal to reinstate the China Initiative, which received nearly 43,000 views. AASF led nearly 50 organizations to prevent the reinstatement of the China Initiative.
AASF was formally voted in as a new member of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a coalition of the country’s oldest and most influential AANHPI non-profit organizations. NCAPA has well established credibility with the federal government, media, civil rights groups, and communities nationwide. We fill a crucial gap of expertise within the Asian American civil rights and non-profit space, and take on this critical responsibility.
Webinars
In 2022-23, AASF co-hosted over 17 webinars with over 35,000 views to educate the Asian American scholar community, policymakers, media, and the general public on topics ranging from individual civil rights to the implications of federal policies.
AASF Webinar: Scholar Community Listening Session with the Department of Defense
AASF hosted a scholar community listening session with the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide a platform where scholars can ask questions and engage in dialogue. We welcomed Bindu Nair, Department of Defense Director of Basic Research.
AASF Sponsored Webinar: Perils of Warrantless Surveillance: The Case for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Reform
AASF co-hosted a webinar to educate on the state of play for surveillance reforms in Congress with our partners at the Brennan Center for Justice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Stop AAPI Hate/CAA, and APA Justice.
Statements/Letters
Nearly 50 Organizations Oppose Appropriations Proposal to Reinstate the China Initiative
AASF led nearly 50 organizations with a coalition of Asian American and allied partners who worked to end the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative” sending a letter to Congress today to oppose legislative language that would reinstate the “China Initiative” in the House version of the FY 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill (H.R. 5893) and any future iterations of the Initiative. The proposal would reverse the decision to end the “China Initiative”—a devastating program ended last year that raised serious concerns of racial profiling and targeting of Asian Americans and immigrants, particularly of Chinese descent.
AASF co-led a coalition of 52 organizations to call for significant reforms to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
AASF Submits Comment to the NSF on Research Application Disclosure Forms, December 20, 2022
Asian American Scholar Forum (AASF) submitted the following letter to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in response to the request for public comment on common disclosure forms for the biographical sketch and current and pending (other) support sections of a research application on behalf of NSTC’s Research Security Subcommittee.