Committee of 100 Condemns Chinese American
Racial Profiling

Contact: Christina Lu, National Program Director
media@committee100.org or 212-371-6565

  (New York, NY, April 7, 2019) – The members of the Committee of 100 — all United States citizens — are compelled to stand up and speak out against the racial profiling that has become increasingly common in the United States where Chinese Americans are being targeted as potential traitors, spies, and agents of foreign influence. Even as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our non-profit organization, committed to our dual missions of a constructive U.S.-China engagement and the full equality and inclusion of Chinese Americans, our community has come under attack again. In the last few years, a few high American government officials, respected media outlets, and opinion leaders have stated or suggested that all Chinese persons in America should be suspected of wrongdoing. Overzealous criminal prosecutions in recent years of innocent individuals such as Sherry Chen and Xiaoxing Xi, like Wen Ho Lee before them, have embarrassingly fallen apart, while ruining lives for no reason. Such targeting of individuals based on their ethnic heritage or national origin violates our shared American ideals. It simply has to stop.

More than a year ago, the Director of the FBI testified before Congress to the effect that all Chinese students and researchers represented a “whole of society” threat to the American way of life. Although he had a chance to clarify, he chose to reiterate that he meant what he had said: in his eyes, every person of Chinese descent was to be distrusted. Likewise, some leading China watchers have expressed similar sentiments. They have warned that Chinese American organizations may be used by China’s government for illicit activities. The more sophisticated have disavowed any intent to stereotype. For Chinese Americans, however, the impact has already been chilling and negative: in scientific, business, political, academic and government circles, Chinese Americans are reporting being subject to greater scrutiny and discriminatory treatment in their work and daily lives. Racial profiling is wrong and un-American in our nation of democracy. It is imperative that those who are committed to the civil rights of all Americans disavow this kind of broad-brush racial stereotyping and fear-mongering.

Since normalization of relations between the United States and China four decades ago, we have witnessed an economic transformation in China never before documented in the annals of human history that has understandably led to some anxiety for Americans. There are legitimate concerns that the United States, and we, as Americans, can have and express about China’s policies and practices. There also are instances of inappropriate, even illegal, conduct by persons of Chinese heritage. The American ideal, however, is the presumption of innocence, due process, and the right of all individuals to express themselves without fear of guilt by association, especially on a racial basis. 

The Committee of 100 was established in the belief that Chinese Americans could play a unique role in bridge building. As Americans who appreciate China through our heritage, we can and will continue to facilitate the constructive engagement which has defined U.S.-China relations since “ping pong diplomacy.” We will also continue to fight for Chinese American equality through civic engagement and speaking out against discrimination and injustice. By standing up and speaking out for what is right and just, Chinese Americans can help lead the way in answering the call that is always before us as Americans: to embody more perfectly the ideals and principles of this great nation we call home. 

The Committee of 100 (C100) is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent and extraordinary Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts. Founded by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei and internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, among others, it is an institution of U.S. citizens of Chinese heritage. For 30 years, C100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. www.committee100.org ###

百人会谴责针对华裔美国人带有种族偏见的刻板定性

(美国纽约州纽约市，2019年4月7日) – 作为美国公民，我们百人会的成员必须站出来反对正在美国不断蔓延的带有种族偏见的刻板定性。如今，一些华裔美国人被有针对性地当做潜在的叛徒、间谍和外国势力的代理人。作为一个的非营利组织，百人会的双重使命是推动美中两国的建设性交往以及为华裔美国人争取平等权利并融入社会。然而，即便在百人会庆祝其成立三十周年之际，我们的社区依然持续遭到攻击。在过去的几年里，一些美国政府的高级官员、广受尊敬的媒体和意见领袖均曾表示或者暗示所有在美华人都应被怀疑有不法行为。近年来，如陈霞芬和郗小星这样无辜的人都像在他们之前的李文和一样遭到了不公平的刑事起诉。虽然这些刑事起诉最终都以令人尴尬的方式被撤销，但是却毫无缘由地摧毁了当事人的正常生活。这种基于种族或国家来源的针对行为违背了我们公认的美国价值观。这一切必须停止。

一年多以前，联邦调查局局长在其对国会的证词中表示所有来自中国的学生和研究人员对美国的生活方式都带来了全面性的威胁。他本有机会对此进行澄清，但却选择了重申这一说法。在他看来，所有华裔都不值得被信任。同时，一些知名的中国观察者也表达了类似的观点。他们告诫大家华裔美国人的组织可能被中国政府利用以从事非法活动。一些更为精明的人甚至否认了这是带有种族偏见的刻板印象。然而，这些言论对华裔美国人所带来的负面影响令人不寒而栗。在科学界、商界、政界、学术界和政府圈中的华裔美
国人纷纷表示他们的工作和日常生活遭受到了更严格的审查和歧视性的对待。在我们这样的民主国家中，带有种族偏见的刻板定性是错误并有违美国价值观的。所有致力于维护每个美国公民权利的人都应坚决反对这种一刀切的种族偏见和制造恐慌的行为。

美中关系正常化四十年以来，我们在中国目睹了人类历史上前所未有的经济转型。这在一些美国人心中引起焦虑是可以理解的。对于中国政府的政策和行为，美国政府和作为美国公民的我们可以有合理的担忧并表达看法。个别华裔确有不恰当甚至非法的行为。然而，最基本的美国价值观包括了无罪推定、正当程序以及所有人都能够自由表达而不必担心因为连带关系和种族偏见而被判有罪。

我们建立百人会是因为我们相信华裔美国人可以成为独特的沟通桥梁。作为因传承而更擅长解读中国的美国人，我们能够并将继续推动自“乒乓外交”以来美中关系搭建的建设性交流。我们也将通过公民参与和为歧视以及不公平待遇发声继续为华裔美国人的平等权利奋斗。华裔美国人应该站出来为正义和公正疾呼，作为先驱承担我们作为美国公民的使命，更完美地展现这个我们称之为家的伟大国度的价值观和原则。
 

百人会（简称：C100）是由杰出美籍华人组成的非营利组织，成员来自商界、政界、学界及各艺术领域，由蜚声全球的建筑大师贝聿铭及大提琴演奏家马友友等人发起成立，会员依据个人杰出成就凭邀请入会。成立近30年来，百人会汇集其杰出会员的集体力量，始终致力于其两大使命，即推动美籍华人在美国社会生活中的全面参与，促进美国及大中华地区间建设性关系的发展。更多信息: www.committee100.org.