Committee of 100 Newsletter

Committee of 100 Calls for Probe of Racially-Motivated Violence against Asian Americans in Military

In a December 22 statement calling for a thorough investigation of the suicide of Army Private Danny Chen in Afghanistan on October 3, the Committee of 100 commended “the U.S. Army for its decision to charge eight American soldiers in relation to Pvt. Chen's apparent suicide and for publicly acknowledging that Pvt. Chen was subject to bullying and hazing.”  C-100 also stressed that “the Army's investigation should probe further to determine any pattern of racially-motivated violence against Asian-American servicemen and women, as evidenced by the suicides of Pvt. Danny Chen and of Lance Corporal Harry Lew in April this year.” 

Hurricane Irene Cancellations Shine Light on Local Talent at Global Business Strategy Forum in New York City

Hurricane Irene forced sudden changes in the agenda of the Global Business Strategy China Forum on August 31 in New York City, which was to have brought together about 120 American and Chinese C-suite executives who were participating in an innovative joint program of the Columbia University Business School in New York City and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing. None of the 60 Chinese CEOs could attend because of the hurricane flight cancellations. An original highlight of the China Forum was the half day of networking between the Chinese and American CEOs, and an elaborate dinner gala was planned on the rooftop of the St. Regis Hotel. But in the end, the American participants, who also attended three days of intensive academic lectures on China business strategy, deemed the program an unmistakable success.

A Trusted Source for Journalists Covering China—the Committee of 100

Clarence Kwan

The Committee of 100 has long been a trusted starting point for reporters hunting down good contacts for stories about China and Chinese Americans. C-100 members come from a diverse array of fields, but most have deep involvement with Greater China as well as the Chinese American community. The Committee’s Public Affairs Director, An Ping, takes most of the calls from the press and has a keen sense of which Committee members have the expertise and knowledge that a particular reporter is seeking.

C-100 Chairman Dominic Ng Bridging Progress Between America and China

New Committee of 100 Chairman Dominic Ng personifies the Committee of 100’s dual mission. In both his business and community activities, Ng has focused on building bridges between the U.S. and Greater China and raising the profile and contributions of Chinese Americans in American society. Ng brings to the table his more than 20 years as Chairman and CEO of East West Bank, the largest U.S. bank focused on the Asian American community and one of the healthiest and fastest growing banks in the nation. Ng also is known for his nationally emulated initiatives as the first Asian American to chair the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ annual campaign.

Committee of 100 Responds to Distorted Op-Ed in Wall Street Journal

The Committee of 100 has responded firmly to an opinion piece by Charles C. Johnson in the July 29 Wall Street Journal entitled “The New Chinese Exclusion Act; Self-appointed civil rights defenders support rules that keep Asian kids out of top schools.”

Johnson asserts that there is “deep irony” in U.S. Representative Judy Chu’s sponsorship of the recent Resolution calling on Congress to acknowledge and express regret for the sixty years that Chinese in the U.S. suffered under the national Chinese Exclusion policy (1870-1943) [see C-100 Issues Update for details]. He then goes on to say that Chu “supports the most harmful form of anti-Asian discrimination in the U.S. today: racial preferences in hiring and university admissions,” in other words affirmative action.

Chairman Dominic Ng wrote in response:

Mr. Johnson's piece does not speak to the substance of that resolution, which has had broad bipartisan support in both houses. Mr. Johnson’s piece focuses on other issues, such as the voting record for a single supporter and should not be seen as a critique of the resolution itself.

Tavis Smiley: Tavis Smiley Weeklong Feature on China Now Online at PBS

Those who missed seeing Tavis Smiley’s China special on PBS from July 11 to 15, an entertaining and informative series that features many Committee of 100 members as China escorts and commentators, can now view each episode online, along with transcripts and links: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/features/china/

Committee Co-sponsors “New Yorkers for Japan” Benefit for March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

 
On March 31, the Committee joined the Japanese American Association of New York, the Japan Society, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and other Asian American groups in sponsoring a benefit at Circle in New York City to raise funds for disaster relief and recovery in Japan. The Japanese American Association has created a Japan Disaster Relief Fund to accept donations online.

     
Ming Tsai              Ta-lin Tsu

Committee Joins Coalition for a National Museum of the American People

 

In January, the Committee of 100 became one of the more than 130 organizations endorsing the establishment of a National Museum of the American People.  The Museum would be devoted to telling the story of the many peoples who have migrated to the United States, from the earliest arrivals 20,000 years ago until the present.  Currently, the coalition is seeking sponsors for a Congressional Resolution to support the formation of a bi-partisan commission to study the establishment of such a museum.  The museum is the vision of Coalition Director Sam Eskenazi, who was previously public information director for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  Learn more about the National Museum of the American People.  

1882 Project Puts Historic Chinese Exclusion Policy in Spotlight

 
The Committee of 100 has joined the Steering Committee of the 1882 Project, a national initiative to educate Americans about the history and lessons of the historic Chinese Exclusion policy, first enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1882 specifically to bar Chinese and, subsequently, other Asians from immigrating to this country. Not until 1943, when China was needed as an ally in World War II, was the Chinese Exclusion Act repealed. An important goal of the 1882 Project is passage of a Resolution in the 112^th Congress acknowledging the injustice caused by the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Acts and making a commitment to protect the Constitutional rights of all people.

The Committee Briefs 112th Congress on U.S.-China Relations

In advance of the much-anticipated state visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Committee of 100 presented a standing-room-only briefing on U.S.-China relations on January 11 at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The briefing was intended to introduce China policy issues to freshmen members of Congress and their staff and attracted nearly 70 attendees, with more turned away. More than 35 Congressional offices were represented.

Standing room only—Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy is speaking to Congressional staffers.

The briefing focused on what Committee members had learned in recent private meetings with the President of Taiwan, the likely next Premier of China, and senior U.S. government officials and discussed some of the issues that members of Congress will be facing in the coming year, including cross-strait relations, the trade deficit, currency issues, and Chinese investment in the U.S.