Chinese-Americans voice their concerns over U.S. authorities' false accusations of espionage against them. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese-American professionals have waged a civil rights movement against the United States' unfair accusations calling Chinese immigrants spies, an article by Contra Costa Times reported.
"This is an issue that affects my kids and grandkids and yours, especially those of you still working," George Koo, a retired international business consultant, shared during a recently held Palo Alto forum attended by nearly 1,000 Chinese-American professionals like lawyers, academicians and scientists, among others.
"We are considered a model minority, except when we're not," Koo said. "Then we are believed to be enemy agents for China."
The meeting, which was produced by the revered Chinese-America group Committee of 100, "was a call to arms, especially aimed at Asian-Americans in science and technology," the article said.
Sherry Chen, one of the attendees, recounted how she faced accusations in October last year when she was arrested at her U.S. government job for being a spy for communist China.
"Suddenly, there were six FBI agents. One showed me an arrest warrant. Another one put me into handcuffs," the 60-year-old hydrologist shared.
Chen was cleared a week before the start of her trial. The espionage counts could have cost her 25 years in prison and $1 million worth of fines, the report said.
Meanwhile, the forum also cited a segment of the program "60 Minutes," aired in January, where the U.S. authorities called China's economic espionage as "a national security emergency." The segment also cited that this has cost the U.S. "hundreds of billions in losses and more than two million jobs."
According to Chinese-American activists, the figures were exaggerated. They added that there had been growing concerns among their group as federal investigations continue to become more aggressive in charging Chinese immigrants.
The activists cite loss of employment and large sum of legal fees as some of the consequences brought by the U.S. officials' unfair accusations; hence their initiative to stand for their rights.
"It's about time we stood up and spoke out," Frank Wu, former dean of UC's Hastings College of Law, said. "For so long, Asian-Americans have been thought of as submissive or passive."
Echoing the same sentiment, Chen shared: "We are part of the community. We make the country better and stronger. We are not spies."
