FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(中文见下)
Contact: Charlotte Li, Director of Policy
media@committee100.org or 212-371-6565
Committee of 100 Denounces Broad Brush Stereotyping and Targeting of Chinese Students and Academics
(New York, NY, February 16, 2018) — In recent remarks to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray opined that Chinese academics or “non-traditional collectors” — “professors, scientists, students” studying and working in the United States in “basically every discipline” — may be covertly gathering intelligence for the Chinese government. The Committee of 100 (C100), a non-partisan organization of illustrious Chinese Americans committed to promoting constructive dialogue and relationships between the peoples and leaders of the U.S. and China, and the full inclusion of Chinese Americans in the U.S., finds these comments to be disturbing and prejudicial. To target a whole group of people as being subject to greater suspicion, based purely on race and national origin, and in advance of any facts or evidence, goes against the fundamental American ideals of the presumption of innocence, due process and equal protection for all. It also fans the flames of hysteria.
We have seen instances in our history when Asian Americans have encountered such racial prejudice resulting in discriminatory laws and harmful actions, whether through the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. These incidences have been shameful chapters in American history, ones that we must collectively, as a nation, commit to not repeating. We need to learn the lessons of history, we need to do better by one another.
The Committee of 100 is unequivocally committed to America’s national security and recognizes the importance of ensuring our nation is able to counteract perils from espionage. However, C100 supports fair and appropriate investigation, prosecution, and punishment of espionage that is based on the evidence and not on profiling or suspicion based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. Within the last two decades, we have seen this rush-to-judgement in the cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, Dr. Xiaoxing Xi, and Ms. Sherry Chen — all Chinese American scientists or federal employees who were unjustly prosecuted based on suspicion of their ancestry, but who were later found to be innocent of wrongdoing, though not before having their lives ruined.
“For over 160 years, despite the stereotype of being ‘perpetual foreigners’, Chinese immigrants, many of whom first arrived as students, have contributed immeasurably to the richness and success of the United States, including 8 Chinese Americans winning Nobel prizes in the sciences while working in America,” notes Frank H. Wu, Chairman of C100. “In every field from the arts to the sciences, business to entertainment, politics to sports, Chinese Americans are loyal and hard-working citizens no different than their neighbors.”
At this time when there is great potential for polarization and misunderstanding, C100 cautions against stoking fears through broad-brush stereotyping of any group of people. As Americans, we need to speak up and renew our commitment to upholding our cherished principles of the presumption of innocence and due process for all.
The Committee of 100 (C100) is a non-profit leadership organization of prominent 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 for U.S. citizens of Chinese heritage to join by invitation based on their extraordinary achievements. For over 25 years, C100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the twin missions of promoting full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. www.committee100.org
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联络人：李茸，政策总监
media@committee100.org 或 212-371-6565
百人会谴责宽泛标签化及针对华裔学生学者的言论
(美国纽约州纽约市，2018年2月16日) — 在最近一次美国联邦参议院情报委员会的听证中，联邦调查局局长克里斯托弗·雷(Christopher Wray)表示，在美国“几乎所有领域”中均有“教授、科研人员、学生”在学习和工作；这些或可称之为“非传统的情报收集人员”的中国学者有可能秘密地在为中国政府收集情报。百人会(Committee of 100)作为一个致力于促进中美两国人民和领导层之间建设性对话关系，并以全面促进华裔美国人融入美国社会为己任的无党派杰出美籍华人组织，认为以上这种言论非常令人不安、指责过分标签化且存在着十分不必要的偏见。在摆出任何事实和证据之前，仅以纯粹的种族和出生地就对一个群体发出如此巨大的怀疑，这种行为不但违背了无罪推定、正当程序以及平等保护等美国宪法的根基理念，也容易煽动歇斯底里的不当情绪。
美国历史中不乏这样的案例：不论是1882年实施的《排华法案》，还是第二次世界大战期间11万日裔美国人被拘禁的事实，均见证了亚裔美国人由于种族偏见而承受歧视性法律和不公行为所带来的伤害。这些都是美国引以为耻的历史，是我们应该从国家整体的高度竭力避免重复的章节。我们必须从历史中吸取经验教训，彼此互免，寻求进步。
百人会明确支持保护美国国家安全，并承认确保国家有能力阻止间谍活动所带来的威胁确实至关重要。然而，百人会支持的是基于证据的公正及妥当的调查、起诉和对间谍活动的惩罚，而不是基于种族、民族和出生地的标签化猜忌和怀疑。过去20年间，我们目睹了李文和博士、郗小星博士和陈霞芬女士被急于审判的不幸案例。这三名华裔美国科学家或联邦政府雇员均受到了不公正的指控和基于他们血统的怀疑，尽管最终被证明无罪，但也无法复原他们被毁的人生。
百人会会长吴华扬指出：“在过去的160年间，尽管华裔移民始终被贴上‘永久外国人’的标签，但是他们却为美国贡献出了不可估量的财富和成就。这些很多初来美国时都是学生身份的华裔美国人在艺术、科学、商业、娱乐、政治及体育等各个领域均作出了贡献，其中还包括八名诺贝尔奖获得者。华裔美国人的忠诚和努力是有目共睹的，与其他族裔并无差别。”
在当前社会两极分化及误解加深风险加剧的时刻，百人会提请人们反对这种利用标签化某一族群而煽动针对该族群恐惧心理的行为。作为美国人，我们应大声疾呼，重申我们在坚持珍视无罪推定原则和正当程序方面的承诺。
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.
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