The Week in Review: May 5 - 11

Chinese influence bill passes Legislature, signed by DeSantis, despite discrimination concerns

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has banned several foreign countries from buying land. These countries include Russia, China, Cuba, Iran and North Korea, with a large focus on China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to the Tallahassee Democrats, SB264 bans citizens of these countries from “buying farmland as well as property within 10 miles of a military installation or critical infrastructure facility”. This also applies to immigrants who are looking for housing in the area.
Chinese Americans, Chinese immigrants, and others have rallied against the bill fearing that this will promote discrimination against Chinese and other Asians from buying homes and land property in Florida. Florida Rep. Katherine Waldron accuses the protesting Florida residents of being out-of-state and conspiring with the CCP. The opposers, though, all hold Florida residency. Many protesters are of Chinese and Asian descent.

Biden chooses Neera Tanden as lead domestic policy advisor – AsAmNews 

Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden’s current Staff Secretary, has been named the lead domestic policy advisor. Tanden also currently serves as Biden’s Senior Advisor. She has served under the Obama and Clinton administrations and worked on multiple presidential campaigns. Tanden will be taking over current lead domestic policy advisor Susan Rice. Replacing Tanden’s position is Stef Feldman, who served for the Obama administration.
During the 2020 election, Tanden was nominated as Biden’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, but eventually stepped down from the backlash received from Republicans. Tanden has an active Twitter account that spoke out against the Trump administration and other Republicans, which influenced the backlash received from the political party. Tanden has also received opposition from Democrats and progressives because of her support of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.

Multiple caucuses pen letter to support Julie Su nomination – AsAmNews 

Congressional caucuses jointly wrote a letter in support of Julie Su’s nomination as the next Secretary of Labor, urging the Senate to confirm her position. These caucuses include the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic Women’s Caucus. Additional support comes from Asian Americans Advancing for Justice, a national organization, who is backing up her nomination.
Back in February, President Biden announced Julie Su’s nomination. As of March, Su has been the Acting Secretary of Labor after Marky Walsh stepped down and is currently waiting for Senate confirmation of her position. Since the announcement, business groups have voiced concerns about Su's past working for California’s labor department. According to AP News, Su supported an overturned California law that would make apps like Uber treat drivers as employees, requiring that benefits be available to them. She was also scrutinized by Rep. Mitt Romney, blaming her for the fraudulent payments to California residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a lawyer in the 1990s, Julie Su has garnered attention for representing undocumented Thai sweatshop workers, pushing for anti-sweatshop work and for better labor conditions for employees. She has represented and brought attention to the working conditions of other low-paid workers, many of which being immigrants and women of color. 

Content warning: gun violence

Asian victims of Texas shooting

On May 6, a gunman opened fire at the Allen Outlet Mall in Allen, Texas resulting in the death of eight people and injuring seven others. Husband and wife Kyu Song Cho and Cindy Cho, along with their 3-year-old son James are three of the eight victims killed by the gunman. 6-year-old William, the son and brother of the three, survived and is currently being supported through a GoFundMe created by relatives. The fourth Asian victim of the tragic event is Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer who lived in McKinney, Texas. Thatikonda was brought to her family back in India. Her last rites were performed in Nagole, a neighborhood located in Hyderbad, Telangana, India. Her co-workers expressed their love and remembrance of Aishwarya as an ethical and kind person.

Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Museum

The Chinese Canadian Museum (CCM) is prepared to open on July 1, 2023, and has given a preview of their permanent location in Vancouver, Canada. The museum will be the first of its kind in Canada and will pay respect to Chinese Canadians throughout Canadian history. Wing Sang Building, Vancouver Chinatown’s oldest building, will be the home to the museum. CCM has received continuous support from the province of British Columbia, who gave $10M of provincial funding to the non-profit.
CCM’s mission is to honor the past, present, and future of Chinese Canadians and the communities that they intersect with. They recognize the diverse voices of the community and tell the stories of Chinese Canadians throughout the country and the world, recognizing their lived experiences.