Study Finds Racial Profiling of Scientists of Chinese Descent
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The study underscored a climate of fear as the U.S. government investigates more scientists of Chinese descent suspected of espionage, though such cases have repeatedly been dismissed. In addition, the study showed such profiling has slowed global collaborations, jeopardizing the country’s competitiveness.
“This is a story of scientists who feel like their work is being compromised, who fear largely that they will be charged and jailed and investigated,” said Dr. Jenny Lee, professor of educational policy studies and practice at the University of Arizona. Lee is one of the study’s authors....
......This summer, the researchers sent a blind survey to scientists both of Chinese and non-Chinese descent, including faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. Across the country, 1,949 scientists responded.
“We kept hearing anecdotally about Chinese American scientists and Chinese scientists being fired without cause or leaving the U.S. because it felt hostile or stopping their interactions with China out of fear,” said Zhengyu Huang, president of the Committee of 100. “But we wanted a way to survey scientists and see the trends, so we decided to do this research.”
Titled “Racial Profiling Among Scientists of Chinese Descent and Consequences for the U.S. Scientific Community,” the study found that scientists of Chinese and Asian descent reported far more racial profiling from the U.S. government, greater difficulty in securing research funds, and heightened fear of surveillance by the U.S. government compared to non-Asian scientists.
“The numbers completely bore out the anecdotes,” Huang said. “If we talk about a new Red Scare, this is it.”..
.....“There was also no significant difference between U.S. citizens of Chinese descent and Chinese citizens, so this is racial profiling that is also affecting Americans,” said Lee...For example, a few weeks ago, Dr. Anming Hu, an engineering professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, was acquitted of federal charges. Hu had been wrongfully accused of hiding a relationship with a Chinese university while receiving research grants from NASA, a judge ruled. Following the acquittal and pressure from faculty, the University of Tennessee offered to reinstate Hu...
The study’s results underscored how fears of surveillance by the U.S. government have also been slowing down or halting research collaborations with partners in China. The authors pointed out that this chilling effect risks hurting rather than helping the country’s global competitiveness.
“We were able to demonstrate that this also has a broader effect on the U.S.’s ability to continue to be a leader in global science,” said Lee. “There are multiple accounts of individuals who are less inclined to pursue federal grants and to partner with China. Scientists know that science is very global, and so reducing your work to domestic knowledge and domestic data raises concerns.”
Lee additionally said that the study found many scientists are considering leaving the U.S. in part due to that climate of fear. And that could spell a huge loss to the country.
“This was mostly among graduate students and postdocs already on temporary visas,” said Lee. “But I was surprised to also see comments from American scientists of Chinese descent who felt that they would thrive more in other parts of the world. And that includes China.”...
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size of land areas of the USA and China are almost the same, but population differs a lot -- USA has "only" 334 million population thus it can have significantly some more for more balanced distribution. Their goodwill if genuine is very much appreciated.
