June 7, 2021
The Honorable M. Chu, Ph.D.
Member of Congress, 27th District
AMB Consulting, 1531 Purdue Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Re: The United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021
Dear Congresswoman,
I am the President of Chinese American Federation, a non-profit organization promoting the welfare and social status of Chinese Americans residing in the USA with more than 100 Chinese American associations and business coalitions as members. I am writing as your constituent concerned about unanticipated by likely problems of hate crimes against Chinese Americans arising out of The United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, in particular, Division A – CHIPS and ORAN5G Emergency Appropriations and Division E – Meeting the China Challenge Act of 2021.
As you are aware, Division A addresses the shortage of semiconductor chips that has had a devastating effect on the American economy over the past year and will continue to have for the near future. Although part of this shortfall has been to an unprecedented rise in the demand for chips and supply disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a large part of this shortfall could be considered self-inflicted by the blacklisting of the China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation by the United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security by the former Administration in late 2020 and Chinese economic retaliation. The last of these three are well known by the public as causes of the losses and delays that are causing such havoc in the United States. A review of this blacklisting and an easing of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China would seem prudent.
It is regrettable that the public wrongly conflates the Peoples Republic of China with the Chinese people and often with Chinese Americans, but it is a fact that this is so. The use of the inflammatory terms “Wuhan flu” “Kongflu” and the endless speculation about whether this was a laboratory leak of a weaponized virus are certainly among the justifications Congress found to support S.937, the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act. Congress specifically found “(2) According to a recent report, there were nearly 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination and incidents related to COVID–19 between March 19, 2020, and February 28, 2021, in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.”
I am concerned that The United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 will only throw gasoline on the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment plaguing this country. “The Chinese” and by extension, “Chinese Americans” must not be blamed for the chip shortage or other issues addressed by this Act.
I ask you to consider these matters in your analysis of this Bill, and possibly introducing amendments to ameliorate the language and bring this Bill more in line with the spirit of the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act.
Finally, I am asking for your point of view and how your plan to vote on this legislation.
Thank you for your attention.
Very truly yours, etc.
Simon Shao, President
Chinese American Federation