AsAm advocates call for reinstatement of Chinese American scientist

Sherry Chen speaks at a news conference in Washington, D.C.

By Louis Chan
ASAM NEWS

COMMUNITY LEADERS and politicians Wednesday (May 23) called for the reinstatement of Sherry Chen, who was fired from her job as a government scientist with the Department of Commerce’s National Weather Service in Ohio, even after spy charges against her were dropped.

Last month, as AsAmNews first reported, a judge with the Merit System Protection Board, recently ordered her reinstatement with back pay and called the decision to fire her a “gross injustice.”

The Department of Commerce has announced its intention to appeal the decision by the judge.

“I’m appalled that no one in management who handled my case stood up to protect me or even questioned the scandalous activities during the entire process,” said Chen to the media Wednesday. “My reputation and career were severely damaged. My family and I suffered enormously through the ordeal.”

The news conference was organized by the Committee of 100, United Chinese Americans and the Ohio Chinese American Association.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also released a letter it sent to the Department of Commerce calling for a full and independent investigation” of the case.

“It does not appear that anyone at the Department has been held accountable for the pattern of misconduct in Ms. Chen’s case, the letter stated. “We remain concerned that her case reflects systematic problems at the Department and warrants further review.”

The letter was signed by 31 representative of Congress.

“We are doing this because we will not tolerate Chinese Americans or Asian Americans being treated as second-class citizens,” Rep Judy Chu (D-CA), the president of CAPAC, said at the news conference. “No American should have to live in fear that their entire lives may be turned upside down due to wrongful accusations and unwarranted racial profiling. There is no room for this sort of prejudice in our federal government or in our country.”

Also present at the news conference was Dr. Xiaoxing Xi of Temple University who also was arrested and charged with spying for China. His case was also dropped before going to trial.

“I am outraged at the false prosecution by the federal government of Sherry,” he said. “I know a little bit about what the nightmare was for Sherry. I too was taken away from my home in handcuffs by armed FBI agents. How could these agents and officials take such unconsciousable actions against Sherry. There can be no logical explanation other than she is a Chinese American. This is not right. This is racial profiling. It is against the country’s ideals that all are created equal. It will lead to more innocent Americans to be falsely charged of spying for China. It must stop.”

Chen said the government’s action is a threat to all.

“By pursuing wrongful prosecution and wrongful termination, the government has sent out a chilling and dangerous message to the public that anyone is at risk of being wrongfully terminated,” she said.

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