When news broke that a Chinese-American former aide to New York’s governor was indicted on charges of being an agent of Beijing, there was a collective feeling of dread in the Asian-American Pacific Islander community. Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, expressed his disappointment, highlighting how this reinforces harmful stereotypes about Chinese-Americans.
Jeung, also an Asian American Studies professor, described the situation as a realization of the ‘Yellow Peril’ stereotype, which perpetuates the view of Chinese-Americans as suspects and potential spies. The fear of increased prejudice loomed large as people worried about the fallout from this case.
The indictment against Linda Sun, a former aide to Governor Kathy Hochul, and her husband Chris Hu, for money laundering and conspiracy, added fuel to these concerns. The allegations only served to deepen the sense of unease within the community.
