Posted by CONCERNED on November 22, 1999 at 15:40:41:
--------begin message---------
This was forwarded from Nancy Lee who received it from
Karen Narasaki at
APALC.....
October 12, 1999
> >FACT SHEET
> >
> >COMBATING RACIAL PROFILING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY
> >
> >Purpose: To summarize the scope and activities associated with efforts
> >to ensure that racial profiling is not committed nor tolerated
in the Department
> >of Energy.
> >
> >Background
> >In the wake of the alleged Chinese espionage at theDepartment of
> >Energy's major nuclear weapons laboratories, and inhis continuing
> >effort to combat racial profiling against Asian Pacific Americans [APA]
> >at DOE laboratories, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson met with
> >representatives from national APA organizations on September 21, 1999.
> >In this meeting, Secretary Richardson [1] reiterated his concerns over
> >how the espionage matter was continuing to affect the APA community and
> >employees, [2] assured the representatives that the Department will take
> >all actions to root out any activities that offered the slightest hint
> >of prejudice, and [3] explained that his position remains unchanged
> >regarding individuals who have been the subject of the investigation.
> >He explained the objectives of the newly created DOE Task Force Against
> >Racial Profiling, headed by his Deputy Secretary, T.J. Glauthier, and
> >asked the representatives to provide advice to the Task Force.
> >
> >Fact-finding Delegation
> >Secretary Richardson formed a fact-finding delegation to follow-up on
> >his assurance to Asian Pacific American [APA] employees that we do not
> >commit nor tolerate racial profiling at DOE. The three-member
> >delegation included two senior DOE federal employees and Yvonne Lee, a
> >Commissioner on the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights.
> >
> >The fact-finding delegation, using individual interviews with employees,
> >small group meetings, and open forums to solicit information, reported
> >several major observations which were prevalent to some degree at the
> >three nuclear weapons laboratories [i.e., Los Alamos, New Mexico, Sandia
> >at Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore, California, and Lawrence
> >Livermore, California]:
> >
> >1. An atmosphere of distrust and suspicion was affecting Asian Pacific
> >American employees, and blame for this was directed to two places: one,
> >the media exploitation of the Chinese espionage case resulting in fears
> >of profiling and discrimination, and two, managers and supervisors, as
> >well as co-workers, questioning their loyalty and patriotism because of
> >their race.
> >
> >2. APA employees expressed their beliefs that their opportunities for
> >promotions, choice job assignments and developmental training have been
> >greatly lessened as a result of this atmosphere of distrust and
> >suspicion.
> >
> >3. A perceived policy of 'zero tolerance' in security matters and
> >ambiguity over the definition and treatment of foreign nationals, as
> >well as naturalized U.S. citizens - combined to produce anxiety at all
> >levels of the workforce. This also raised the issue of 'brain drain' --
> >the negative impact on our ability to recruit and retain highly
> >qualified employees from all ethnicity groups.
> >
> >4. While the Lab Directors and other senior leadership responded
> >properly and in accordance with the Secretary's stated policies of
> >non-discrimination and fairness, the delegation found that middle
> >management and lower level supervisors were less consistent and
> >energetic in disseminating the same messages.
> >
> >5. APA employees expressed great angst against counterintelligence
> >efforts that appear to target employees of Chinese ethnicity.
> >[Subsequent to the delegation's visits, the counterintelligence
> >community, led by DOE's Counterintelligence Director Ed Curran,
> >'sensitized' their briefings, directives and policies to eliminate any
> >suggestion of targeting a particular group of employees.]
> >
> >Task Force Against Racial Profiling
> >In a meeting at DOE Headquarters on September 14, the delegation
> >presented their findings to the Task Force Against Racial Profiling.
> >The Task Force is made up of 19 senior federal and contractor employees
> >from across the country, and includes Commissioner Yvonne Lee. Its
> >charter is: 'To recommend to the Secretary steps that the Department
> >should take to ensure that managers and employees do not commit nor
> >tolerate any racial profiling that results in adverse discriminatory
> >actions against all employees.'
> >
> >At the Task Force meeting, the Lab Directors reviewed the Action Plans I
> >asked that they formulate and the measures they have taken -- even prior
> >to the delegation's visits in late-June -- to alleviate or mitigate
> >problems surfaced by the delegation and from their own observations.
> >Included in these measures were the following activities:
> >
> >1. Enhancing their public outreach efforts with local community leaders
> >and the media.
> >
> >2. Providing more frequent and targeted focus group meetings with
> >affected employee
> >groups.
> >
> >3. Reissuing the Secretary's policies against racial profiling.
> >
> >4. Attempting to identify specific offenders to our policies concerning
> >racial profiling and taking appropriate corrective actions.
> >
> >5. Developing a pro-active recruiting effort for qualified and
> >essential foreign nationals, which would help retention efforts.
> >
> >6. Pushing revival of diversity and sensitivity
training for managers
> >and employees.
> >
> >The Task Force has committed to working with employee
groups, examining
> >'best practices' from leading private industry companies, and inviting
> >inputs from APA organizations. According to Deputy Secretary
> >Glauthier, the Task Force is actively considering several additional
> >action steps and has committed to finalizing their report to the
> >Secretary in November.
> >
> >Note: Please refer any questions to John Robinson, Senior Policy Advisor
> >for Workforce Matters to the Secretary of Energy [202-586-7700], or Tom
> >Tamura, Deputy Director, Office of Management and Administration
> >[202-586-8010].
> >