A statement from Y. Barry Chung, Dean; Cristian Aquino-Sterling, Associate Dean for Diversity & International Affairs, College of Education:
Unspeakable acts of violence towards Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have dangerously escalated across the U.S. in the wake of COVID-19. This is another deadly pandemic — one that has continued to dehumanize AAPI individuals, families, and communities.
Tuesday’s horrific shooting spree that claimed eight lives in Atlanta and Cherokee County, Georgia, was not an isolated incident. Since our College of Education’s commentary last spring decrying anti-AAPI hate and racism, we have learned about multiple disturbing incidents of despicable anti-AAPI acts of violence occurring at regional, state, and national levels – acts ranging from micro-aggressions and the shaming of AAPI school children, to the physical abuse and murder of AAPI adults and the elderly.
According to a report produced by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (California State University, San Bernardino), hate crimes targeting AAPI communities increased by nearly 150% in 2020. It is deeply concerning that this trend, threatening AAPI safety, well-being and survival, continues to increase in 2021. Our very mission and vision compel us to devise appropriate actions against this deadly trend for the sake of our AAPI students, faculty and staff, as well as for the sake of the AAPI individuals and communities we have the privilege to serve across the span of our educational and social services. When AAPI individuals are hurt and discriminated against, we all feel the pain and we must act together to support each other.
The College of Education at San Diego State University joins the voices of AAPI communities across the U.S., as well as the resolute advocacy of our Office of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity and Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center, the American Educational Research Association, the Asian American Psychological Association, and other educational institutions to unwaveringly condemn these racist acts of xenophobic violence.
As a College committed to ending prejudice, racism and systemic oppression, and to advance diversity, equity-justice, and inclusion-belongingness, we call on the members of our College community to join us on April 12 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. for a Diálogos Virtuales panel conversation titled, “Anti-Asian and Anti-Asian American Hate and Racism in U.S. Society: Implications for Advocacy, Curriculum, and Pedagogy in Education.” We look forward to seeing you there.
Anti-AAPI hate and racism hurts all of us!
Resources
- From the CSU: “Racism and Xenophobia in the Age of COVID-19”
- From the California Faculty Association: “Combating AAPI Hate in Age of COVID-19”
- From Dr. Valerie Ooka Pang: “Caring Means Equity: Asian American and Pacific Islander Students.”
- From the American Psychological Association: “Countering Stereotypes about Asian Americans”
- From UCLA Luskin: “UCLA Research Center Develops Online Anti-Racism Hub Focusing on Asian Americans”
- From Not in Our Town: “How to Stop Anti-Asian Hate and Violence During the COVID Crisis”
- From NYC.gov: “Stop COVID Hate: A Toolkit for Addressing Anti-Asian Bias, Discrimination, and Hate”
- Report hate incidents via stopaapihate.org.
- From the Department of Justice: “Statement of Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman on Anti-Asian hate crimes and bias acts”