“We would like to thank President Ensign and the College for their prompt statement condemning anti-Asian hate and acknowledging the trauma Asian American communities have been facing during this pandemic. As President Ensign mentioned, the Atlanta shootings were not isolated incidents. In the last year, attacks against Asian Americans have significantly increased, with a disproportionate majority of them targeting women. 

We would like to add that the pandemic did not create the racialized misogyny and anti-Asian racism that our communities are experiencing today. Although we are taught about the Chinese Exclusion Act and the internment of Japanese Americans in high school history textbooks, these are only a few of the anti-Asian policies and ideologies that have vilified and objectified those of Asian descent long before the pandemic. These policies established the stereotype of Asians as both the “yellow peril” and “model minority,” and fueled the hypersexualization of Asian women. The pandemic has only exacerbated existing racism and xenophobia, pulling back the veil on the systemic issues impacting Asian and Asian American communities.

It is vital to note that anti-Asian racism is part of a larger system of racism that rewards a fictionalized collective Asian American success, otherwise known as the model minority myth. This stereotype generalizes highly diverse Asian American communities while weaponizing us against other communities of color, especially African Americans. As a means of strengthening white supremacy, the racial scapegoating of Asian Americans enforces the harmful “oppression Olympics” mentality. Acknowledging and discussing anti-Asian racism should not and does not negate other forms of racism. As Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ)-Atlanta wrote in their recent statement, “At a time where we could be building bridges of understanding and support, white supremacy continues to diminish our already fractured society.”

As Dickinsonians, community is one of our key values. We invite everyone to actively work towards building a safer, stronger community. Check in with your Asian and Asian American family and friends. Contact your government representatives to demand they invest in sustainable crisis intervention resources for communities of color. Take classes centered on the racial histories and experiences of BIPOC in the United States and beyond. Attend a bystander intervention training session. Learn and understand from where this anti-Asian prejudice originates. This article is a good starting point, but we encourage you to do your own research on the deeper historical and political precedents of anti-Asian hate. 

The Asian and Asian American Collective”