A Letter to the Dickinson Community
Dear Dickinson Community,
We, as board members of Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), are shocked and deeply offended by the recent incident of racist notes at Kisner-Woodward Hall targeting a specific individual who self-identifies as Asian as well as the broader Chinese, Asian and international student community at Dickinson.
For those who are unfamiliar with the incident, please read the following Dickinsonian article:https://thedickinsonian.com/news/2019/02/14/racially-charged-notes-investigated/, and you shall understand our indignation and concerns.
The Chinese community as well as the broader Asian community in the US are often regarded as the “silent minority” by news media in a wider social context. But we do not believe this is the case at Dickinson, where every member of campus has a voice. And that is why we are issuing this statement to openly express our feelings, stance and expectations.
We strongly condemn the bluntly racist and hate-filled languages written on these notes. Such words are absolutely unacceptable at Dickinson where we strive for global diversity. We value freedom of speech, but it does not mean that we will tolerate any form of discriminatory expressions based on race, nationality, language or cultural background.
We urge the college administration to put every possible effort into the investigation of the incident and hold the perpetrator responsible for his/her serious violation of our community standards.
The CSSA and the Chinese community have trust in our college administration and will not interfere with the official investigation process, but we will continue to follow the incident and await the final result of the investigation.
Through this incident, we again realize the importance of speaking up when confronting discrimination towards yourself or your community. Hence, we hope anyone who has had experience on campus to report the incident to the college, through the Bias Incident Reporting Form: https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20227/popel_shaw_center_for_race_and_ethnicity/1842/reporting_bias. Whether you are a victim of discriminatory actions or not, it is always important to remember that Dickinson is here for you. Students, organizations, faculty members and college administrators will give you their wholehearted support in moments like this.
Finally, we have a message for the responsible party of this incident and anyone in support of such actions: The college policy strictly prohibits any form of discriminatory actions towards any member of our community. While there may be a second chance for you to realize the damage you caused, your actions will not be forever tolerated, and following consequences are severe.
CSSA, as a Student Senate recognized club for culture and diversity, is always part of the college’s initiative of building an inclusive and diverse global community. And we will help protect students who feel unsafe under discriminatory actions by all necessary legal means.
It is CSSA’s core mission, defined by our constitution, to support and speak for students and scholars from China as well as the international and Asian student community as a whole, and to further promote diversity at Dickinson. In honoring this mission, we will always stand together against any form of discrimination on campus. We believe this incident is still an isolated case.
That’s why we ask every member of our community to stand with us in this lasting battle against racism, bias and discrimination. If you want to share your opinion or experience, or to propose an idea, please feel free to talk to one of our board members or to send an email to [email protected].
Sincerely,
Executive Board
Chinese Student and
Scholar Association
Dickinson College
Support • Feb 27, 2019 at 11:32 pm
I stand with you! Very disappointed in Dickinson administration for being silent on this issue. Shame on them.
Barbara C Dionisos • Feb 22, 2019 at 9:41 pm
As a concerned parent, I have one question: Why did we not hear about this incident immediately after it happened and from the college administration? Instead I heard about it from my freshman daughter and then the Dickinsonian much later. I would prefer to hear about these types of occurrences right after they happen. As others have said, this should be taken very seriously by Dickinson to prevent any potential future problems.
Fred • Feb 22, 2019 at 1:32 am
And when this is proved to be a hoax designed to divert attention from the Leda Fischer fiasco and the fact that Dickinson actively encourages racism towards Whites, what then? Didn’t one of the fake notes say “this is a white school” or something else preposterous that was obviously written by a Jussie Smollett Jr.?
I do like, though, how the Chinese Students’ club, which is manifestly about promoting the interests of Chinese, is a club for “diversity.” It reminds me of how Leda’s vicious, ignorant hatred of Whites isn’t racism, and how bad is good, and up is down.
The poster above nailed it: although they are fake, the language of the notes is no worse than what Leda said. I guess it only matters who the victims are.
Scout Waverly • Feb 21, 2019 at 3:31 pm
“We value freedom of speech, but it does not mean that we will tolerate any form of discriminatory expressions based on race, nationality, language or cultural background.”
Tell that to the administration, whose noncommittal response to the Leda Fisher editorial signaled that a clear “violation of our community standards” through discrimination based on race, cultural background and gender is OK on campus.
Allan • Feb 21, 2019 at 10:45 am
👍👍👍