We have been deeply shaken by the recent spate of anti-Asian violence and especially the murder of eight people in Georgia last week, six of them Asian American women: Daoyou Feng, 44; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Soon Chung Park, 74; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; and Yong Ae Yu, 63. We stand with the victims, their families, and their communities. We mourn, along with so many, the loss of their lives. We cannot untie the history of US imperialism and militarism in Asia, nor this country’s deeply entrenched misogyny and xenophobia, along with the ongoing criminalization of sex work, from this most recent rise in anti-Asian violence. Anti-Asian racism takes many forms, including interpersonal violence, government neglect, harassment, hate speech, insecure and underpaid labor, and mass deportations, which Asian American communities have experienced since the early days of the pandemic, one year ago. We are mindful of the extremely uneven effects of this public health crisis that lands most harshly on the most socially vulnerable communities of this city and this nation. We also know that what we are seeing at this moment is connected to other forms of white supremacist violence against other racial and religious groups. For this reason, we know that additional policing is not the solution to the crisis, because police actions and surveillance have the effect of criminalizing the very people who have been brutalized. Identifying with and bolstering the police/military/settler state thus works against all of our interests.
The faculty and staff of the Asian/Pacific/American Institute and A/P/A Studies Program are grieving and angry. Our mission to document and understand Asian/Pacific American stories and histories continues to guide us.
We know that for Asian/Pacific American students, faculty, and staff this is a particularly painful time. We urge you to support the critical work of Asian American organizations that are fighting white supremacy and gender-based violence across the nation, and Atlanta, Georgia including:
- Red Canary Song: https://www.redcanarysong.net/
- CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities: https://caaav.org/
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta: https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum: https://www.napawf.org/
- Center for Pan Asian Community Services: https://cpacs.org/
- Asian American Advocacy Fund: https://www.asianamericanadvocacyfund.org/
In addition, we call on NYU to join efforts with peer institutions and dozens of AAPI organizations to StopAAPIHate and end the China Initiative as part of a broader anti-racist agenda and commitment.
Signed,
Grace Aneiza Ali – Art & Public Policy, Tisch
Zhihua An – Chemistry, FAS
Minju Bae – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Ruiyang Bao – Chemistry, FAS
Alejandra Beltran – East Asian Studies, FAS
Magali An Berthon – Costume Studies, Steinhardt
Hosanah N. Bryan – Admissions and Enrollment, Silver
Paula Chakravartty – Gallatin; Media, Culture, and Communication, Steinhardt
Doris F. Chang – Silver School of Social Work
Laura Chen-Schultz – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost
Anastasia Chiu – NYU Libraries
Michael Chow – Public Safety
Nina Cornyetz – Gallatin
Marty Correia – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Enchi Dai – Psychology, FAS
Alina Das – School of Law
Dipti Desai – Art & Art Professions, Steinhardt
Anne DeWitt – Gallatin
Tianning Diao – Chemistry, FAS
Grace Dickerson – Media, Culture, and Communication, Steinhardt
Aysun Duyar – Psychology, FAS
Hannah Eareckson – Social Psychology, FAS
Elizabeth Ellis – History, FAS
Randall Eng – Graduate Musical Theatre Writing, Tisch
Todd Foley – East Asian Studies; Comparative Literature, FAS
Luis Francia – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Qixiu Fu -Psychology, FAS
Chen Gao – East Asian Studies, FAS
Josiah Garcia – Drama, Tisch
John Gershman – Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Faye Ginsburg – Anthropology, FAS
Jessica R Gladstone – Psychology, FAS
Ruby Gomez – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost
Alesha Gooden – Global Public Health
Gayatri Gopinath – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Steven H Hahn – History, FAS
John Halpin – Chemistry, FAS
Yukiko Hanawa – East Asian Studies, FAS
Laura Harris – Art & Public Policy and Cinema Studies, Tisch
Jonathan Hay – Institute of Fine Arts
Feng-Mei Heberer – Cinema Studies, Tisch
Pato Hebert – Art & Public Policy, Tisch
Kristin Horton – Gallatin
Chunhua Tony Hu – Chemistry, FAS
Celina Hung – Humanities and Global China Studies, NYU Shanghai
Daniel H. Inouye – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost
Dominik Izdebski – Museum Studies, FAS
Spencer Jacoppi – Psychology, FAS
Daniel Johnson – East Asian Studies, FAS
Gabriella Johnson – English, FAS
Rebecca Elizabeth Karl – History, FAS
Dongmin Kim – East Asian Studies, FAS
Patricia Kim – Gallatin
Grace Kim – Occupational Therapy, Steinhardt
Cammie Kim Lin – NYU Liberal Studies
Kazue Kurokawa – East Asian Studies, FAS
PhuongThao D. Le – Social Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health
S. Heijin Lee – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Vivien Lee – NYU Shanghai
Xin Li – East Asian Studies, FAS
Shiqi Liao – East Asian Studies, FAS
Tatiana Linkhoeva – History, FAS
David Ludden – History, FAS
Ritty Lukose – Gallatin
Amita Manghnani – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost
Mayumi Matsumoto – East Asian Studies, FAS
Michele Matteini – Art History, FAS
Mike McCaw – Provost; Media, Culture, and Communication, Steinhardt
Jordana Mendelson – Spanish & Portuguese, FAS
Nicholas D. Mirzoeff – Media, Culture, and Communication, Steinhardt
Fred Moten – Performance Studies, Tisch
Nou Moua – Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, School of Law
Eunju Na – East Asian Studies, FAS
Aine E Nakamura – NYU Alum, Gallatin
Vasuki Nesiah – Gallatin
Kayo Nonaka – East Asian Studies, FAS
Yoon Jeong Oh – East Asian Studies, FAS
DongWon Oh – Psychology, FAS
Sumie Okazaki – Applied Psychology, Steinhardt
Nicole Pandolfo – Experimental Humanities & Social Engagement, FAS
Crystal Parikh – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost; Social & Cultural Analysis; English, FAS
Jeesun Park – East Asian Studies, FAS
Jennifer Park – Graduate Admissions, Steinhardt
Mary S Park – Music Business, Steinhardt
Sonya Posmentier – English, FAS
Krishnendu Ray – Nutrition and Food Studies, Steinhardt
Diego Reinero – Psychology, FAS
Katelynn Rigano – Psychology, FAS
Dean Saranillio – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Wenteng Shao – East Asian Studies, FAS
Karen Shimakawa – Performance Studies, Tisch
Pacharee Sudhinaraset – English, FAS
Shoey Sun – East Asian Studies, FAS
Lisa Suzuki – Applied Psychology, Steinhardt
Simón Ventura – Trujillo English, FAS
William Tsai – Applied Psychology, Steinhardt
Thuy Linh Tu – Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
James Uleman – Psychology, FAS
Tina Um – Psychology, FAS
Delio Vasquez – Gallatin
Simon Vecchioni – Chemistry, FAS
Isabella Villacampa – Center for Student Life, Student Affairs
Yijun Wang – History, FAS
Jini Kim Watson – English, FAS
Leigh Watts – NYU Abu Dhabi
Angela Xiao Wu – Media, Culture, and Communication, Steinhardt
Connie Wu – Public Policy, FAS
Song Xia – Chemistry, FAS
Tsumugi Yamamoto – East Asian Studies, FAS
Cindy Yang – NYU Alum, Tisch
Hentyle Yapp – Art & Public Policy, Tisch
Dylan Yeats – Asian/Pacific/American Institute, Provost
Duncan Yoon – Gallatin
Zhen Zhang – Cinema Studies, Tisch
Hong Zhao – Chemistry, FAS