Support for the APIDA Community Regarding Anti-Asian Violence
Posted: 2021-03-18 20:32:11 Expiration: 2050-03-26 02:32:11
Associated Students of Madison
333 East Campus Mall, 4301 Student Activity Center, Madison, WI
Website: asm.wisc.edu Phone: 608/265-4ASM
E-mail: press@asm.wisc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2021
CONTACT:
Crystal Zhao, Diversity Engagement Coordinator, dec@asm.wisc.edu | 413-404-5742
Ellen Abad Santos, Vote Coordinator vote@asm.wisc.edu | 414-241-5613
Support for the APIDA Community Regarding Anti-Asian Violence
MADISON, WI — As the only two Asian Americans in the Coordinating Council of the Associated Students of Madison, we want to acknowledge the hostile environment that the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community is facing in light of the shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. Before we address the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country, we also want to recognize that these statements of support can only do so much. By no means does this statement lessen the pain and trauma that APIDA folks face on a daily basis, nor does it provide a tangible solution to the larger issue of systemic racism.
On Tuesday night, eight individuals, six of whom were Asian women, were murdered in Atlanta. As the APIDA community and allies mourn the loss of these victims of hate, we want to recognize the escalation of violence against Asians and Asian Americans across the country and the globe since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The NYPD reported that hate crimes motivated by anti-Asian sentiment jumped 1,900% in New York City in 2020.” Additionally, Stop AAPI Hate, a hate crime reporting database, “received 2,808 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March 19 and December 31, 2020.”1 We acknowledge that these increases in hate crimes and discrimination only compound onto the deep grief, trauma, and pain that the APIDA community faces today.
It is also important to remember that anti-Asian hate crimes and policies have always been present in the United States. The struggles and pain from discrimination and injustices are not new, even if they have gone unaddressed throughout history. This domestic and foreign history includes, but is not limited to, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the US occupation of the Philippines, and Japanese internment during World War II. Each is an example of anti-Asian policy stances in the United States that was aimed at tearing down Asian and Asian American communities.
During this difficult time, please check in with your APIDA friends and peers to support them. We also encourage you all to take the time to educate yourself about APIDA history in order to understand the greater historical context of the hate crimes we are seeing today. Linked below is a list of educational resources from the APIDA Student Center Advisory Committee and the Asian American Studies Program, which also includes local APIDA-owned businesses and national APIDA organizations you can financially support.2 If you experience/witness a hate or bias incident at
UW-Madison, please report it to the Dean of Students Office if you feel comfortable.3 All other incidents related to APIDA hate crimes and bias can be reported through StopAAPIHate.org.4
1 https://time.com/5938482/asian-american-attacks/
2 https://diversity.wisc.edu/asian-pacific-islander-desi-american-support-resources/
3 https://doso.students.wisc.edu/report-an-issue/bias-or-hate-reporting/
4 https://stopaapihate.org/
The Associated Students of Madison firmly stands against anti-APIDA racism, sexism, xenophobia and any other form of hatred and discrimination. We will continue to provide resources and work toward a safer and more equitable campus for everyone.
In Solidarity,
Crystal Zhao (she/her/hers) and Ellen Abad Santos (she/her/hers)
In support of the APIDA community,
Brandon Springer (he/him/his) Equity and Inclusion Chair, ASM equity@asm.wisc.edu
Matthew Mitnick (he/him/his) Chair, ASM chair@asm.wisc.edu
Jacob Broehm (he/him/his) Press Office Director, ASM press@asm.wisc.edu
Kylan Bartel (he/him/his) Student Council Representative, ASM kabartel@asm.wisc.edu
Natalie Tinsen (she/her/hers) Sustainability Chair, ASM sustainability@asm.wisc.edu
Emma Axelrod (she/her/hers) Student Council Representative, ASM eaxelrod@wisc.edu
Samuel Jorudd (he/him/his) Grant Allocation Committee Chair, ASM grants@asm.wisc.edu
Chris Unterberger (he/him/his) Student Council Representative, ASM cunterberger@wisc.edu
Tess Reilly (she/her/hers) SSFC Chair, ASM ssfc@asm.wisc.edu
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-- Associated Students of Madison: Jacob Broehm