Asian Pacific Islanders (API) CEHS and CHSS Message

“When dehumanization is accepted and othering of people is accepted and part of the status quo, this is what happens.” (Chien-An Yuan, 2022)

The world is watching with grief and anger as the inhumanity of war is witnessed in real time. The experiences of all Ukrainians, in particular, the violence and racism towards people of color fleeing Ukraine, remind us that the status quo is borderless, and so too is the call for anti-bias and anti-racism (ABAR) action. Since the “Summer of Racial Reckoning,” murder of George Floyd, the global presence of Black Lives Matter, and the targeted deaths of the Atlanta shooting victims, Daoyou Feng, 44; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Delaina Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Yong A. Yue, 63; and Ashley Yaun, 33, members of the College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) and College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) stand in solidarity with colleagues and students of Ukranian descent, BIPOC, and Asian and Pacific Islanders (API).

The recent and repeated violence against Asian Pacific Islanders (API) and deaths of GuiYing Ma, Michelle Go, and Christina Yuna Lee, are reminders that anti-Asian acts of racism and gendered violence over the last two years have not come to an end. Many female students, staff, and faculty of API descent are emotionally, physically, and psychologically exhausted, knowing this is not the end, as the hate and violence targeting them increases. As members of the CEHS and CHSS communities, we acknowledge these fears as valid and we stand with our API campus and community members to condemn these senseless acts of violence. Defending humanity and advocating for a socially just world is an intrinsic part of our identity in CEHS and CHSS. Those of us of API heritage stand for ourselves and each other, alongside our allies against racism and bias of any form, in all spaces. We especially reject any narrative that aims to pit the API, Black, and Brown communities against each other. This is a time to stand in solidarity against bias, racism, White supremacy, and violence to defend and protect humanity, period.

In solidarity,

Sumi Hagiwara (CEHS), Leslie Wilson (CHSS), Carolina Gonzalez (CEHS), Lyndal Khaw (CEHS), Pablo Tinio (CEHS), Nancy Chae (CEHS), Jennifer Yang (CHSS), Erin Kang (CHSS), Emily Cheng (CHSS), Sharon Lai (CEHS), Minsun Shin (CEHS), Sze Sam Yan Liu (CEHS), Soyoung Lee (CEHS), Doreen Liou (CEHS), Amanda Baden (CEHS), Minji Lee (CHSS), Jude Uy (CHSS, Asian Pacific Islander Caucus), Andrea Besas (CHSS, United Asian American Student Organization)

Take Action:

Bias reporting on campus

Students who have witnessed or have been a target of a hate or bias-motivated act/incident on campus or while participating in a University-sponsored activity should report it promptly.

Care for others on campus

The CARE Team serves Montclair State University students. Any community member is able to submit a report to the CARE Team if they are concerned about the behavior of a student.

Bystander intervention and free training

In partnership with Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Tell your story

The stories of API heritage are more vibrant, illuminating, grounding, and more liberatory than the terrorism of anti-Asian violence. If you are interested in sharing your story in person or on Zoom, a meeting is being planned May 11, 2022, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.

Deng, G. (2022, February 23). “How anti-Asian hate crimes are connected to state-sanctioned violence.” Prism. Retrieved March 7, 2022, from https://prismreports.org/2022/02/22/how-anti-asian-hate-crimes-are-connected-to-state-sanctioned-violence/