A Letter to Our Community from AA/PIRC Director Caz
Content Warning: Mention of Anti-Asian Violence and Racism
March 17, 2021
Dear UCSC Community:
It is with a heavy and hopeful heart that I write this message to you all. We have already passed the one-year mark since the introduction of COVID-19 to the U.S, and a little under a year since I have written a statement like this. It was in April of last year when I released an open letter to the UCSC community that spoke out against the severity of anti-Asian racism that was on the rise because of baseless scapegoating that was brought about by the pandemic.
After re-reading that letter, and upon reflection of the past year and more recent events, we have not seen an end to that racism and violence, but a sharp increase in that violence that further attempts to terrorize communities of Asian and Asian American people.
Between March 2020 and February 2021, StopAAPIHate.org has almost 3,800 firsthand accounts of hate incidents from across the country, of which 44.5% occurred in California. Particularly disturbing is that women were attacked 2 1/2 times more than men, and elderly over 60 years old and youth under 18 years old were targeted at a combined 19%.
Yesterday, in particular, marked a deeply tragic incident that left eight people murdered, including six women of Asian descent, who were targeted by a mass shooter. While details of the incident and the intent of the individual responsible is still being investigated, there is no questioning the terrorizing impact that it has had on our communities.
Public discourse through social media and media outlets around these attacks and sentiments underscore the reinforcement of the myth of the model minority, embedded with attempts to pit communities of color against each other. Shifting focus of these incidents to a call for increased policing, or attempting to position the Asian American community in proximity to whiteness, creates barriers to building coalitions across communities of color. These attacks, and the responses to them are not new. Frequently, they have led to the treasure or minimization of the impact this racism has on the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AA/PI) community. It amounts to racial gaslighting, and a deeply internalized reluctance to speak out about our experiences of racism.
Do not fall for these divisive tactics that distract from the core root of the problem, intergenerational white supremacy that continually marginalizes communities of color. I want to make it clear that these violent acts and negative sentiments held toward the Asian and Asian American communities are deeply entrenched in racism and xenophobia, and working toward anti-racism includes actively denouncing these acts, actively disrupting behavior that targets these communities, and actively dismantling the tools of white supremacy.
This is also why I feel hopeful during these times; I have read through articles of actions that exemplify the active support of the community and coalition building to counter the violence. In the face of this resurgence of anti-asian violence, communities of color have organized in solidarity and in direct action to assist those being targeted.
It is my sincere hope that the UCSC community will band together, as we should for all marginalized communities, to denounce and actively work against violence and racism that target the AA/PI community.
In the larger quest for individual and collective healing and liberation, I invite you to explore supporting AA/PI students in the following ways:
- Reminding UCSC students of campus resources like the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, the Hate/Bias Reporting Tool for UCSC, and the Let's Talk drop-in sessions from Counseling and Psychological (CAPS)
- Amplifying and supporting the community-building work of AA/PI-focused student organizations
- Utilizing the StopAAPIHate.org reporting site, and its data
- Listening to/educating yourself about the many lived experiences of AA/PI people- our community/ies are not a monolith
We at AA/PIRC are planning for campus community forums through the next quarter to hold space for sharing of grief, for continuing to process, for healing, and simply to be community. Please do stay connected to AA/PIRC by adding to our e-newsletter mailing list, and following our Facebook and Instagram accounts to stay informed about these events.
Do not hesitate to reach out should you have questions, to let us know how COVID-19 or the recent events have been impacting you, or if you would like to discuss anything in this message in more depth.
Wishing you good health and safety for you and your loved ones.
In community,
Caz Salamanca (He/Him/His)
Director, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center
University of California, Santa Cruz
831.459.2096 | aapirc@ucsc.edu | aapirc.ucsc.edu
