Colleagues,
In no uncertain terms, WACAC stands against this hate targeted at people of Asian heritage. Like you, we are saddened, frustrated, and angry upon learning the news about the hate crimes in Atlanta committed against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). This latest attack comes as we learn that hate crimes against Asian-Americans increased 150 percent in 2020. We hear from our colleagues in the AAPI community that they are hurting, exhausted, and frightened by these acts.
As educators and admission professionals, we must continue to learn about this issue with every resource available to us. We encourage you to take action and check-in with your AAPI colleagues and friends – do something today to further educate yourself and support one another! You can start by reviewing these resources:
READ
- Daily News Lesson: Asian Americans face a wave of discrimination during the pandemic Anti-racism resources to support Asian American, Pacific Islander community
- Anti-Asian Violence Must Be a Bigger Part of America’s Racial Discourse
- How to be an ally to the AAPI community
- “Ignoring The History of Anti-Asian Racism Is Another Form Of Violence”
- “Asian American families disproportionately keeping kids home as schools reopen: report”
It is not lost on us that we began this academic year with a statement on equity and justice in response to the killings of Black Americans. Now that we are well into 2021, it is clear that more work needs to be done to address white supremacy. It starts with us, being vigilant, calling out these attacks in our own neighborhoods and supporting all of those impacted.
Sincerely,
Phil Moreno (he/him/his), President
Breanne Boyle (she/her/hers), President-Elect
Lauren Cook (she/her/hers), Past-President
wacacpresident@wacac.org