Condemning anti-Asian violence and discrimination

The UC Global Health Institute is calling for an end to anti-Asian and Pacific Islander hate as well as violence and discrimination against women in all forms and in all places.

UCGHI stands in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities that are impacted by the tragedy that took place in Atlanta, Georgia last night. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of those murdered. It is not lost on us that the sense of urgency around supporting and speaking out against AAPI hate has not garnered the proper media and social attention it deserves, including at our own Institute.

We are saddened by the fact that AAPI communities must experience the trauma of yet another tragedy, from the fatal assault of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco; the homicide of 75-year old Pak Ho who died last Thursday after being punched while out on his morning walk; the assault on 52-year-old Lee-Lee Chin-Yeung, who required 10 stitches on her forehead after being shoved to the ground in Flushing, Queens; and the assault on 83-year-old Nancy Toh who was punched and spit at while walking on a sidewalk—the list goes on.

We acknowledge that anti-Asian prejudice is a form of systematic racism that continues to operate in our nation and across institutions. The scapegoating of Asian and Asian Americans in the wake of the pandemic is a striking reminder that xenophobia and the stereotypes that come with it often accelerate in times of crisis, endangering the health and well-being of members of our community. This particular occurrence has underlined the intersectionality of racism and gender-based discrimination with the several acts of violence, 8 of them being fatal, 7 of those fatalities were women and 6 of the women were Asian American.

Stop AAPI Hate released a report this week that documented 3,800 firsthand reports of violence,  discrimination and harassment against Asian Americans since March of last year, including more than 500 incidents in just the first two months of 2021. This number is likely an underestimate. Additionally, we see again  the manifestation of gun violence as a public health crisis in our country, killing more than 30,000 Americans each year.

Building on the foundation laid from our work to combat anti-Black racism, we are committing to integrating and centering the lives, voices and experiences of AAPI along with all other BIPOC people within the UCGHI community and beyond. As an Institute, we will be unpacking what it means to address AAPI racism to pave a way forward in addressing these complex issues. We will strategize a plan to better support the API community within UCGHI. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any resources or suggestions you would like to share.

Now is a critical time to make visible what has largely been rendered invisible in this country and across institutions. On behalf of the Institute, we ask all to stand in solidarity with members of our community who are experiencing this and other forms of racism and xenophobia. To the AAPI community, we see you, you are invaluable, you are visible, and we will lift you up in this intensely painful time. All of us must remain vigilant to the many ways that anti-Asian prejudice and bias affect us all and continue working to identify effective and actionable ways to address this and all forms of prejudice, stigmatization, and racism at UCGHI and beyond.  

In solidarity,

UC Global Health Institute