University Academic Council Statement on recent violence against Asian American communities

As members of ASU’s University Academic Council, we are deeply concerned about the impact on our Asian and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) faculty and students of the horrific murders of March 16th, which disproportionately targeted Asian women, as well as of the increased violence against the AAPI community in the United States more generally. We acknowledge the intensified traumatic effect of violence at the intersection of sexism and racism and of the targeting of elders and other vulnerably-situated people.

We commend and stand by our AAPI faculty, who have denounced the “Viral Racism” that has plagued their communities since the anti-Asian discourse on Covid-19 unfolded, and who continue to raise awareness about the drivers of racist violence against the AAPI community and share their experiences with bravery and clarity. We also call upon all members of the Academic Assembly to speak up in their classrooms and communities to actively challenge anti-Asian stereotypes and rhetoric and contest attempts to justify racism, misogyny, and gun violence.

We would like to draw attention to ASU’s Faculty Women of Color Caucus videos discussing microaggressions (scroll down to bottom of page) and how these work against multiple communities based on race, gender, sexual orientation, ableism, and socioeconomic status.

You can find University President Michael Crow’s statement on anti-Asian violence here.