March 18, 2021
Dear Members of the Campus Community,
On Tuesday night, eight individuals, including six Asian American women, were killed in a series of horrific shootings in the Atlanta area. Members of the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have endured a long history of racism in this country, and the dramatic rise in racism and racially motivated violence toward these communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is indisputable. The organization Stop AAPI Hate recently issued a report documenting almost 3,800 hate incidents over the past year. The fear and pain caused by the recent shootings among the Asian community are very real.
I want our Asian and Asian American community members to know that we stand firmly with you. We see and condemn the injustice, racism and violence perpetrated against you, we hear you in your fear and pain, and we stand with you in our collective outrage. We are here for you.
If you find yourself in need of support, please avail yourself of the resources that the College provides, including the Counseling Center, our College Chaplains, the Office of the Assistant Dean for International Students or the Employee Assistance Program.
I know you all join me in actively standing against hate and injustice. I invite you to participate in a discussion about these issues organized by the faculty in Asian Studies and co-sponsored by the McFarland Center and Africana Studies. A description of the program, A Contagion of Hate: Pandemic and Virus of Racism, and a link to register can be found on the McFarland Center website. Today, we also pray for the victims of Tuesday’s tragic attacks and for those who loved them.
Sincerely,
Philip L. Boroughs, S.J.
President