At the Institute for Behavioral Science at CU Boulder, we are extremely concerned by the rise in anti-Asian sentiment and its intersection with sexism. While punctuated by the horrifying murder of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng in the Atlanta area on March 16th, hate crimes and hate speech against Asian-Americans have risen considerably in recent years, and particularly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anti-Asian sentiment is an old and unfortunate part of the history of the United States, particularly in the West, which led to riots against Asian-Americans – especially in the late 19th Century – and exclusionary immigration, internment, housing, and other policies – especially between then and the 1960s. As with other people of color, the plight of Asian Americans did not end with stronger civil rights legislation, with continued racism and many unfortunate alarming acts of violence to punctuate negative anti-Asian sentiment. Last year, hate crimes against Asian Americans increased by 150% while other hate crimes decreased. Anti-Asian hate incidents and hate speech are also on the rise. Asian women have borne the brunt of these abuses, being more than twice as likely to report hate incidents as men. Much more can be understood by learning from our CU-Boulder Asian American colleagues who are experts on these issues: see this op-ed by Prof. Jennifer Ho (“To be an Asian American woman in America”) and, below, information on a panel on Anti-Asian Violence, Silence, Race, and Patriarchy organized by the Ethnic Studies Department.
We stand in solidarity with the Asian American community, as well as with women and allies in ending anti-Asian sentiment, sexism, and the intersections of racism and sexism in society. We hope that our own and others’ research on the prevention of violence and other issues around race and gender inequalities can help shed a light on how to swiftly end these inequities.
We close with a list of resources available for more immediate action, put together by the Chancellor’s Office and the Center for the Study of Prevention of Violence.
CU Boulder Support Resources
Reporting acts of discrimination:
Need to talk to someone? Campus support resources for students, faculty and staff
Share your thoughts with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement:
Explore anti-racism events, discussions and resources at CU Boulder:
- How to talk about what matters: Anti-Asian racism in the time of COVID
- Anti-Asian racism and COVID-19
- Anti-Asian discrimination amid pandemic spurs Jennifer Ho to action
- Unmask the Racism: CU students challenge anti-Asian racism through social media campaign
- Anti-Racism I – Coursera
- Inclusive Sports Summit
External resources:
Panel on Anti-Asian Violence, Silence, Race, and Patriarchy (organized by CU Boulder Ethnic Studies Department)
March 24, 2021 6-7:30 pm – https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/97956824956
Please join us for an engaged discussion with CU Boulder faculty and community activists on the horrific Atlanta murders of March 16th and the historic and ongoing violence(s) directed at the Asian/Asian American communities.
Featuring: Luna Beebe Ly (Asian Communities Together, CU alum); Irene V. Blair (Professor and Chair, Psychology & Neuroscience); Jennifer Ho (Director, Center for Humanities & The Arts, Professor, Ethnic Studies); Cheryl Jigashida (Associate Professor, English); Seema Sohi (Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies); & Invited Guests (TBA). Moderated by Nushant Upadhyay (Assistant Professor, Ethnic Studies).
