Yesterday, Tuesday, March 16, 2021, eight individuals, including six women of Asian descent, were senselessly murdered in several spa and massage parlors in the Atlanta area. While the gunman claims the attacks were not racially motivated, given the nature of the crime and the individuals targeted, the tremendous impact on the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander American (AAPI) community cannot be ignored. This attack is a part of an increase in violence against AAPI individuals and general anti-Asian sentiment and xenophobia targeted at the AAPI community since the beginning of the COVID-19 world pandemic. Stop AAPI Hate, a hate tracker created last year by several Asian American groups, has recorded more than 2,800 incidents of racism and discrimination targeting Asian Americans between March and December 2020.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of these individuals. Cowardice and fear continue to fuel racist and violent attacks against the AAPI community. Allegheny College unequivocally condemns these attacks and stands in solidarity with the AAPI individuals within the Allegheny community and beyond.
For students in need of additional support, we want to remind you of the resources available through the College, including our Counseling and Personal Development Center and the IDEAS Center. For employees in need of additional support, please reach out to Kristin Dukes, Dean for Institutional Diversity, via email at kdukes@allegheny.edu.
As a community, we must be mindful of the ways in which this type of racialized violence impacts us, in particular our AAPI community members. Offer compassion and support for one another where you can. Allow space in your classrooms, meetings, and daily operations for others to process and grieve these attacks. Provide opportunities for dialogue with one another. Connect with each other and collaborate on ways to hold and value one another. If you are interested in having/hosting a community dialogue about racialized violence against the AAPI community or a memorial to honor the victims, please reach out to Kristin Dukes, Dean for Institutional Diversity, via email at kdukes@allegheny.edu to collaborate on scheduling an event.