Condemning Asian and Asian American Violence

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Tuesday’s brutal and deadly attack by a white gunman in metropolitan Atlanta, which ended the lives of eight people—including six Asian women—is the latest in a series of extremely violent incidents against Asians and Asian Americans across this country. Begun largely by the xenophobic language used against members of this community at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans have grown nearly 150%.

Harvey Mudd College condemns racism and xenophobia in all forms, and as scientists, engineers and mathematicians, we are deeply troubled by the ignorant and xenophobic language that has been used against members of the Asian and Asian American community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that the ongoing violence, brought into sharp focus by Tuesday’s events, have left many of you feeling afraid and anxious. We are deeply sorry for the pain and anguish these events have caused you. We remain committed to our ongoing effort to build a safe and inclusive community for all who choose to study, work and live here.

Getting Help

There are a number of resources available to members of our community who need assistance:

• Faculty and staff who may be struggling during this time can use our Optum Employee Assistance Program or contact the Office of Human Resources.
• Students can reach out to:
  • The Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services Center,
  • Our telehealth counseling resources, which are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week, through 7C Health.
  • The Office of Institutional Diversity or any member of the staff in the Division of Student Affairs.

Learn More/Take Action

For allies and others in our community interested in learning more about this issue, there are a number of recent articles that may be of interest:

• “What you can do to fight violence and racism against Asian Americans” (PBS NewsHour)
• “The long history of US racism against Asian Americans, from ‘yellow peril’ to ‘model minority’ to the ‘Chinese virus’” (The Conversation)
• “What You Can Do About Anti-Asian Violence: ‘We Are Part of This Country,’ Activists Say” (Rolling Stone)
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice , Stop AAPI Hate, and Communities Against Hate – Report hate crimes or get access to additional resources and information.

Sincerely,

Maria Klawe, President
Karen Angemi, Director of the President’s Office and Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Thyra Briggs, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid
Andrew Dorantes, Vice President for Administration and Finance/Treasurer
Anna Gonzalez, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Timothy Hussey, Chief Communications Officer and Assistant Secretary to the Board
Hieu Nguyen, Vice President for Advancement
Lisa Sullivan, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty
Joseph Vaughan, Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Computing and Information Services