UTA Libraries Statement of Support for the AAPI Community

Maverick family,

On March 17, 2021, we witnessed violent attacks on Asian American women in Atlanta, Georgia. These attacks have prompted a much needed, broader conversation about the ongoing targeted harassment and violence faced by members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, particularly in the last year.

Some important statistics to consider include:

• 3,795 hate incidents were received by the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center from March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021^[1]
• 31% of Asian Americans polled reported having experienced racist jokes or slurs since the beginning of the pandemic^[2]
• Anti-Asian hate crimes reported to the police in 16 major U.S. cities increased 145% in 2020^[3]

It is essential that we denounce these acts of violence and hate. It is on us to demand better from ourselves and our community—we must reject discrimination and interrogate biases that lead to violence, big and small.

We at UTA Libraries stand with and support our AAPI students, faculty, and staff. We are also here to bear witness to your experiences so we can learn to make our spaces even more inclusive for all.

Thank you for trusting us to serve you. We look forward to participating in the virtual town hall on March 29.

Yours,

Dean Rebecca Bichel

^[1] https://secureservercdn.net/104.238.69.231/a1w.90d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210312-Stop-AAPI-Hate-National-Report-.pdf

^[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/07/01/many-black-and-asian-americans-say-they-have-experienced-discrimination-amid-the-covid-19-outbreak/

^[3] https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%20rev%203.21.21.pdf