UCLA Statements to Stop Asian Hate

In the wake of the Atlanta tragedy on March 16 and the growing anti-Asian violence plaguing the country since the onset of the pandemic, various groups within the UCLA community came out with statements expressing their solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community to #StopAsianHate. See excerpts from their statements below; click on the link to read the full message.

Chancellor Gene Block

Feb. 17

“The past year has been marked by a disturbing number of occurrences of anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander bias and violence in the United States. The organization Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate recorded more than 2,800 hate incidents throughout the nation in 2020 — and those are just the ones that were reported. These incidents not only cause anxiety for many in our community, they are also painful reminders of the long, sad history of anti-Asian discrimination in California and the US.”

Chancellor Gene Block and Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Anna Spain Bradley

March 19

“Today, with a heavy heart, we write you in the aftermath of another horrific attack. In Georgia earlier this week, eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, were murdered by a gunman. We grieve with the friends and families of the victims and all those who are feeling vulnerable and attacked. Time and again, particularly over the past year, we have seen too many groups targeted and subjected to violence. We know that racism, misogyny and hatred harms us all…We must all recognize our shared humanity and support one another.”

Asian American Studies Department, Asian American Studies Center, and the Center for the Study of Women Joint Statement

March 18

“We cannot ignore how this senseless act of hatred is rooted in both racism and sexism. We condemn this violence and join the calls for transformative justice and change…Together we can find pathways to action, from stopping the spread of racist rhetoric to addressing the proliferation of firearms. As educators, we specifically call for schools to critically evaluate their role in preparing the next generation to address racial, gender and class inequality and violence. We recommit ourselves to building solidarity with others on this road to justice.”

UCLA Alumni Association

March 18

“As leaders of the UCLA Alumni Association, we express our heartfelt condolences to all who have been affected by these acts of hate. We strongly condemn these violent acts of hatred and ask that we, as an alumni community, stand together to combat racism. Let’s live out our True Bruin values by acknowledging, amplifying and denouncing the ongoing anti-Asian hate crimes. Let’s combat racism through care for one another, civic engagement, financial support and leadership in our spheres of influence. In this critical moment, we call upon you, our alumni community, to take action by supporting the organized efforts of the Stop AAPI Hate Initiative.”

Diverse Alumni Communities

March 30

“These incidents of racially charged violence are not isolated. Acts of domestic terrorism motivated by white supremacy have riddled the past decade, from the murder of nine Black Americans at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, to a shooting rampage in an El Paso, Texas Wal-Mart that specifically targeted the Latinx community and resulted in the deaths of 23 people. Slack justice systems have further failed to name the root of this violence and fully hold the perpetrators accountable. In March 2020, Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician who was shot in her own home by law enforcement, still has yet to have those police officers charged for her death. This needs to end.”

UCLA Alumni Diversity Programs & Initiatives

March 16

“Personally, from a conflicted and heavy heart, I want to simply say this: I hear you. I see you. I am here with you…We come to this work, not only as professionals, but with personal commitments to addressing oppression and fighting for social justice. I may not have the solution, but I know, as Bruins, we can find them together.”

Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA

March 20

“For too long, AAPI voices have been silenced or ignored. Our existence has been marginalized, viewed as foreign, and stereotyped as submissive, hyper-sexualized and demasculinized. Popular media, public officials and the education system perpetuate these corrosive narratives and it must stop.”

UCLA Black Alumni Association

March 18

“The UBAA decries any form of racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic attacks upon members of the UCLA community and beyond. We urge all people of good will to stand in solidarity with the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and to act as true allies during these tumultuous times.”

UCLA Lambda (LGBTQ) Alumni Association

March 30

“The pain of our Asian American Pacific Islander siblings is deeply, intrinsically linked to our broader LGBTQ+ community conditions. It will take us all; standing in solidarity, decrying acts of violence and engaging in honest conversation; to abolish [the systems caused by] white supremacy and deeply care for one another.”

Bruin Professionals

March 31

“At Bruin Professionals, we stand against the recent anti-Asian attacks and condemn all racial bigotry and prejudice. Our thoughts and condolences go out to those that have been affected by these horrible crimes.”

UCLA Staff Assembly

March 19

“As an organization that is “for staff, by staff” we strive to create an inclusive community where everyone feels welcome and safe. We denounce racism and xenophobia in all forms. UCLA Staff Assembly stands in solidarity with our AAPI community and those who have been traumatized or hurt by these violent, racist acts.”

UCLA Anderson School of Management

March 17

“While there are no easy answers or solutions, we hope this page can serve as a helpful first step — as we all stand up for one another, and work together in the spirit of learning and healing.”

UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture

March 19

“While we have a long way to go and there is much work to do, we have placed a commitment to dismantling all forms of racism at the center of our school’s mission. This is a moment to underscore that commitment and to overtly state that this work seeks to address all forms of racism, violence and discrimination and to look for ways to make our school more diverse and inclusive.”

UCLA Arts

March 16

“We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and denounce the escalation of anti-Asian racism and violence. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims in Georgia. We must all stand united against hate and white supremacy.”

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

March 18

“We know that for many of us this tragic news hits close to home and may provoke sadness, anger and also anxiety. We express our heartfelt condolences to all who have been affected by these acts of hate. If needed, we encourage you to seek support to assist with coping and facilitating healing during these troubling times.”

UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Science

March 18

“I can think of nothing more important in my first message to you [as your new dean] than to speak out against the discrimination, hate and acts of violence that we are witnessing across the nation – and to commit our school to steadfastly fight and struggle against racism wherever it is found…As a first priority, we are moving forward immediately on expanding this important work towards greater parity and justice for our most underserved communities.”

UCLA Labor Studies

March 19

“We in Labor Studies stand in solidarity with this call, and we will redouble our efforts to confront violent rhetoric and action with purposeful organizing and teaching for justice.”

UCLA Life Sciences

March 20

“The failure to name these acts as hate incidents exacerbates the anguish and anger of a community whose experience with oppression and violence has been ignored or denied. The Life Sciences community stands in solidarity with our Asian American Pacific Islander colleagues, students, staff, friends as we reject this and all forms of hatred. But “standing in solidarity” is not a passive act. We must commit to using our voices to speak out in coalition against all forms of racism and embrace our roles as allies.”

UCLA International Institute

March 18

“We are horrified and saddened by the Atlanta shootings and other attacks in California, New York and elsewhere. Our thoughts are with those directly or indirectly affected by these attacks, and we encourage members of the UCLA community to consult these resources on anti-Asian discrimination.”

UCLA Library

March 17

“The Library is heartbroken over last night's horrific mass shooting in Georgia. We denounce the rise of anti-Asian racism and violence in the U.S. and stand with the AAPI community.”

UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights

March 17

“We are as horrified as everyone else by the violence in Georgia yesterday and stand in solidarity with the Asian community in the United States, and those made vulnerable by toxic ideologies everywhere. We have much work still to do, America.”

Vietnamese Student Union and GlobeMed at UCLA

March 21

“The Vietnamese Student Union and GlobeMed at UCLA condemn the alarming rise in hate crimes against the Asian and Pacific Islander community and declare our solidarity with all of those who have been victims of this violence, including those whose lives were most recently taken in Atlanta, Georgia.”

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Learn more on how you can be an ally with these Resources on Anti-Asian Discrimination and by supporting the Stop AAPI Hate Initiative.