Department Statement Addressing Anti-Asian Violence

The news from Atlanta – where eight people were murdered on Tuesday evening, including six women of Asian descent – is yet another stark reminder of the toll that racism and misogyny takes on our society. This attack cut short individual lives and endangers the health and well-being of entire communities. We write to you now to acknowledge the grief and loss that their families, friends, and colleagues must bear.  

In our own spheres, we ask that you each find meaningful ways to join in solidarity with members of our community. Documented increases over the past year in crimes targeting Asian and Asian-American people compel us to denounce racism and xenophobia in whatever forms they take – microaggressions, bias, prejudice, stereotypes, tropes, scapegoating. The recent statement from UCSF leadership affirms the ongoing work of anti-racism within our community. 

Some of you may already be familiar with this thread, shared frequently online in the last few days. It lists actions (including some specific to the Bay Area), that people can take. If you want to read more about the history of violence directed at people of Asian descent, a recent essay by Hua Hsu, a faculty member at Vassar and staff writer at The New Yorker provides useful context: The Muddled History of Anti-Asian Violence (PDF of essay). Lok Siu, a UC Berkeley faculty member, offers insights on the social climate that contributes to anti-Asian sentiments during the pandemic in this interview with UC Berkeley's Campus News.

We also recognize that after a year of pandemic stressors, this and other recent incidents targeting Asians and Asian-Americans may surface feelings of outrage, fear, sadness, anxiety, exhaustion. As our organization works to address systemic racism, UCSF also offers resources to support individual well-being, including: 

• UCSF Peer Support Program  
• UCSF Faculty and Staff Assistance Program: (415) 476-8279 
• UCSF Coping and Resiliency Program