The Committee

Standing with our Asian/Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

We are outraged and horrified by the recent spate of violent attacks against Asian Americans in the United States. Although our country has a long history of intolerance against Asian Americans, the recent attacks in Georgia also reveal a toxic mix of sexism and racism that is unique to the history of sexual imperialism that emerged during WWII. We stand in solidarity with our Asian American sisters and brothers those who have been victims of these vicious attacks, and we pray that all members of our community remain safe during these trying times.

Resources and Ways to Support the Asian and AAPI Community

Learn: Stop AAPI Hate Report is a national report on incidences of xenophobia and bigotry against the Asian and AAPI people made possible by a collaboration between the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University.
Movement Hub.org: UCLA's centralized platform created to amplify the on-the-ground activism and organizing within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the country.

 
Support: List of mental health resources from the Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge Community.

Act: List of action items to support the Asian and AAPI community from Stop Asian Hate.

Black Lives Matter: Our Promise to the Class of 2020 & Our Community

To the Class of 2020: 

The UCLA International Institute stands unequivocally against the egregious and disproportionate violence faced by black people in America and the systemic disenfranchisement and oppression of marginalized communities across the world. As the home of international studies on the UCLA campus, it is the Institute’s mission to embolden people to connect on their shared humanity and think transnationally and across borders. Yet, these past few weeks have humbled and reminded us of our duty to listen to our community so that we can learn how to be the ally that they deserve in this moment and beyond. 

The tragedy of George Floyd’s death, which was only the latest in a succession of incidents of police brutality against black people, has sparked worldwide demonstrations of solidarity from Mexico City to Karachi to Seoul. Floyd’s untimely murder at the hands of the police resonates deeply in part because the story of US police brutality, unfortunately, is an international one. Anti-racism activists across the world have seen US protests as a beacon of hope that speak to conditions of structural racism and inequality in their own countries. To name just a few examples, Brazilians marched in honor of João Pedro Mattos Pinto, a 14-year-old killed by the police, just as Australians marched with placards demanding justice for aboriginal deaths in police custody. 

We are inspired to see Black Lives Matter flourish globally and find allies in other movements just as important police reforms are underway in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and across the US. A few reforms will not solve the problem of structural racism, however. We must continue to examine our own role within the systems that perpetuate racial inequalities and injustices. We must remain vigilant and serve as witnesses to ensure that change continues locally and globally. 

As Alexis de Tocqueville has said, “The greatness of America lies in not being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.”  As we celebrate the Class of 2020, we are committed to ensuring that black students, staff and faculty in our community—and everyone who has been made to feel othered, vulnerable and marginalized—feel appreciated, respected, seen, and heard during this transformative moment in US history. We will continue to learn from you and work with you so that, “We stand with you,” are not mere empty words but a promise to create safe and inclusive spaces in which we thrive together.

In Community, 

The UCLA International Institute Committee for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Resources: 

UCLA EDI Office’s Resources for Racial Trauma

USC Library’s Anti-Racist Pedagogy Guide
 
Black Minds Matter: Previously recorded public course with the goal of raising awareness on issues facing Black boys and men in educational institutions led by Dr. Jonathan Woods (San Diego University). Description of the course and syllabus can be found here. Video recordings of each session can be found here.
 
Black Lives Matter Syllabus offers teaching guides and resources developed by Frank Roberts (NYU) 

Published: Wednesday, June 10, 2020