We Stand with Our AAPI Communities

By 
Lesley M. Hallick, President

Pacific University is a community dedicated to anti-racism and justice, and we firmly condemn hate and violence of all forms. This includes the recent acts of violence against the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. 

We have watched as this horrific rise in violence against AAPI communities across the U.S. has resulted in the deaths of individuals from the Bay Area to Atlanta. We are grieving these losses along with the rest of the country. 

We recognize the immense emotional toll and trauma these continued events of anti-Asian violence have on members of our community, especially when experienced in addition to the global pandemic and ongoing racial violence in the United States. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic an increase in xenophobia, anti-Asian racism, discrimination, and hateful rhetoric have been used to fuel violence against AAPI. According to new numbers just released by @StopAAPIHate, the group has received more than 3,795 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021. A July 2020 Pew Research Center survey reports that 3 in 10 Asian Americans (31%) report having experienced racial slurs or racist jokes since the beginning of the pandemic.

Our immediate focus is ensuring that our AAPI community here at Pacific feels supported and safe. Our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, along with Hawai'i Outreach & Programming and the Student Multicultural Center, remain available to anyone who needs additional support at this time. Our Student Counseling Center (for students) and EAP Program at Cascade Centers (for employees) also maintain a 24-hour crisis line that is available to anyone: 

  • SCC 24/7 Support & Crisis Line: 503-352-2999
  • BIPOC Let’s Talk: Mondays 1-2 p.m. and Wednesdays noon to 1 p.m. 
  • Lines for Life Racial Equity Support Line: 503-575-3764 
  • The Steve Fund provides trained crisis counselors to support the mental health of students of color: Text STEVE to 741741
  • Cascade Centers Employee Assistance Program: 800-433-2320

Furthermore, if you experience bias or hate of any kind while at Pacific, please report it immediately at pacificu.edu/BiasReport. 

Our hearts are with the grieving families of those lost to these racist acts of violence and to all those who are heartbroken,  

Lesley M. Hallick
President

 

Additional Resources

If you or your family need additional support or community resources, please contact our Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at oedi@contact.pacificu.edu.

We are including a brief list of organizations who are devoted to covering these developing situations, who can provide better information and ways to support, below. We encourage you to reach out to them for more information and ways to support the AAPI community. If you have additional organizations you’d like to share, please leave their names in the comments for others. 

Stop AAPI Hate (@stopaapihate), a national coalition aimed at addressing anti-Asian discrimination amid the pandemic, was founded by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department.

APANO (@apanonews), The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon is a statewide, grassroots organization, uniting Asians and Pacific Islanders to achieve social justice. We use our collective strengths to advance equity through empowering, organizing and advocating with our communities.

Also on social media:
@napawf_atl @asianaaf @asiansformentalhealth

Wednesday, March 17, 2021