Statement of Support for AAPI Community

The University of Utah’s Asian Studies Program, along with the International and Area Studies Programs, strongly condemn all acts of hate, racism, xenophobia and intolerance against members of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. We are appalled and angered by the March 16 murders in Georgia, which included six Asian American women victims.  We are also deeply troubled by the rise in racially-motivated verbal and physical assaults against Asians that have transpired in the midst of anti-Asian xenophobic rhetoric given voice during the COVID-19 pandemic. We extend our condolences and support to members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community here at the U and more widely.  The recent assaults upon the AAPI community represent an extension of long-standing anti-Asian bias and discrimination in U.S. culture and history which we must work collectively to confront and to end.  As a community of students and scholars seeking to embrace diversity, educate on Asian and Asian American histories, communities and cultures, and engage with international communities in order to create a more just, informed global citizenry, we stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and with all individuals and groups seeking to combat bigotry and racism in all its forms.