No words can express the anger, sadness, and fear I am feeling in light of the recent violence and hate crimes against Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian-Americans — particularly against Asian women — taking place in the U.S, most recently the attacks in Atlanta, GA. As President Cauce recently posted, we must not let racism and anti-Asian hate threaten our community. The ISS staff and I send our thoughts to those who have lost members of their community, have been victims, or have been impacted by this violence and hate.
Our international student community here in Seattle and around the globe are the heart of our work. We strive to provide you with a safe community, resources, support, and understanding. We stand against hate, racism, xenophobia, and inequity. We will not tolerate any form of bigoty or discrimination. We, along with the entire UW community, must stand together and speak against this intolerance. We believe in education and the power of change. We will continue to support the international student community at the UW and raise our voices against racism and hate.
I also want to emphasize the importance of self-care during this time. This last year has been extremely challenging and has brought unprecedented uncertainty, anxiety, mistrust, disinformation, and violence in the U.S. and around the world. I encourage you to support one another, show compassion, and seek help. If you are a witness to hate crimes or a victim of racism, please speak up and report it. President Cauce’s post includes a list of resources, including the UW’s Bias Incident Reporting Tool to report incidents of bias or suspected incidents of bias. The UW School of Social Work has an excellent resource page to support victims, as well as resources to assist allies. In addition, ISS has a Campus Resource guide with links to Health & Student Support Resources, such as Safe Campus, CIRCLE, FIUTS, and the Counseling Center.
Sincerely,
Kim Lovaas
Director of International Student Services