History Department
The History Department at Union College is appalled by the recent increase of violent, racially and sexually motivated hate crimes throughout the nation. The attacks on members of the Asian American, Asian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities - such as those witnessed during the pandemic, in Atlanta on March 16, and subsequently elsewhere - are only the most recent examples. We are heartbroken for the loved ones and communities affected by the Atlanta attack. We recognize further that the atmosphere of fear caused by these hate crimes affects the Union College community directly, and we stand in solidarity with our AAPI students, faculty, and staff, as well as with students, faculty, and staff of color, LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff, and those who belong to ethnic and religious minorities, who have been the targets of racially motivated and bigoted violence.
As historians, we recognize that this most recent wave of attacks builds on a long pattern of United States citizens, institutions, and laws targeting Asian Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders for discrimination and violence. We also recognize that the Atlanta murders are a product of not just racialized hatred, but of a particular form of sexualization and violence against Asian American, Asian, and Pacific Islander women that is a product of such discrimination. We believe that our communities must take a hard look at this history in order to protect each other and stand in solidarity against hatred.
If you are a victim of bias-related incidents or hate crimes or are suffering from these traumas in any way, please reach out to Union's various resources, including the Eppler-Wolff Counseling Center, our Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Intercultural Affairs, Campus Safety or the Bias Awareness, Support and Education Team. Union College members can also learn more about these issues, and report a hate crime online at Stop AAPI Hate (currently offline, see here), Anti-Asian Violence Resources, and Stand Against Hatred.
-The Faculty of Union College's History Department