A Statement of Support for APIDA Communities from the School of Public Affairs

The School of Public Affairs stands with APIDA communities against racism and White supremacy

by Nora A. Leyva

March 24, 2021

The School of Public Affairs condemns the racist and White supremacist attack against Asian American women in Atlanta, GA on March 16, 2021. We join our country in mourning the eight lives taken during this tragedy. We also condemn the myriad of anti-Asian attacks against AAPI elders that have occurred recently. We join SDSU and the APIDA Center in pledging our support to the SDSU Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Community.

While we have seen an increase in anti-Asian attacks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to recognize our State and Country’s history of xenophobia and misogyny. As educators of future and current public servants, we acknowledge our responsibility in dismantling White supremacist and patriarchal systems that have ensured the continued disenfranchisement and oppression of APIDA communities and other communities of color. Moreover, we recognize our own role in the creation of said systems and commit to engaging in the necessary work to become true allies of marginalized communities.

Finally, we recognize how our own classrooms are spaces where marginalized and minoritized students encounter micro- and macroaggressions on a daily basis. We commit to continuing to work with our faculty and staff to ensure that the School of Public Affairs is a safe and equitable space. As faculty and staff, we commit to speaking up against injustices and racism. Please join our School, PSFA and SDSU in pledging our support to our APIDA communities. Go here to sign the #SDSUAPIDAPledge: https://sacd.sdsu.edu/diversity-initiatives/apida-pledge

In solidarity,

Sherry Ryan, Ph.D.

Director, School of Public Affairs

Nora Leyva, M.A.

Academic Adviser, School of Public Affairs

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.

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