Asian/Pacific American Network (APAN)
Statement April 5, 2021
APAN Statement on Violence and Racism Directed towards Asians and Asian Americans
We, the members of Foothill College’s Asian/Pacific American Network, are heartbroken, frustrated, and enraged with the increased anti-Asian racism taking place in our country.
The murders that took place in Atlanta were just one example of the escalated attacks on the Asian and Asian American community since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These attacks, both verbal and physical, have taken place all over the nation, including the San Francisco Bay Area.
We recognize that the hate and violence directed towards Asians and Asian Americans are rooted in White supremacy and racism that has been historically produced by U.S. imperialism. Repeatedly, our community gets blamed for economic or health crises due to stereotypes that depict us as “perpetual foreigners”, model minorities, spreaders of disease, and exoticized sexual objects. Furthermore, we are seen as a monolith rather than a multitude of diverse cultures. In 1875, the U.S. passed the Page Act which prohibited the importation of unfree laborers and women brought for “immoral purposes” but was enforced primarily against Chinese. This led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the only federal legislation that prohibited a specific nationality from immigrating to the United States. Alien Land Laws that were enacted in the early 1900s barred Asians from owning property in the US to prevent our ancestors from settling in the US. Executive Order 9066 authorized the Japanese internment camps during World War II, questioning the loyalty of Japanese American citizens. In 1982, two White men killed Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, on the eve of his wedding day in Detroit because they thought he was Japanese. These are but a few examples of the anti-Asian racism in this country. This violence demonstrates the frightening effects of racism, often compounded with misogyny.
Furthermore, the impacts of racism aimed at people of Asian heritage often pit communities of color against each other. We recognize, reject, and resist these tactics. Instead, we call for community, solidarity, education, and dialogue to make a safe environment for Asian Pasifika Islander Desi American community. We recognize that statements can be performative and that we need to be active in our commitment.
Therefore, we demand that the college take the following actionable steps:
- Disaggregate AAPI data.
- Challenge and speak out against stereotypes, including the Model Minority myth.
- Commit to learning about microaggressions, their harmful effects and how to help our AAPI students challenge and mitigate the effects of them.
- Raise awareness of mental health issues and destigmatize mental health concerns in the AAPI community.
- Commit to the continued development of Ethnic Studies courses and the Ethnic Studies program at Foothill.
- Continue to have professional development for faculty and classified professionals that is by people of color for people of color, identifying and compensating individuals.
- Recognize and acknowledge that employees of color are subject to cultural taxation in the form of unpaid work on equity, diversity, and inclusion work that benefits the college community at large. This labor often comes at a high emotional price to employees of color.
APAN Co-signers
Debbie Lee, Acting Dean of Fine Arts/Comm and Kinesiology/Athletics
David Marasco, Physics Instructor
Cara Miyasaki, Dental Assisting Program Director
Phuong Tran, Apprenticeship Program Coordinator
Ché Meneses, Communication Studies Instructor
Kai Chang, EOPS Specialist, Senior
Henry Jung, Admission & Records Coordinator, SR
Ariana Buccat, SFSC Program Coordinator, Sr.
Bubba Gong, Dance Director
Romeo B Paule, Bookstore Director
Debra Lew, Counselor/Instructor
Laurence Lew, Business Instructor
Julie Brown, Veterans Resource Specialist
Sophia Kim, Science Learning Institute Director
Akemi Ishikawa, Administrative Assistant, Online Learning
Clifton Der Bing, Psychologist & Instructor
Elaine Kuo, College Researcher Tilly Wu, EOPS Counselor
Matthew Litrus, Mathematics Instructor
Preston Ni, Communication Studies Instructor
Eta Lin, Psychology Instructor
Phuong Lam, Mathematics Instructor
Miloni Gandhi, Global Studies & Internship Instructor
Sandhya Rao, Chemistry Instructor
Katherine H. Lee, Teaching & Learning Center Program Coordinator
Ram Subramaniam, Dean of STEM Division
Xiujuan Wang, Physics/Engineering instructor
Teresa Ong, AVP Workforce & CTE
Voltaire Villanueva, Honors Institute Co-Coordinator & Counselor
Jordan C. Fong, Arts and Graphics & Interactive Design Instructor
Valerie Fong, Interim Dean, Language Arts and the Learning Resource Center
Truc Nguyen, Dental Administrative Assistant
Hao Pham, Enrollment Specialist II
Andy Lee, Counselor/Instructor
Stephanie Chan, English instructor
Pia Staana, Supervising Dentist, Dental Hygiene Program
Young Hee Park Lee, Math Instructor
Jue Thao, Counselor
