Solidarity Statement:
We Stand with Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Communities
The Rhetoric Society of America (RSA) Student Chapter at SDSU acknowledges that members of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) communities are hurting due to the increasing anti-Asian hate-motivated attacks across the nation. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of these communities have been blamed for the virus, largely in part due to the racist and erroneous references to COVID-19 as the “China Virus” and “Kung Flu.” This anti-Asian, racist rhetoric has resulted in murders and bodily harm to members of these communities in our city, state, and nation.
We condemn anti-Asian violence and stand in solidarity with the survivors, victims, and their families during this challenging time. While we understand that there are many more people whose names and experiences we do not know, we acknowledge these victims:
- 84-year-old Thai-American Vicha Ratanpakdee, who died from injuries sustained after being pushed to the sidewalk while taking his morning walk in San Francisco, California.
- 61-year-old Filipinx-American Noel Quintana, who was slashed in the face during an unprovoked subway confrontation in New York City.
- A 91-year-old man who was shoved to the ground in Oakland’s Chinatown.
- 74-year-old Filipinx-American Juanito Falcon, who died after being punched in the face while out on his morning walk in Phoenix, Arizona.
- A 61-year old Chinese-American man who was attacked and spat on while jogging in Chicago, Illinois.
- 30-year-old Filipinx-American Navy veteran, Angelo Quinto, who died after an officer knelt on his neck for several minutes while Quinto was handcuffed in Antioch, California.
- 19-year-old Chinese-American Christian Hall, who was shot and killed by Pennsylvania police after a call for help had been made for him. His hands were in the air when he was shot in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- 75-year-old Asian-American Pak Ho, who died from injuries sustained after being robbed and shoved to the ground during his daily morning walk in Oakland, California.
- Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Kim, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng who were most recently murdered in Atlanta, Georgia.
We acknowledge that these are not new or isolated incidents, and that they are reflections of white supremacy and the ongoing racial prejudices towards APIDA communities. These residents deserve to live, work, and study in communities where they feel safe, free of racism, discrimination, intolerance and violence.
In remembrance of the victims and in honor of their families, we urge the SDSU community
to take action and stop Asian hate:
Get Involved on Campus:
- Support the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center
- Pledge to create a welcoming and safe climate for APIDA Communities
- Follow APIDA on Instagram (@sdsuapidacenter)
- Participate in and use the SDSU APIDA Center’s #RISEwithAPIDA campaign on social media
Get Involved Locally:
- Union of Pan Asian Communities
- The Asian Business Association
- The Karen Organization of San Diego
- AAPI-owned Businesses throughout San Diego
- San Diego API Coalition
Support AAPI Organizations:
- Donate to the “Stop Asian Hate: Together, We Can Make a Difference” GoFundMe that supports the following organizations:
Participate in Intervention Trainings:
- Safety Tips for Experiencing and Witnessing Hate
- Guide to Bystander Intervention
- Harassment Training
On behalf of RSA at SDSU and the RWS Department, we would like all of our community members—especially those who identify as APIDA—to know that we see you, hear you, and support you.
To learn more, please visit anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co.