Statement of solidarity with our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander community
Dear ATS and CIRA community,
Over the past several years, we have witnessed the terrible trend of violence targeted against individuals in our community. From the recent attack in Boulder, which we are still seeking to understand, to the shootings in Atlanta, whose motives we understand all too well, we behold these terrible actions, and their aftermath, which we all must collectively bear. We further note that anti-Asian sentiment and violence has increased nationwide in the form of verbal harassment online or in person, and in the form of actual physical attacks, including the horrific tragedy in Atlanta that took the lives of eight individuals, including six Asian women. We abhor and condemn any action that seeks to neglect, disrespect, or abuse our Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAAPI) colleagues.
As with so many of the events of this past year, these actions continue to highlight the fact that racism and gender-crimes are long-standing systemic issues in the U.S. The Department of Atmospheric Science and CIRA stand in solidarity with our AAAPI community members. Hand-in-hand with our research activities, our AAAPI community forms valuable and real partnerships and friendships, and as such, is an integral component of our academic, professional, and personal lives within ATS and CIRA.
We hear the voices of our AAAPI community members who have informed us that they feel unseen or unrecognized. While not all of us have personally felt the sting of racist and intolerant behavior, we know it exists, and we see you. We are here for you. Moving forward, we will work with you to ensure that you know you are a welcomed, valued, and critical part of our community.
CSU has started taking action, which ATS and CIRA support, including the following steps led by the University Vice President for Diversity:
- Giving to the CSU Asian Pacific American Cultural Center;
- Supporting local Asian-owned businesses, many of which have seen a decline in business since the start of the pandemic;
- Supporting nonprofits like Stop AAPI Hate and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Our ATS and CIRA community fully supports these activities and share the sentiment in the message shared with the entire university by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity. Moving forward, we at ATS and CIRA want to work with you to find more ways to strengthen our community, and we encourage you to contact us, your student or staff representatives, or the ATS/CIRA DEI committee with concerns, thoughts, and ideas. The DEI committee is planning to provide a safe space for AAAPI students, staff, and faculty to process these events. We will keep you posted.
In the meantime, if you are hurting or need help, please do not hesitate to seek out the many resources CSU offers to everyone in our community. Students can visit the Mental Health Resources for Students page and faculty and staff can visit the Employee Assistance Program page.
We all recognize that the shootings in Atlanta are tragic, but they may impact us differently. You are not alone; we have resources to help you.
Jeff Collett, ATS department head
Eric Maloney, ATS associate department head
Chris Kummerow, CIRA director
ATS/CIRA DEI Committee members:
Julieta Juncosa Calahorrano
Charlotte DeMott
Emily Fischer
Leah Grant
Dave Randall
Sagar Rathod
Matt Rogers
Alex Sokolowsky
Sarah Tisdale
Melissa Burt