Friends, Antiochians,

The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. During this month, may we take both time and space to listen and learn from the diverse AAPI communities, celebrating these continued contributions to our shared culture and history.

Here at Antioch, we continue to look at the manifestations of racism within a Western and Americanized scope, as well as through a transnational lens; paying particular attention to how we as individual persons contribute to systems and ideologies that profiteer on the continued erasure and exploitation of marginalized communities. In a 2020 study, the Center for Study of Hate and Extremism (CSUSB) reported that anti-Asian hate crimes rose to nearly 150%, while overall hate crimes dropped 7%.

With those of Asian descent continuing to be targeted, it’s not enough to stand in solidarity. We should actively offer support to become confidants, collaborators, and true allies to those on the outside of our lived realities, and we should be working towards a level of equity that includes self-education and an openness to accept feedback.

The lived realities of many in this country should not evoke “minor feelings,” but instead should be viewed as a blueprint from which we are all able to grow.

Stay tuned for programming tailored around AAPI heritage. We hope that you’ll join us in celebration of this momentous month as we offer solidarity to those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.

Our best, always,

Shadia Alvarez ’96, KaDae Brockington ’22, Clarence Allen ’23, Niah Kiester ’24, Will Rice ’24, Maddy Stephenson ’24, and Romel Phillips ’24