The Duke Asian Alumni Alliance (DAAA) denounces any type of racism and violence that impacts our community. We are alarmed by the increasing number of incidents against Asian and Asian-Americans, and we are even more concerned with the silence that seems to accompany them. Silence is complicity, which compels us to issue this statement.  

Anti-Asian sentiments started in the mid-nineteenth century and have recently surged because of the coronavirus.  For example, last year in New York City, the NYPD reported that anti-Asian hate crimes increased 1900% (Donlevy, 2020). While that percentage increase alone is stunning, most hate crimes in this country are sadly underreported. Given limited national media coverage and corporate acknowledgement of this issue, we stand committed to providing education and dispelling the “Model Minority” stereotype, which contributes to a lack of empathy around violence Asians face. 

It is also important that we emphasize our solidarity with other communities, as our country addresses this issue. We must work together to educate each other and our law enforcement agencies to ensure that we are not exacerbating emotions with organizations that that have historically targeted, harmed, and killed members of other non-white communities. We stand with all who are committed to ending racism and stopping the spread of hate. We also call on the Duke community to stand in solidarity with classmates, friends, and colleagues who have been the targets of racism and xenophobia and to speak out against bigotry.

Donlevy, K. (2020, September 24). Anti-Asian hate crime jumps 1,900 percent. Queens Chronicle.