Dear BCS Staff, Students, and Families,
During this past year, there has been a disturbing spike in anti-Asian violence and reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans. Most recently, there have been violent attacks against Asian elders on both coasts and just today, there was an anti-Asian assault in Manhattan.
As a community, BCS stands together against hatred. It is unacceptable to scapegoat and stereotype Asian people, and we must be very vigilant against the propensity to pit marginalized groups against each other.
As we begin our schoolwide expedition in Crew tomorrow using the Black Lives Matter at School curriculum, our allyship and advocacy against racism in all the ways it emerges in our country is close to our minds and hearts.
Here are some things we can do:
- Acknowledge that this is happening and reiterate that it is unacceptable to scapegoat and stereotype Asian Americans — we know this kind of dehumanizing leads to violence.
- Learn from coalition work: “Amid wave of violence, Asian American, Black Communities Build Coalitions”
- Educate yourself about how anti-Asian violence began to spike at the same time as the pandemic (“Coronavirus and Infectious Racism”). Learn about the diversity in the Asian community and make sure our curriculum is representative of Asian people
- Report an incident of anti-Asian hate at STOPAAPIHATE and help push for policy changes.
- Speak up against anti-Asian racism with your peers, teachers, and family members. As civil rights activist and Asian American Grace Lee Boggs said, “We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness.”
In solidarity,Scill, Imani, Tracey