Statement Condemning Anti-Asian Violence

The Baruch College Writing Center stands against racism, misogyny, and white supremacy. We write, now, in response to the ongoing violence against Asian and Asian-American communities in the U.S., including the murder of six Asian women in Atlanta on March 16th.

Since January 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by 150% in the U.S. and 833% in New York City specifically. This rise in race-based violence—which has disproportionately targeted women and community elders—is the direct result of the brazen sinophobia, misogyny, and anti-Asian racism that has grown unchecked during the pandemic, and has, in many cases, been explicitly encouraged by politicians looking for scapegoats for their failure to protect the very communities being targeted. The constant threat of violence has made it impossible for many Asian New Yorkers to feel safe taking the subway, going to work or school, or simply existing in public space. In a year of compounding losses, a sense of safety has been yet another casualty.

This climate of fear also profoundly shapes the context of our work at Baruch, where 41% of students self-identify as Asian or Pacific Islander. In February 2020—even before COVID-19 had fully gripped the city—many of Baruch’s writing center consultants shared that their one-to-one sessions with East Asian students often turned to discussion of the violence that they were already experiencing as they commuted to campus or crossed neighborhoods for work. Because we work closely with students in a one-to-one setting, these discussions have only become more frequent and more heartbreaking over the past year. 

In denouncing anti-Asian violence, we also commit to redoubling our support and advocacy for Asian and Asian-American students, faculty, and staff at Baruch. We recognize that many Asian students have needed to steel themselves against this daily violence to be able to show up and learn, and that many Asian faculty and staff have taken on the emotional labor of helping others process these events, all while simultaneously experiencing and grieving them. 

In addition to supporting Baruch’s broader calls for solidarity and community, in our unique position as teachers of writing at Baruch, we also wish to recognize the inextricable link between racism and language. 

• We call on members of the Baruch community to acknowledge how responses to perceived language fluency—both written and spoken—can be discriminatory. Writing Center sessions often begin with consultants helping students process hurtful or dismissive feedback they’ve received about their writing; in many cases, this feedback reflects racialized perceptions about perceived English fluency. Even writers for whom English is a first language report anxiety about the assumptions that their peers, teachers, and neighbors hold about their ability to communicate and their sense of belonging. 
• When we respond to student writing, we always respond as well to the broader context in which students are living and studying. Even seemingly neutral assessments of students’ intelligibility can reinforce a climate of ostracization. As teachers ourselves, we call upon members of the Baruch community to recognize these links between language and racism and to acknowledge our shared responsibility for creating safe learning environments. 

At the Writing Center, we will expand our faculty-facing materials to provide more resources that guide supportive and affirming language feedback and continue to reflect on and revise our own approaches to ensure that we carry out our mission to support students and foster inclusive teaching.

Posted March 18, 2021