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Biddeford

Statement in Solidarity with UNE’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community

Asian support statement

Dear UNE Community,

On Tuesday, a horrific act of violence occurred in our country when a man killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in a mass shooting at three spas in Atlanta. These murders bring to the forefront the overt racism and hate many Asian Americans have experienced over the course of the last year. 

Asian Americans are experiencing increasing racism and hate crimes at alarming rates. An analysis by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino found that hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent in 16 of America’s largest cities rose by nearly 150% in 2020. Such crimes are not just happening in major cities; sadly, they also touch our local communities. On Monday, an Asian woman and her children were sitting in their car in Portland, not far from one of our campuses, when a man harassed her with racist remarks and damaged her car. 

The unsettling truth is that racist violence is on the rise, fueled in part by extremely divisive political rhetoric. This is truly terrifying for all of us who strive to create a world rooted in equity and justice, united by our common humanity. 

We stand with the Asian American and Pacific Islander members of our community. We see you, we acknowledge the fear that you are living with, and we stand against any act of racism or hate against you. We are committed to supporting you, and I call on all members of our community to speak up and actively fight against racism wherever you encounter it.

If anyone in our community needs support during this time, I hope you will take advantage of the resources that are available. 

Sincerely,

James D. Herbert

President

 

For students:

Student Counseling: https://www.une.edu/studentlife/counseling 

Intercultural Student Engagement: https://www.une.edu/ise 

 

For employees:

Employee Assistance Program: https://www.une.edu/hr/benefits/employee-assistance-program 

 

National resources: 

Stop AAPI Hate reporting site: https://stopaapihate.org/

Stand Against Hatred reporting site: https://www.standagainsthatred.org

Asian Americans Advancing Justice: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/anti-asian-hate

Asian American Organizing Project http://aaopmn.org/

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.