Below is a message from our medical students who are part of APAMSA:
Dear members of the Cooper and CMSRU communities,
On January 28th, 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, a Thai American, was murdered while on his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco.
On February 3rd, a 64-year-old Vietnamese grandmother was assaulted and robbed in San Jose in broad daylight.
That same day, Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino-American, was slashed across the face on a subway in Manhattan.
On March 16th, 8 people were murdered by a white terrorist who deliberately targeted Asian-owned massage parlors in Georgia; 6 of the victims were Asian women. These are the names of the victims we know so far:
Xiaojie Tan, 49
Daoyou Feng, 44
Julie Park, 70s
Hyeon Jeong Park, 50s
Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33
Paul Andre Michels, 54
Two names yet unreleased
Our hearts go out to all victims of such anti-Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) acts of violence that have been increasing in number since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stop Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Hate, a non-profit formed in response to the increase in anti-APIA discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported over 2000 anti-APIA aggressions since the start of 2020, not including the numerous anti-APIA incidents that go unreported. Silence only normalizes the anti-APIA hate speech and behavior that has been perpetuating, even in the media, since early last year. The most recent crime has been described by the media as motivated by the perpetrator’s “bad day” and “sexual addiction,” as though this were an isolated incident rather than a racially motivated one. Furthermore, being silent exacerbates the model minority myth – that the APIA community is assumed to be a monolith, “well-behaved,” and generally wealthier, healthier, and more educated. This erases the concerns that many members of the APIA community face: economic suffering and disproportionate mortality from COVID-19; mental health crises and stigma; and racist violence and police brutality.
In light of the recent crimes against the APIA community, we, the CMSRU chapter of APAMSA, denounce all acts of violence against our community as well as oppose racism in all of its forms against all marginalized peoples. Each and every one of us plays an essential role in working to dismantle oppressive systems. We appreciate the support provided by CMSRU and encourage CMSRU to continue the fight and keep this learning community a safe environment for all. We urge our allies to show solidarity to APIA communities by condemning all forms of anti-APIA aggression. We encourage you to reach out to your fellow APIA community members, and want to remind you that the APAMSA Chapter of CMSRU is ready to lend a listening ear and/or helping hand to anyone at any time. Additional resources can be found on this webpage, including reporting options and mental health services: https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
In Solidarity,
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Chapter of CMSRU
Nisa Mohammed | mohamm74@rowan.edu
Sruthi Srinivasan | sriniv52@rowan.edu
Long Ting Shao | shaolo29@rowan.edu
Avish Patel | patela86@rowan.edu
Arushi Agarwal | agarwa88@rowan.edu
Belle Lin | linbel92@rowan.edu