The statement below has been issued/endorsed by the following UCOP affinity groups:

• Asian Pacific Islander Staff Association (APISA)
• Black Leadership Alliance Council at the University of California (BLAC@UC)
• Black Staff and Faculty Organization (BSFO)
• Latino Staff Association (LaSA)
• Native American/Pacific Islander Staff Association (NAPISA)
• OP Staff Assembly (OPSA)
• President’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (PACSW)
• UCOP Pride

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To the UCOP community:

As many of you are aware, there has been an alarming increase in assaults against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community in our downtown Oakland neighborhood, the Bay Area, and across the nation. Hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans have increased by 150% in US metropolitan cities. Many of the targets have included the elderly, one of the most vulnerable populations within our communities. We strongly condemn the recent violent attacks against the Asian-American community and stand in solidarity with them against these hateful acts.

Referencing COVID-19 with ethnic and racialized names such as “China Virus” and “Kung Flu” has intensified anti-Asian harassment and violence while also laying bare racial and socio-economic inequities that have long existed in our society. Anti-Asian racism is connected to a broader system of white supremacy, xenophobic nationalism, economic anxiety and the scapegoating of vulnerable populations, which in some cases sow division between communities of color. We must work together and find collaborative solutions to address the underlying economic and political sources of these problems, which in many communities of color will not be solved with more police presence.

Here at UCOP, we, too, must face head-on our own collective bias and structures that uphold and sustain racial stereotypes and inequality. Each of us must do the work to rise above stereotypes and bigotry. We are committed to working together collectively, and as individuals, to find real solutions to address these problems. We remember that UC’s earliest roots can be traced to just a few blocks from Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood. We believe Asian-Americans are an integral part of the Office of the President’s cultural tapestry and the broader UC community, and we join their struggle for justice and against anti-Asian racism.

We are heartened by the actions already undertaken in the community to address the recent attacks including multiethnic protests condemning these heinous attacks, provision of chaperones for the elderly moving around in Oakland Chinatown, approval of state funding aimed at addressing the surge of hate and xenophobia directed towards Asian-Americans, and those fighting with their voices by issuing statements of support.

UCOP safety resources

For any employee concerned about their safety, below are some UCOP resources:

Request a security escort (Oakland)
Employees needing an escort to or from the Broadway/Franklin campus between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. should call the UCOP security desk 30 minutes before exiting the building at (510) 987-9790.

Get security alerts (UCOPAlert)
Register for UCOPAlert, an emergency notification system that allows UCOP employees to receive informational alerts on their personal phones or by personal email outside normal business hours about emergencies or other critical situations that affect the UCOP work environment.

Report a security issue or ask security-related questions
Please contact the following for assistance:

• Oakland (Broadway/Franklin campus): (510) 987-9790
• Sacramento: (916) 492-2881
• UCDC: (202) 947-6233
• UCPC: (951) 787-5020

Oakland community resources

We encourage all UCOP community members to learn more about local organizations that are researching and responding to Anti-Asian violence in Oakland:

• Stop AAPI Hate – Hub for reporting hate incidents and crimes in multiple Asian languages
• Compassion Oakland – Request a chaperone, or volunteer to chaperone others

Blog roll image by Tim Mossholder.

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