Several UC Berkeley alumni and faculty have shared their expertise and perspectives on racism against AAPI communities. These stories live at the intersection of academics and identity, and we invite you to read and listen to their contributions to the global dialogue.
Jerrine Tan ’11, Ph.D. writes about the Atlanta shootings, being Asian in America, and Asian womanhood.
The Atlanta Shootings Made Me Stop Gaslighting Myself (WIRED)
In a poignant essay, Jerrine Tan ’11, Ph.D. discusses the intersections of Asian womanhood in America and the struggle of the global Asian community to band together for solidarity.
UC Berkeley professor of Asian American studies Diane Fujino considers activist Yuri Kochiyama’s legacy and what solidarity and intersectionality can mean for all struggles.
Our Own People (NPR’s Throughline)
“[Yuri] always said and operated by the ethos that my people’s liberation is intricately linked to your people’s liberation. I cannot be free if you’re not free.”
Berkeley Public Health Dean Michael Lu speaks on the many forms anti-Asian racism takes.
Michael Lu: We must lift the veil on anti-Asian racism in America (Berkeley News)
“Make your voice heard. Tell your story. Share your experiences of racism. This is our moment to name it, confront it, shine a light on it. Our collective pain will remain invisible until we call it out,” says Berkeley Public Health Dean Michael Lu.
Former UC Berkeley professor of Asian American studies Dale Minami discusses the long history of anti-Asian sentiment and violence in the United States.
The History of Anti-Asian Sentiment in the US (NPR)
Is this moment one of change for the United States? Minami: “I think we have to change this whole culture to understand that reckoning of racism needs to be had in this country, and it includes Asian Americans.”
Anne Anlin Cheng Ph.D. ’94 speaks on the untold history of anti-Asian racism.
What This Wave of Anti-Asian Violence Reveals About America (New York Times)
“Two decades ago, I wrote in my book The Melancholy of Race that ‘we are a nation at ease with grievance but not with grief.’ We still are.”
Katrina Lee ’94, J.D. ’97 shares painful, everyday experiences.
San Francisco Bay Area Asian Americans share incidents of hate as violence surges in the community (ABC7 News)
The voice of Katrina Lee ’94, J.D. ’97 recounts personal stories of racial harassment—a reminder of what Asian Americans of all walks of life endure.
Are you writing or speaking about AAPI discrimination? We want to share your perspectives. Send us a note.
