On Monday, Mar. 22, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Faith Engagement held a forum for students to discuss violence and hatred towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. It was held in the Newbold Auditorium, as well as over Zoom.
Eden Seo (junior, theology) was in charge of most of the preparation for the event and helped lead the discussion. He said, “The preparation of the event started with Chaplain Danielle Pilgrim, Chaplain Jose Bourget, and Micheal Nixon, vice president for Diversity & Inclusion, reaching out to me and other Asian club leaders on campus. We had a short meeting where we discussed the importance of this event and how we should formulate the discussion. They gave us a lot of space to organize it in the way we wanted to.”
Mr. Nixon began the event with an urge for everyone to work together against racism and bigotry. Then, Chaplain Jose prayed. Mr. Seo opened the discussion with results of a survey which AAPI club members had participated in. He noted that about 78% of those who responded have experienced racial bias in America. In person, there were open microphones for students to share their stories and ask questions. Several spokespeople for AAPI clubs shared stories submitted to them, told their own stories, and answered the questions of those attending.
Nicole Evangelista (junior, biology), a student who attended over Zoom, said, “I thought the forum created a neccessary space for the AAPI community to be honest about the discrimination and racism we face. I believe our struggles are down-played since we are seen as the ‘model minority,’ and we tend to keep quiet since we want to fit into society.” She also commented, “A great point was brought up by a former Andrews Filipino International Association officer, who stated that the AAPI community has been a victim of hypocrisy on our campus as we were told to censor our cultural dances for a co-curricular event, despite having only one night a year dedicated to celebrating ou r history and culture. While Andrews University celebrates a diverse campus, the AAPI community includes numerous cultures, and each of them deserve to be celebrated equally. We need to embrace every culture in our fight against racism. I’d like to see a response or statement not only from Michael Nixon, but also from the university and president themselves that show support [for the AAPI community] and condemn the atrocities that continue to perpetuate [in] our society.”
Another student who joined via Zoom, Taylor Belleza (senior, psychology), “As an Asian American, I’m glad that the university gave members of the AAPI community a safe space to speak up about their experiences with prejudice. It deeply hurt me to know that my peers, and even friends, have faced such discrimination, but it was also cathartic to realize that I am not the only one. We may have been hurt as individuals, but we can heal as a community.” Additionally, she shared, “I think how the faculty representing Andrews responded to criticism against the university’s handling of AAPI issues is also important. I am glad that rather than dismissing the problems, they were uplifting. The next step is to take that criticism to heart and work to do better. I need to see proof that they truly heard the students, rather than just listened.”
Overall, it was a very productive conversation, and many of the people present expressed appreciation for being given the opportunity of a space to share their stories and receive support. Mr. Seo commented, “It was great to see the response and involvement of many students who had been waiting for a discussion like this to be had. It felt like a safe space for Asian American and Pacific Islander students to finally share what was on our hearts.” Since we will not be in school during May, which is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Proximity Vespers will be holding an AAPI heritage vespers on April 9. Several other events are also in the process of being planned, such as an AAPI chapel and Sabbath afternoon event. Be sure to look for more information about those events.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.