Dear Students,
Racism in any form is unacceptable. Last year, following the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans by police officers, our university community came together to affirm that Black Lives Matter. Action in support of Black Lives Matter is ongoing in our department, including revisions to our curriculum to better incorporate anti-racism.
Recently there has been a very disturbing increase in violence and harassment directed at Asian-Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. On behalf of the economics department, we condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms. We ask that you join us in opposing the rise of anti-Asian racism and affirm that our department community is one that welcomes and values people of all ethnicities and from all parts of the world, regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. It is important that we actively oppose racism in all its forms both individually and as a community, and that we actively support one another when such acts of violence and harassment make members of our community feel unsafe.
Here are some resources that may be helpful to you if you encounter or witness harassment, discrimination, or racist activity:
University Health and Counseling Service
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Office for University Equity and Compliance
and, for graduate students:
You should also feel free to contact any of us.
With best wishes,
Robert Triest, Department Chair
James Dana, PhD Program Director
Jun Ma, MS Program Director and Dean’s Leadership Fellow
Gustavo Vicentini, Undergraduate Program Director
