A Letter From the Dean March 2021

Standing together, in solidarity, against anti-Asian hate.

Dear MET Community,

I write to you once more in grief, dismay, and anger, heartsick by the violence of our world, the transparency of its causes, and the fear that so many are left to reckon with.

Rates of violence against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have surged in ways that are painful and upsetting. Sadly, the evidence tells us Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders have been less safe this year, women most especially—the hazards of a global pandemic freighted with an additional burden of being made to feel targeted in hatred.

Eight people died by shooting in and around Atlanta last week, six of whom were women of Asian heritage. First, we must acknowledge the victims: Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Yong Ae Yue. Elcias R. Hernandez-Ortiz was seriously injured. Our hearts are with them, and their mourning loved ones. We will continue to stand together against injustice and speak out not only against violence but against the root causes of xenophobia, racism, ignorant dismissal of unfamiliar cultures, lazy and convenient judgements, that tear on the human bonds that unite us.

MET is BU’s most diverse college, and we enjoy the beautiful benefits of an international community, at all levels. We are bonded by the pursuit of knowledge and improvement, and we are proudly global, many of us immigrants, rich for our experiences. Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Island individuals are an inseparable part of our roots, and so it is together our hearts grieve amid this troubling and trying time. We offer our strength and solidarity to those who have been made to feel less safe, less equal, or less than by these and other attacks. We recognize your concerns, today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and we are committed to doing all we can to help heal these deep wounds. As an immediate first response, I am working with MET’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to plan a conversation with students, faculty, and staff that will provide a safe space for support, open airing of difficult issues, and an opportunity to search for solutions.

The pains of this moment are all the sharper for the many fortunate reasons we should be feeling hopeful this once-in-a-lifetime spring. There is much to look forward to, but it has not been easy. We can all benefit from support and I encourage any who wish to utilize available counseling services; Student Health Services and Behavioral Medicine and Faculty & Staff Assistance Office. We also have compiled a list of regional and national resources on matters of anti-Asian American Pacific Island violence, included at the end of this message, for you to consider and explore. Most importantly we can rely on the strength and compassion of the MET Community. Please reach out to one another as you feel so appropriate—to be our best, we all need each other.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and ideas to help us build a better future for all.

Sincerely,

Tanya Zlateva
Dean, Metropolitan College

Regional and national resources on anti-Asian American Pacific Island violence: