Asian Lunar New Year

15 February 2021

Dear campus community,

As many of our Spartan community celebrate the Asian Lunar New Year and the Year of the Ox, I am writing to express my wishes that you and your family have time to safely gather, connect, and reflect. The days-long celebration of the Asian Lunar New Year is a time of renewal and connection with family and friends that many look forward to all year. It is a time when great hope is expressed for the new year even as we reflect on the challenges we have had with loss and our lives disrupted by the pandemic in so many different ways. 

In the midst of this time of rituals of renewal and looking forward, I want to express my and our campus leadership’s support for solidarity with our diverse Asian Pacific American and Desi American (APIDA) communities. At the same time, I must express my concern and alarm at the recent sharp rise in incidents of violence, hate, and targeting of Asian Americans in this country. In the Bay Area, in particular, where many of our campus community and their families live and visit, we have witnessed  a deadly attack in San Francisco of an elderly Thai American man and another attack of an elderly Asian American woman who was robbed and assaulted in San José. There have been still more violent attacks in Oakland’s Chinatown in recent weeks. 

These attacks come on the heels of a year where there has been a sharp steep resurgence in anti-Asian hate incidents reported in the United States, attacks attributed to the rise in xenophobia and racist blame for the pandemic against those of Asian descent fueled by public racist rhetoric. It is reassuring to know that the Biden Administration signed an Executive Order on January 26, 2021 decrying and addressing systemic change on xenophobia, hate incidents and racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. But, this work must continue on both a local and national level.

At San José State University, we also decry systemic xenophobia and racism against our APIDA communities. We know that these incidents affect our campus climate and sense of belonging. Creating an environment that celebrates the richness of our racially and ethnically diverse community is one of our most important priorities. Our overall work on systemic racism reflects our core values of equity and inclusion and the mission of our university to support our students, staff, and faculty so that everyone can thrive and grow. And, although this work is made harder by our need to work and learn remotely, it is work that we will continue to do. 

Please join me in taking a moment to reflect on the Asian Lunar New Year as a time of renewal in family and community. May all of our Spartan friends and families connect and hold each other in community at San Jose State University.  

Sincerely,

Kathy Wong(Lau)

Chief Diversity Officer

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If you are a student and would like to connect with the APIDA Task Force on campus please email MOSAIC@sjsu.edu. For information on future APIDA events follow them on Instagram @sjsuapida.

If you would like to connect to the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association or APIFSA please email them at sjsuapifsa@gmail.com.

If you are the target or witness xenophobic or racist exclusion on campus, in the classroom or with university related activities, there are resources on our campus to report these incidents. If you experience or witness an immediate physical threat or danger, you should contact our University Police immediately by phoning (408) 924-2222, or dialing 911.

Please know that the following psychological and mental health support is available during business hours and 24/7: 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for students

  • We have extended hours from Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm. You can call them at 408-924-5910.
  • If you need assistance after office hours, please call:
    • Call 408-924-5910 and press 4 to reach the after-hours crisis services 
    • Call the Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis Service at 855-278-4204
    • Text “Hello” to 741741 to be connect to the National Text Crisis Service

Empathia Counseling through campus or Life Matters Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees

  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10am – 12pm. And on Thursday from 11am – 1pm. To schedule an appointment, please call or text Rebecca directly at 408-784-4287. You may also email Rebecca at rebeccatochoalmft@gmail.com.
  • You can access LifeMatters services by calling 1-800-367-7474. An experienced, licensed professional will personally answer your calls 24/7. The LifeMatters website offers educational information, self-serve options, and interactive tools. Visit mylifematters.com