SMC Provides Support for the APIDA Community
SMC affinity groups strive to heal racial trauma through community.
“You are not alone in this,” said Santa Monica College (SMC) President and Superintendent Dr. Kathryn Jeffrey in her statement of support in response to the shootings in the Atlanta area. In accordance with President Biden’s directive, flags throughout SMC flew half-staff March 18-22 in honor of the victims.
On March 16, 2021, exactly one year after former President Donald Trump's tweet referred to the novel Coronavirus as “the Chinese virus,” a gunman killed eight people in a mass shooting, including six women of Asian descent, at three separate spas in the Atlanta area. Trump's racist rhetoric fostered an environment of xenophobia and scapegoated the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community for COVID-19.
Infographic by Sam Plascencia | The Corsair
Fear and the spread of misinformation may have contributed to the recent rise in Anti-Asian hate and violence. According to an analysis conducted by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, Anti-Asian hate crime increased by 149% in 2020 throughout 16 of America’s largest cities, even though hate crime decreased overall by 7%, when compared to 2019.
In addition to Dr. Jeffreys’ response, SMC's affinity groups, the Pan African Faculty and Staff Alliance, the Latinx Staff and Faculty Collective, and the Asian Pacific Islander Desi America Alliance (APIDAA), also released statements of support to the APIDA community. “I think a lot of us are concerned about our students,” said Dr. Sang Chi, professor and History Department Chair. “How do we help them emotionally, mentally, and as human beings? That is fundamentally what the affinity groups are trying to do.”
Affinity groups allow SMC faculty and staff that share a common identity the opportunity to create a safe environment to confront and address issues of inequity across the institution. “The purpose of these groups,” explained Dr. Hannah Lawler of the APIDAA leadership, “is to come together and build community.”
In order to better assess the campus racial climate, SMC participated in the National Assessment of Campus Collegiate Climates (NACCC) in the fall of 2019. The findings, presented by Dr. Lawler, show that out of those surveyed, a disproportionately higher percentage of APIDA students said they experienced racism on SMC’s campus common areas, when compared to Latinx, White, and Black students respondents.
Affinity group leaders, such as Dr. Lawler and Dr. Chi, are working collaboratively to facilitate authentic discussions around student equity and the racial climate. APIDAA hosted a virtual listening session, “Reflection and Healing Space” inviting students, staff, and faculty to process the recent anti-Asian hate and violence. “If there’s one thing about the faculty and staff at Santa Monica [College] it's that they do truly care about the students,” said Dr. Chi. “I know APIDA students are internalizing this -- because I did it too as a student.”
“No one is alone in this,” said psychiatrist Dr. Danilo Donoso from the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing. "These fears and anxieties are warranted, given this violence," said Dr. Donoso. He wants students to know counseling services are available to them. “Definitely reach out for help if you’re feeling unsafe,” said Dr. Donoso.
The Student Equity Center’s “Support APIDA Students'' website provides further information on resources, including links to report hate crimes.
