UNC community issues statements of support in wake of violence against Asian Americans

Updated 10:15 a.m.: The Asian American Center and North Carolina Asian Americans Together hosted a virtual vigil over Zoom Wednesday night to honor the Asian Americans who have died due to increased hate against the community.

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz attended and spoke at the vigil.

“I’m here tonight because I want our Asian American community here at Carolina to know that all of us stand with you in the face of this horrific violence," Guskiewicz said. "I know that many of you feel unsafe and you are worried about your family members. This hatred and violence is unacceptable and wrong.”

Members of the campus community have issued statements of support for Asian American students and members of the UNC community after eight people were killed Tuesday night in the Atlanta area of Georgia. Six of the victims were people of Asian descent. 

This act follows an increase of violence against Asian Americans across the country since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks incidents of discrimination and hate towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, reported that there have been at least 3,795 acts of discrimination and hate towards Asian Americans in the past year. 

Heidi Kim, director of the Asian American Center, said in a statement that the AAC is a resource for students.

"The Asian American Center is here for you, because our community stands together," Kim said in the statement. 

Organizations across campus, including the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, the Graduate and Professional Student Federation and the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science, issued similar messages of solidarity on social media Wednesday. 

 The University has not issued a public statement about Tuesday's violence. On March 9, however, the University issued a statement condemning the increased violence against Asian Americans in a campus email from Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, Provost Bob Blouin and Interim Chief Diversity Officer Sibby Anderson-Thompkins on March 9. 

"We stand in unity with our Asian American community and denounce hatred, bigotry and racism in all its forms," they said in the email. 

The email encouraged students to reach out to the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. 

"We will continue to look for ways to support each other through these horrific crimes and also keep celebrating the richness, diversity, and history of Asian America—because that work doesn’t stop either," Kim said in the statement.

Resources for students

Kim listed resources including Counseling and Psychological Services and the Employee Assistance Program in the statement from the AAC. 

The Asian American Center's website has a resources page, with information on mental health resources and ways to report hate crimes. Here are some of the resources listed: 

Mental health help lines, available 24/7:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)  
• Crisis Text Line: text “HOME” to 741741  
• 24hr Asian LifeNet Hotline: call 1-877-990-8585, languages available: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Fujianese
• Disaster Distress Helpline call: 1-800-985-5990

Mental health resources:

• "Asian American Psychological Association
• National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
• Kiran: South Asian Domestic Violence Resources in NC
• Southasiantherapists.org: A directory of South Asian therapists, including therapists of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Afghanistani and Nepali heritage.
• Asian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian American (APISAA) Therapist Directory based on State, North Carolina
• Asian Mental Health Collective
• Asian American Christian Counseling Service: A nonprofit program that focuses on integrating biblical faith with Asian American cultural traditions through professional counseling and psychotherapy
• MannMukti is an organization dedicated to encouraging healthy, open dialogue of mental health issues in an effort to remove stigma, improve awareness and promote self-care, especially within the South Asian community. They offer a variety of resources and infographics as well as a large community forum. They also have a nifty list of resources by faith.
• Asian-American InterCommunity Service: A nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of the communities around us with a preferential focus on the under-served and hard-to-reach population segments."

Resources for reporting hate crimes at UNC: 

• Report an incident form through the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office. The EOC Office handles reports of discrimination and harassment on the basis of "age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including gender, gender expression, or gender identity), sexual orientation, and veteran status."
• Contact the University Ombuds Office. The Ombuds Office is a "confidential, impartial, informal, and independent resource" for staff, faculty and students at UNC. The Ombuds Office are a resource for consultation, listening, guidance on next steps and provide referrals. The Ombuds Office does not make decisions or changes to University policy or rules. 

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