#StopAsianHate
MUSSA mourns the loss of the six Asian women who were murdered in Atlanta (names excluded out of respect for their families). MUSSA condemns anti-Asian racism and discrimination and violence against sex workers, and we stand in solidarity with our Asian peers, colleagues, friends and professionals.
Please read the Faculty of Information's commitment and links to resources for action, learning and support below. MUSSA has provided some additional resources as well.
If you wish to take action to make the iSchool community a safer place for all, our friends Museum Professionals of Colour have put together a series of calls for action (email below) which you can share with Dean Duff.
Please read the Faculty of Information's commitment and links to resources for action, learning and support below. MUSSA has provided some additional resources as well.
If you wish to take action to make the iSchool community a safer place for all, our friends Museum Professionals of Colour have put together a series of calls for action (email below) which you can share with Dean Duff.
Do you have feedback for MUSSA on how we can be better allies and make space for people of colour in our program and activities?
Please let us know; we'd love to hear from you! mussa.ischool@gmail.com.
Calling for iSchool Accountability - Email from MPOC. March 28, 2021.
Hello everyone,
As you may have seen, the iSchool's dean, Dean Duff, sent out a message condemning Anti-Asian racism on Wednesday evening. While we appreciate the acknowledgment of the horrific nature of the hate crimes against the six Asian women who were murdered (we are not listing their names here, as it has been noted that some women's families would not like their names publicized), it is important to note that the message did not contain any acknowledgment of how the iSchool and/or U of T have been complicit in anti-Asian racism, or any indication of actions being pursued to make the iSchool a safer place for Asian students.
We are sadly reminded that nine months ago, Dean Duff latently put out an email regarding Black Lives Matter that, similarly, did not contain any action items. The faculty's lack of robust support for Black Lives Matter and Black students acted as the catalyst for a student-led diversity and inclusion campaign calling on the iSchool to provide better supports for its diverse student body. The campaign's report revealed the depth to which iSchool students from many communities have experienced harm and oppression within the faculty. You can read the campaign report here.
We need to make it clear to the faculty that statements alone are not enough. Since last June, the Museum Studies faculty has created a scaffolded action plan to create a more equitable environment. However, we need to ensure that the faculty is transparent about their progress, or lack thereof, with students and alumni. To our knowledge, the Master of Information program has not established a plan or list of actionable items to improve the student experience.
Many iSchool students live at the intersections of various oppressed identities. All students deserve to feel safe at school. Although Dean Duff will soon be leaving the iSchool, these issues will persist unless clear and concrete actions are put into motion. This is why we are urging you to write back to Dean Duff, asking for some or all of the following items:
Sincerely yours,
Denise, Dominica, Chloé, and Megan
Museum Professionals of Colour (MPOC)
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
As you may have seen, the iSchool's dean, Dean Duff, sent out a message condemning Anti-Asian racism on Wednesday evening. While we appreciate the acknowledgment of the horrific nature of the hate crimes against the six Asian women who were murdered (we are not listing their names here, as it has been noted that some women's families would not like their names publicized), it is important to note that the message did not contain any acknowledgment of how the iSchool and/or U of T have been complicit in anti-Asian racism, or any indication of actions being pursued to make the iSchool a safer place for Asian students.
We are sadly reminded that nine months ago, Dean Duff latently put out an email regarding Black Lives Matter that, similarly, did not contain any action items. The faculty's lack of robust support for Black Lives Matter and Black students acted as the catalyst for a student-led diversity and inclusion campaign calling on the iSchool to provide better supports for its diverse student body. The campaign's report revealed the depth to which iSchool students from many communities have experienced harm and oppression within the faculty. You can read the campaign report here.
We need to make it clear to the faculty that statements alone are not enough. Since last June, the Museum Studies faculty has created a scaffolded action plan to create a more equitable environment. However, we need to ensure that the faculty is transparent about their progress, or lack thereof, with students and alumni. To our knowledge, the Master of Information program has not established a plan or list of actionable items to improve the student experience.
Many iSchool students live at the intersections of various oppressed identities. All students deserve to feel safe at school. Although Dean Duff will soon be leaving the iSchool, these issues will persist unless clear and concrete actions are put into motion. This is why we are urging you to write back to Dean Duff, asking for some or all of the following items:
- That Dean Duff respond with a list of concrete actions being taken by the faculty to make the iSchool a safer place for Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other POC lives, as well as 2SLGBTQIA+ lives, disabled lives, and the lives of others experiencing oppression
- That Dean Duff make a public recommendation to hire multiple DEIA officers within the faculty, as well as more diverse faculty members in all iSchool programs
- That a DEIA action plan be established within the Master of Information program, including a diversity audit of MI syllabi materials so that students no longer need to take on this work themselves (note that the student diversity and inclusion report already contains a suggested plan that can be utilized and expanded upon)
- That faculty members are provided with opportunities and encouraged to participate in anti-oppression training
- That a reporting schedule for the MMSt and MI DEIA action plans be published in order to establish trust and transparency with students, and to hold the faculty accountable
Sincerely yours,
Denise, Dominica, Chloé, and Megan
Museum Professionals of Colour (MPOC)
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Statement Against Anti-Asian Racism. March 24, 2021.
Dear Faculty of Information community,
We mourn the murder of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, on Tuesday, March 16 in Atlanta, Georgia: Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Yue. We reaffirm our commitments to people of Asian descent, immigrant communities and undocumented people. This includes our students, staff, faculty, and alumni, many of whom work on anti-Asian racism in their research and community projects.
We condemn misogyny, violence against sex workers, and anti-Asian racism. We stand against violence of all kinds, particularly physical violence and gun violence. We acknowledge that violence against people of Asian descent is the effect of multiple colonialisms and imperialisms, and is simultaneously racialized, gendered, and sexualized. In separate studies, Statistics Canada and the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter document an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence in Canada related to COVID-19 scapegoating in the past year, including racial slurs, discrimination, and physical assaults. Toronto has the second highest number of reported cases involving anti-Asian hate crimes in the country. Canada has a higher number of reported anti-Asian hate crime incidents per capita compared to the United States. Anti-Asian violence in Canada has a long and endemic history with deep roots in white supremacy, misogyny, and xenophobia. Canada’s history of state-sponsored anti-Asian violence includes head taxes, immigration bans, disenfranchisement, discriminatory labour laws, hiring exclusions, surveillance, riots, exclusion from medical care, and incarceration.
It is important to recognize that within this larger context of anti-Asian racism, last week’s violence specifically targeted Asian immigrants working at massage parlours and spas. Anti-sex trafficking laws and the criminalization of sex work escalates violence against and increases surveillance and policing of vulnerable groups: immigrants, women, migrants, and communities of colour. These policies do not address structural and labour abuses specific to sex work. Criminalization and policing exacerbate racialized, gendered, and sexualized violence. Decriminalization of immigration and sex work is a crucial step in expanding labour protections for all workers.
As a Faculty founded in the service of the public good, especially belonging and diversity in education, we reaffirm our commitment to confront violence against Asian, Black, immigrant, and Indigenous people. We reaffirm our commitment to driving research and teaching practices that transform systems of oppression. We recommit to ongoing efforts to improve our workplaces, teaching spaces, and research spaces.
We acknowledge the work other organizations have done and continue to do:
We acknowledge the work of sex worker and immigrant sex worker organizations:
To learn more about anti-Asian racism in Canada, please consult:
Wendy Duff
Professor and Dean, Faculty of the Information
We mourn the murder of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, on Tuesday, March 16 in Atlanta, Georgia: Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Yue. We reaffirm our commitments to people of Asian descent, immigrant communities and undocumented people. This includes our students, staff, faculty, and alumni, many of whom work on anti-Asian racism in their research and community projects.
We condemn misogyny, violence against sex workers, and anti-Asian racism. We stand against violence of all kinds, particularly physical violence and gun violence. We acknowledge that violence against people of Asian descent is the effect of multiple colonialisms and imperialisms, and is simultaneously racialized, gendered, and sexualized. In separate studies, Statistics Canada and the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter document an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence in Canada related to COVID-19 scapegoating in the past year, including racial slurs, discrimination, and physical assaults. Toronto has the second highest number of reported cases involving anti-Asian hate crimes in the country. Canada has a higher number of reported anti-Asian hate crime incidents per capita compared to the United States. Anti-Asian violence in Canada has a long and endemic history with deep roots in white supremacy, misogyny, and xenophobia. Canada’s history of state-sponsored anti-Asian violence includes head taxes, immigration bans, disenfranchisement, discriminatory labour laws, hiring exclusions, surveillance, riots, exclusion from medical care, and incarceration.
It is important to recognize that within this larger context of anti-Asian racism, last week’s violence specifically targeted Asian immigrants working at massage parlours and spas. Anti-sex trafficking laws and the criminalization of sex work escalates violence against and increases surveillance and policing of vulnerable groups: immigrants, women, migrants, and communities of colour. These policies do not address structural and labour abuses specific to sex work. Criminalization and policing exacerbate racialized, gendered, and sexualized violence. Decriminalization of immigration and sex work is a crucial step in expanding labour protections for all workers.
As a Faculty founded in the service of the public good, especially belonging and diversity in education, we reaffirm our commitment to confront violence against Asian, Black, immigrant, and Indigenous people. We reaffirm our commitment to driving research and teaching practices that transform systems of oppression. We recommit to ongoing efforts to improve our workplaces, teaching spaces, and research spaces.
We acknowledge the work other organizations have done and continue to do:
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Atlanta: A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities: https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/aaajcommunitystatement
- Statement by Red Canary Song: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Q0mFJnivTZL5fcCS7eUZn9EhOJ1XHtFBGOGqVaUY_8/edit
- CAAAV Condemns Atlanta Shootings and Anti-Asian Violence: https://caaav.org/caaav-condemns-atlanta-shootings-and-anti-asian-violence
- Statement by the Association for Asian Studies: https://www.asianstudies.org/aas-statement-on-anti-asian-racism-and-violence/
- Statement by the Association of Asian American Studies: https://aaastudies.org/
- Joint Statement by the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice & Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic: https://ccncsj.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CCNC-SJ-March-18-2021-Atlanta-Shootings.pdf
- The Asian Institute’s Resource Guide for Responding to Anti-Asian Racism: https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ai/resources-guide-responding-to-anti-asian-racism/
We acknowledge the work of sex worker and immigrant sex worker organizations:
- Butterfly: Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Network: https://www.butterflysw.org/
- Migrant Sex Workers Project: https://www.nswp.org/members/migrant-sex-workers-project
- Red Canary Song: https://www.redcanarysong.net/
- Maggie’s Toronto: https://www.maggiesto.org/
- Pineapple Support Society: https://pineapplesupport.org/
To learn more about anti-Asian racism in Canada, please consult:
- Project 1907: https://www.project1907.org/
- Yu, Henry Shuen Ngei. (2016). “Asian Canadian History.” The Oxford Handbook of Asian American History, eds. David Yoo and Eiichiro Azuma. Oxford University Press.
- “History of Canada's early Chinese immigrants,” Library & Archive Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/early-chinese-canadians/Pages/history.aspx
- “Events in Asian Canadian History,” Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html
- Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office: https://antiracism.utoronto.ca/
- Sexual and Gender Diversity Office: https://sgdo.utoronto.ca/
- Health and Wellness: https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/department/health-wellness/
- My Student Support Program (support available 24/7): https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/service/myssp/
- Community Safety Office: https://www.communitysafety.utoronto.ca/
- Employee and Family Assistance Program: https://hrandequity.utoronto.ca/employees/efap/
Wendy Duff
Professor and Dean, Faculty of the Information
Other Resources for Learning & Organizations to Support
- @StopAsianHate: instagram.com/stopasianhate/?hl=en
- @RepresentASIANproject: instagram.com/representasianproject/
- Asian-Canadian organizations that can use your help: instagram.com/p/CMxwYgeAhN9/
- We need to call out Canada's anti-Asian racism problem: instagram.com/p/CMQlQi6gptp/
- What To Know About the Atlanta Shootings and #StopAsianHate Movement: https://www.flare.com/news/stop-asian-hate-movement-atlanta-shootings/
- How to be an ally + help Asian Americans fight anti-Asian racism: instagram.com/p/CLPhMHvBuq7/
- 8 Asian-Canadian Organizations Working to #StopAsianHate: baystbull.com/8-asian-canadian-organizations-working-to-stopasianhate/#null
- Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice: https://ccncsj.ca/
- Government of Canada Asian Heritage Month Resources: canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/resources.html
