A Quote from President Virjee and Additional Background
“Titan Family, now more than ever, it is time to take that stand and embrace the responsibility that comes with being home to the third-largest APIDA population in the nation at a time when the very people who are the manifestation of that ranking are being subjected to discrimination, racism, and even violence. We must act as an inclusive steward of place when our colleagues and classmates are suffering from this marginalization. We must call it out for what it is — racism and xenophobia — and counter it with acts of inclusion, kindness, and community.”
– President Fram Virjee –
One year ago, On April 2, 2020, President Fram Virjee sent a campus-wide email condemning the uptick in anti-Asian racism and violence taking place around the country. In that communcitaion, President Virjee called upon the Titan Family to both stand in solidarity with Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) communities and counter the increase in violence and rhetoric with acts of inclusion, kindness, and community.
That letter made the univesity’s stance clear, both internally and externally, but in recent months, our nation has again endured widespread racism and violence directed at APIDA communities, specifically our Asian/Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. As such, on March 5, 2021, Academic Senate unanimously passed a resolution
to not only bring greater awareness to the historical origins of this hate, but also uproot any form of it in and around our community, state, and nation. The resolution was subsequently supported by President Virjee and each of the university’s Faculty and Staff Associations.
In following this strong lead, we at Cal State Fullerton are asking each member of our Titan Family to join President Virjee, his Cabinet, and the entire Senior Leadership Team to pledge to create a welcoming and safe campus for our API faculty, staff, students, alumni, and visitors. Given the events of the past year, and most recently the attacks in San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta, this pledge both recognizes the history of anti-Asian hate in the United States and puts forth meaninful action to address it, now and in the future.
