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This crisis has exposed and exacerbated such stark injustice, inequality, and intolerance. While so much is truly disheartening, I hope we can all find ways to do what we can and keep working to stand for our principles and against these inequities and systemic prejudices.
This pledge by foreign policy and national security professionals to stand against anti-Asian racism and promote solidarity with Asian diaspora and Asian American communities has been a team effort—and our attempt to take some action in this awful moment https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/readers/2020/04/15/asian-american-community-pushes-back-against-hate-crimes-reader-views/2991666001/
and even though such a statement is only symbolic—and is not and can't be nearly enough—hopefully the work and process of organizing and building consensus across the field is something that we can carry forwards in continuing to tackle these urgent issues and systemic concerns.
I learned so much and was very honored to work with @chenniferann, @Bencosmef, @jjding99, @PekingRyan, @NazElKhatib, @JulianGewirtz, @naimagreenriley, Aaron Huang, @tinahuang__, @TheJordanLink, @ngor_luong, @mike_mazza, @resplinodell, @dwertime, @_ashley_wood, and @Ali_Wyne
Since we released the pledge in @USATODAY on April 15th, this week, twenty-eight senators have also sent a letter to the president reiterating and highlighting these concerns. https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04-21-20%20Menendez%20Schumer%20Hirono%20Duckworth%20letter%20to%20Trump%20re%20AAPI%20discrimination%20(002).pdf
We've also reposted the pledge online so that anyone who is concerned with these issues can sign on to support the statement, and there are nearly 250 drafters and signatories so far—and counting as we continue to update the list with more names. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQhkhQgqrToV4hC4_w8Ehknpm2UjStNzWWVxKEQ5igE1eBmw/viewform
We'd welcome and encourage colleagues—at all stages of their careers and throughout the field—to sign on and continue to explore ways to take action and be more engaged in tackling these issues in our careers and our communities going forward.
Personally, I've been trying to educate myself about how to be better and more effective as an ally, including through participating in this training organized by @AAAJ_AAJC and @iHollaback on bystander intervention, which I'd highly recommend: https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/index.php/press-release/advancing-justice-aajc-and-hollaback-provide-training-amid-covid-19-racist-attacks
@iHollaback also has this useful guide to and further resources available on options and best practices for bystander intervention. https://www.ihollaback.org/resources/
Frankly, I've been appalled to notice incidents of targeted and racially-charged harassment within the field of foreign policy and national security. This isn't a new issue sadly, but such misconduct seems to have become even more prevalent. I've reported tweets I've come across
and all of us in the field will have to continue to call out such bad behavior and reckon with persistent problems. Hopefully, there are ways to work to change norms of behavior to ensure that our professional communities will work towards being more truly tolerant and inclusive.
