International Students for Broader Solidarity (II/IV)
An open letter to all international students, alumni, and friends amid the surge of anti-Asian violence
(Part 2/4)
Opinions in this open letter are our own and not the views of our universities, our employers, or our organizations. To consider your next steps after reading and sharing the letter, click here.
Holy Friday, April 2, 2021
Today, we grieve because the most innocent man suffered the most unjust death. We see how the religious corrupted the powerful, then look at ourselves. If the collusion of power and evil has crucified the most innocent, then hatred and ignorance have harmed ourselves and one another. The world that denied his basic humanity has continued to oppress us and many others. At the same time, if an innocent man did not die for the resurrection and the forgiveness of our sins, would we still mourn his wounds and death? Underneath theologies and doctrines, we realize that we can be complicit in injustice. We can be both victims and perpetrators; therefore, we both lament and confess.
We lament that:
- Eight victims were shot in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian women, grieving together with the eight families and the Asian American communities who suffered a tragic loss
- People of Asian ancestry endure attacks on our bodies through physical violence and attacks on our souls through insults, gestures, and slurs
- Misogyny and patriarchy burden our lives, limiting the fullness of what women and men can become
- The double burden Asian women bear as they continued to be fetishized and objectified as servile sexual objects, while Asian men are emasculated and desexualized
- Xenophobia, the model minority myth, and the perpetual foreigner stereotypes have conflated Asian international students and Asian American students to the point of creating resentment between the two communities even when we are forcibly racialized into one monolithic group
- Our experiences, either as Asians or as international students, are often ignored and sometimes doubted, leading to a lack of equitable and appropriate resources for our physical, mental, and spiritual health
- Many of our political, religious, community, and university leaders have failed to advocate for our safety and our well-being; valuing us only when they can utilize our beings and our work for their own sake
- Efforts for diversity still fall short when we are not included in decisions that affect us
- Devastating histories of warfare, colonization, prejudice, and discrimination have marred social, cultural, and legal systems both in Northern America and in our home or passport countries, marking the oppressive forces channeled by the principalities and the powers of this dark world
We confess that:
- We have shown partiality based on race, class, and gender towards others as we bring prejudices that are fostered in our home or passport countries, excusing it as humor or cultural heritage
- Specifically, we have fostered colorism and anti-Blackness that manifests in the hostile distancing between the international student communities and other students of color
- We have also contributed to the silence and discrimination based on class differences and have let our socioeconomic status fragment our relationship within our own communities and other minority communities alike
- We have assimilated unjustly, enslaved by our selfish ambition for worldly successes while treading over others
- Specifically, we have refused to acknowledge our cultural blind spots and to renew our mind, adopting harmful thoughts, speech, and actions while claiming no harm was intended
- We have failed to educate ourselves and understand the history behind racism and oppression.
- We have stayed in silence and allowed injustice upon other minority communities
- We have not listened to other communities when they experience aggressions and microaggressions
Like Jesus, we lament to our God: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We grieve through the pain. We refuse to take easy answers and convenient solutions. At the same time, we confess to our God and our neighbors that we have neglected our part to care and advocate. As for us, the forgiveness in Christ has driven us to join his redemptive force, to repair our broken relationships, and to build upon broader solidarity with people of all backgrounds.
Please join us this Sunday as we celebrate and commit to the redeemed life and the redeemed world.
Part 3 will be published on Sunday, April 4, 2021.
This is Part 2 of our letter. Read Part 1, Part 2.
In this letter, we recognize that we have used phrases and terms that can be unfamiliar and misunderstood. That is why we are hoping to release more articles and resources in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, if you need some space to ask questions and process, please share with us.
If you want to join us in helping international students, please consider sharing this letter and learning more about your next steps.
Contributors:
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Emily Ding 陈贞颖
B.A. Anthropology ’21, Wheaton College, IL
Singapore
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Lanya Feng (she/her)
M.A. History ’21, Toronto
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Gwyneth Hadasa
B.S. Nutrition & Dietetics ’22, AR
Indonesia
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Yihong Hu 胡一泓
B.S. Environmental Science and Urban Studies ‘19
China
.
Zoey Ng 吳素茹 (she/her)
M.A. Clinical Psychology ’20; Psy.D. Year 3, Wheaton College, Illinois
Founding Chairperson, International Graduate Students Club at Wheaton College
Hong Kong
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Given Tanri 陳立航 (he/him)
B.S. Chemistry ’20, Wheaton College, Illinois
Co-founder, Indonesian National Association at Wheaton College
Indonesia
.
Hanny Wuysang (she/her)
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling ’18, Wheaton College
Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student, Western Michigan University
Indonesia
.
