To Chancellor Yang, to the “Asian male” suspects, to the UCSB student body:
We, the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance and South Asian Students Association, stand in solidarity with all folks who have been targets of sexual assault – across the entire gender spectrum. But as painful as it is to acknowledge it, sexual assault is gendered and racialized. Asian Pacific Islander/American women are disproportionately targeted by sexual assault, as well as Black, Latin@, and Native women – which makes the incidents from this past week all the more relevant to our community.
Last weekend, an UCSB alert was sent out warning students that a group of “Asian males” had sexually assaulted a young woman. A couple of days later, Chancellor Henry T. Yang sent out a follow-up email explaining what he did to address the issue, which was to hire five more police officers. That same day, hundreds of flyers were posted all over campus with sketches of the two suspects. On top of all of this, news vans from all over Southern California have been in Isla Vista, trying to get more information for their coverage of the story.
Let’s process all of that. There is clearly a lot going on here – many different forms of institutionalized violence meeting at many different intersections. This is a statement of solidarity and a call for critical redress of the events listed.
First and foremost, sexual assault is NEVER okay. EVER. As a student body, we should always be doing work to become conscious of, and ultimately dismantling, the rape culture that is prevalent both on and off of our campus. Organizations like Take Back The Night are doing the hard work of starting collective movements against sexual assault – and we should be doing everything we can to support said movements.
Those attempting to analyze this under a colorblind lens are horribly misguided – race can never be separated from any incident, just as race and gender can never be separated from a person. With this in mind, we attempt to critically address the myriad of events that have unfolded this past week.
To the suspects under investigation:
The deeds you’ve committed against the survivor and your entire community is grossly despicable and disgraceful. It is unimaginable how you have committed such inhumane acts against another marginalized community. Your malicious intent, your unspeakable misogyny and your violence is shameful, and it’s brutally indicative of how much work is ahead of us as a community and as a campus.
To Chancellor Yang:
How you can think that hiring five new police officers to this campus will facilitate any sort of change regarding sexual assault is beyond us. As if the police department does not directly commit sexual assault against women, especially women of color. As if the police department did not specifically target an API/A woman in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago. As if the police department has not criminalized people of color for decades. As if the police department has not instilled fear on campuses across the UC system, and specifically at this campus. As if the police department is equipped to handle instances of sexual assault.
To the UCSB student body:
It is heartbreaking and unspeakably disgusting that as one community rises, another community is villified and discriminated against. As the sketches of the two suspects have been plastered around campus, racist comments and hateful actions have already spread like wildfire. It seems that the stereotype of the “inherently patriarchal Asian man” have inevitably surfaced at this xenophobic, racist university.
Before we start talking about what is “inherently patriarchal,” we must remember to bring to life the real legacies of colonialism, neoliberalism and assimilation manifested by white governments. No peoples is “inherently” any adjective, and to assume so is a testament to the success of coded racism.
That being said, the lack of accountability by the greater API male community at large is horrifying. Where is the critical organizing against sexual assault by API men? Where is the accountability for the violence? Where is the condemnation that should be loud and clear?
This is not only a critical look at what’s been happening – it’s also a call for organization, for critical deconstruction and for actual change to happen in Isla Vista and within our communities. It’s a call to the student body to start educating ourselves. It’s a call to the administration to change how sexual assault is addressed at UCSB, in order to set an example that will lead the way in making sustainable change throughout the nation. This is not just our chance at changing the culture of sexual violence; it’s our chance to revolutionize how we look at sexual violence.
In love & solidarity,
API Political Alliance
South Asian Student Association
The letter is somewhat misleading, Chancellor Yang also allocated funds for CSO patrols in IV, lighting on campus, and staff for sexual assault education and counseling.
Jonathan: The fact that the Chancellor also plans to fund helpful areas like sexual assault counselors has no bearing on the APIPA’s objection to Yang’s hiring of more police officers as a response to sexual assualt. As the APIPA points out, police officers are (to say the least) ineffective at preventing sexual assault and investigating it after the fact. In fact, I have experience with many cases where the actions of police officers in IV, Santa Barbara and elsewhere, have added to the trauma experienced by survivors of sexual assault. While hiring more police officers might make privileged students feel… Read more »
Alumni, though it might be hard for you to see, the article definitely is misleading to readers who might not have known much about the actions of Professor Yang and suggests that his only plan was to hire more police officers. This is not true but the article did veer towards this. Finally, I see nothing wrong with Jonathan’s point; he did not support a slightly deceptive article that seeks to convince through mostly pathos and absolutes. It would have been very easy for him to have supported it like many servile student leaders who blindly support actions that might… Read more »
This letter, including others I have seen, have really taken away from this entire case. Instead of focusing on how marginalized each community feels by this investigation, why don’t we first focus our energy on catching the RAPISTS? If you feel upset because the alert mentioned “Asian males” as the suspects, please take two seconds, reconsider what you’re feeling, and realize what the victim must be going through. If these violent sexual offenders are not caught, what will stop them from recommitting this act? “As if the police department does not directly commit sexual assault against women, especially women of… Read more »
what is the point of this letter? It seems like you are just trying to further your groups agenda. The focus should be on catching the criminals and taking care of the victim. The measures that have been taken by Mr. Yang are justified. Your point is important in some aspects but it seems like you’re just trying to capitalize on this incident.
They are not capitalizing on this incident. They are addressing the very issue behind this incident, which is the perpetuation of rape culture and gender/race-based violence. I agree that the focus should be catching the criminals, however the underlying issue will not be resolved. It will happen again. As I said before, if we can’t promote and instill a behavior that prevents the very mindset that preceded the incident, then we’ll have the same incident occur once again.
I’m with SASU and API on this one. There is nothing worse than making really general and offensive statements about an entire group of people.
On a totally unrelated note, here is my favorite part of their letter:
“As if the police department does not directly commit sexual assault against women, especially women of color. “
Although I’m not affiliated, I would like to wholeheartedly support SASA and API in their social justice activism. However, I really can’t get behind this open letter, even though I want to. As Jonathan mentioned, it’s misleading. In addition, I finished reading this letter wondering what was the point of it all. I already agreed with the sentiment of this letter before I even read it. This letter won’t convince anyone who wasn’t already of like mind. So many general big-concept words are being thrown out throughout this letter without demonstrating what they really mean to this situation and why… Read more »
I 100% agree with ‘angry and asian’. When I saw this article in my Facebook feed I was intrigued, and excited that someone might be willing to discuss rape culture. Not so. This article is horribly written, full of jargon, and won’t convince anyone to stop blaming the victim and accept that rape culture is the real problem on this campus.
this is the worst thing I ever read. Have some consideration and solidarity for the victim. “It is heartbreaking and unspeakably disgusting that as one community rises, another community is villified and discriminated against”. It is even more disgusting that you are completely missing the point that a crime was committed and no arrests have been made yet, but you sure are quick to point fingers and start mentioning “discrimination”. I wonder if the suspects were Mexican or black, if people would just say “oh yeah, it figures”. The point is that we as community need to speak up if… Read more »
You’re missing the point here. These sexual assaults, race/gender-based violence and their stereotypes has been pervasive throughout the UC system. The author isn’t downplaying the crime itself and isn’t trying to take the spotlight away from it. The author is saying that these types of crimes and behavior have been pervasive and this incident is a result of that. Of course, I 100% agree with you to catch the suspects and bring justice. However, if we don’t promote a behavior that prevents the very mindset that perpetuated this behavior or rape culture in the first place, the same crime will… Read more »
I think it’s far more disturbing that you are so quick to dismiss this “discrimination” thing you seem to think only applies to Mexicans and blacks. Does the fact that a crime has been committed mean racial profiling and stereotyping of Asians is now on the table? From what you’ve wrote it’s clear you think it’s ok- “if you’re innocent you have nothing to fear.” What’s ironic is that Hispanics are fighting racial profiling as we speak in states like Arizona. I’m sure you would disagree with stop and ID laws there right? What happened to “if you’re innocent you… Read more »
Aside from the fact that this letter completely takes away from the solidarity we should be feeling against violence and unjustifiably points fingers at chancellor yang for taking measures that are both helpful and appropriate, this letter is also horribly written. Please don’t throw around terms that you learned in your political science class. I want to understand what you’re fighting for in human speak.
As a lifelong citizen of WATTS I’ve had the benefit of exposure to witness some of the worst public policy in America. A brief look beneath the surface of life in Watts reveals horrendous backlogs of investigation into all forms of human rights violation. Rape, incarceration, homelessness and poverty in general that has been exacerbated and perpetuated by poor public policy.
The point of the letter is to activate thought around the deeper, underlying issues of racial subjectivity and the reactive futility of suppressive tactics rather than improved education that informs transformative, cultural change. Hats off to APIPA and SASA.
Learn to reason and write with logic for a few more years before writing another article. Also grammar. Also to write an impactful letter you need to be persuasive and open minded. This sounds like a narrow minded person who is arguing his/her own points to try and steal the spotlight but instead stole the shame light. Don’t put words into people’s mouths with words like more police will make the minorities/colored people feel even less safe. That is just your opinion. Don’t just whine and complain about things without offering any good solutions. You’re making my alma mater look… Read more »
I completely agree with the two alums below about the extremely poor quality of the article. Shoddy grammar and sentence structure, an unfocused sense of purpose, and lacking concrete solutions will isolate your cause before it really begins, and that’s as someone who considers myself “one of you” . Here’s my open letter, to all of you. 1) Grammar Did you appoint one person to write this, or did you have a committee sit down and go point by point? Dome or Helix? It’s so disappointing to me as an English nerd that I’m want to mail a copy of… Read more »
Agreed.
Way to reproduce an Asian stereotype by offering a nerdy comment, which tries to correct the grammar in the article. And, also, looks like it took you 2 hours to write.
“Establish trust and a dialogue, get a seat at the table, and offer constructive advice without antagonizing the entire administration.”
Absolutely. No one will respond to you if all you do is amplify your problems, least of all the UC administration. You have to offer some solutions.
If you want to create positive change, you must be open-minded and willing to cooperate.
I know grammar is important, especially if its directed towards the chancellor. However, I want to ask, really?! Grammar should be the less worried topic right now.
And, if you don’t know, this article does have a point even though its a weak article. This might sound like an opinion but Asian male will likely feel discrimination and profiling during this situation. Why? Because we are in a majority White-town. Its just logical there would be profiling.
Please learn to write before you publish an oped. Putting that aside, however, as I’ve always believed in listening to what people had to say more than how they say it (the opposite of the norm, because I try to realize that everyone has their quirks), I must still point out after careful reading and rereading my issues with this not so fine piece of rhetoric. This letter is, bluntly, tumultuously convoluted, lacking of any real, tangible purpose, and downright spiteful and self righteous. Let’s take this bit by bit: “…many different forms of institutionalized violence meeting at many different… Read more »
Thank you for the above comments!!!
Although I have so much love, support, and solidarity for the intentions behind this letter and the labor and organizing in which this Alliance is engaging, I have to say, I do have quite a bit of critiques. I want to be clear that these critiques come from a place of love and deep political solidarity with API communities across gender & sexuality, but we have to be open to growth and critique in order to grow, expand and learn with and from one another. Also I agree that gendered and racialized sterotypes impact all communities of color in particular… Read more »
*although i agree that gendered and racialized stereotypes
*systematic rape they experienced by both black men and WHITE MEN
This is one of the stupidest, most unlettered pieces of published writing I’ve ever come across. Whoever wrote it should be ashamed that they produced something so stupid and badly thought out. It isn’t even coherent enough for me to argue with. You lack all critical thinking abilities and do not belong at a top university like UCSB. Fuck you.
Love,
Jason