by Sammie Maitland, Interim President, Student Government Association and Nandar Winn Kerr ‘18

On March 24, 2021, the SUNY Empire SGA hosted an event open to the college community to discuss anti-AAPI discrimination. Members of the SGA, students, and administration gathered via Connects to have a casual dialogue hosted by SGA President Azania “Sammie” Maitland with special guest Nandar Win Kerr. Kerr was a participant in the 2017-2018 cohort of the Student Leadership Institute and is an alum of the college who obtained a B.A. in public affairs in 2018. After SUNY Empire, Kerr obtained a LL.M in international law and justice from Fordham Law School. She graciously returned to the college community to share her experiences as an Asian immigrant of Burmese descent and legal scholar who is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For those who couldn’t attend the event, here are some take-aways Kerr wants the college community to have:

1. I came from an authoritarian country where we have more than 130 ethnic groups. I have learned that it is easier for incompetent government or politicians or political parties to control the power of a country by fueling hate among people or different groups of people. It is so important that we need to address the hatred. We cannot let such hate divide us. 
2. Allyship and partnership are more important now than ever to stop the spread of hatred, anti-Asian American violence, and xenophobic harassment.
3. As a bystander, we can create a safe environment for victims when we witness such hate. Hollaback is one organization that offers bystander intervention training and resource guides:

Hollaback Bystander Intervention training to stop Anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment and conflict De-escalation training: https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/

Hollaback’s Bystander Guide: https://www.ihollaback.org/app/uploads/2016/11/Show-Up_CUPxHollaback.pdf

4. With the escalation of coronavirus pandemic and tension between the United States and China Communist Party (CCP), anti-Asian American violence has been dramatically increasing. We need to distinguish AAPI from CCP. They are not the same.

5. During the event, I was grateful to hear the thoughts and feelings from the attendees. Leslie raised concerns about solutions to solving hate crimes, opposed to just blaming the individual perpetrators. She expressed that we need to place an emphasis on healing and figure out how to heal as a country. Ron was uncompromising with his perspectives, courageously sharing his truth as a Black man in America who has had to navigate racism his whole life. Sammie shared about the Chinese Exclusion Act, connecting modern stereotypes to a long history of Asian-Americans being “othered.”

Reflecting on the combined the sentiments of the group, here are four principles that can help to foster solutions which we must be able to do to support racial inclusion and healing:

• We need to tell the truth
• We need to be courageous enough to listen to the truth

[e.g.: Ron touched on it and Sammie shared the story of Chinese Exclusion Act. Nan asked great questions which helped us to learn where our college stands when it comes to the recruiting and retention of diverse students and staff, and Danielle and Kerianne provided the information.]

[e.g.: we all did it at the event. Yeah!!]

• We need to cultivate self-compassion and self-care
• We need to become inclusive leaders and create inclusive cultures

[e.g.: SUNY Empire has mindfulness meditation every Thursday morning guided by Bhuwan Onta*]

[SLI is a great example.]

I acknowledge my mindfulness, diversity, equity, and inclusion mentor, Cecilia B. Loving who is a Deputy Commissioner and Chief D&I officer of FDNY, for sharing those four principles with me.

My final two points are resources that we can reflect on to better understand and contextualize anti-AAPI discrimination:

6. With regard to systemic racism against Asian-Americans, there is a case called Korematsu v. United States. It's a landmark Supreme Court case about constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II. Korematsu was convicted for not complying with the (unconstitutional) Executive Order. In his dissent, Justice Robert Jackson called the exclusion order "the legalization of racism" that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteen Amendment. (https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/facts-and-case-summary-korematsu-v-us)

7. Rep. Grace Meng's testimonial on current hate crimes toward AAPI communities video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UszcGzeySl0

We must speak out unequivocally against all forms of racism and hatred against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. We must be united against hate.

The SUNY Empire SGA is very grateful that Kerr returned to the college community to share her experiences and has provided the college community with her understandings in writing, so that they may serve as a resource and reflection to help inspire solutions to ending discrimination, xenophobia, and racism in the United States. The SGA can be reached at SGA@esc.edu.

* “Getting Centered with Meditation and Mindfulness” sessions are currently being held on Thursday mornings on Connects. To find the link for upcoming sessions, please go to www.esc.edu/connects. For more information, please contact Bhuwan.Onta@esc.edu.