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May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and is observed annually to celebrate the contributions that generations of AAPIs have made to American history, society, and culture. The theme of AAPI Heritage Month this year is Advancing Leaders Through Purpose Driven Service.

Department of Pathology Statement on AAPI Hate

 

From the Desk of Dr. Carla Ellis-Director of Wellness Diversity and Inclusion

Once again, I write in sadness as our country continues to be ravaged by an unrelenting pandemic.  We are now gripped by the news of violent attacks against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.  On Tuesday March 16th, a gunman killed eight people in Atlanta, including six Asian-American women, who were targeted because of their ethnicity.  Numerous other attacks have taken place since then, and in close proximity to that time.  As stated in March of 2020, the Northwestern Department of Pathology condemns any sort of brutality, discrimination, prejudice, or hate crimes toward any individual.  We vigilantly stand by our AAPI community at this time of mourning.

Structural racism against Asian Americans is still pervasive in our country, amidst conspiracy theories blaming Asians for the global pandemic.   It should be clear that hate is the most detrimental virus to us all, and I would like to sincerely thank the members of our department who have recently shared their experiences with me.   As such, I am working closely with the office of social justice education to schedule bystander intervention training (among other types of training) for anyone in our department who is interested in learning more.  Please contact me if you are interested and keep an eye out for more information coming soon.  In the interim, below is a list of suggestions and resources available to the larger Northwestern community on how to engage and educate if these situations arise:

In solidarity,

Carla L. Ellis MD, MS

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