Asian American communities are suffering acts of discrimination, hate crimes, and micro-aggressions due to fears of COVID-I9.

Since the December 2019 outbreak of the COVID-l9 virus in Wuhan, China, the infection has grown to more than 125.68 million confirmed cases and more than 2.75 million confirmed deaths worldwide. Scientists have confirmed that the COVID-l9 disease does not respect borders and is not caused by ethnicity, and the World Health Organization has cautioned against using geographic descriptors because they can fuel ethnic discrimination.

The use of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric, referring at times to the COVID-l9 virus as the "Chinese virus," and "Kung-Flu" is inaccurate and stigmatizing, tends to incite fear and xenophobia, and may put Asian Americans at risk of retaliation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a destabilizing force that has resulted in a disproportionate impact on California’s most vulnerable communities, which has contributed to a deterioration in the level of tolerance, civility and equity in our society. Evidenced by an increase in racially motivated attacks on people of Asian descent and higher mortality rates from COVID-19 illness among Native Americans, African Americans and LatinX persons.

Mendocino College denounces xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiment and does not support the rhetoric and racist remarks regarding the COVID-19 virus. We join cities, counties, and states across the country in affirming its commitment to the safety and well-being of Asian Americans and in combating hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Mendocino Colleges’ unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion requires that we advocate and use our collective voice to identify and eliminate those barriers to equity and that we act deliberately to create a safe and inclusive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community.