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Support for the Asian Community

MBA CSEA responds to the sharp rise in violence against people of Asian descent worlwide since the pandemic began.
 
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp rise in violence against people of Asian descent worldwide. Just a few months after the virus reached pandemic state, anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 21% in the United Kingdom. Research conducted in June, 2020 indicated that half of Canadians of Chinese ethnicity experienced being called names or insults because of the virus. News reports in countries across the world including France, Italy, and Brazil contain similar accounts.

According to Columbia University, there have been nearly 3,800 self-reported incidents of anti-Asian violence in the United States in the past year. 76% of Asian American have expressed worry about anti-Asian hate crimes, harassment, or discrimination because of COVID-19. The recent murders in Atlanta, GA are one in a long line of horrendous and unnecessary acts of violence and hate.

We acknowledge the pain, hurt and anger being felt and expressed by our Asian and Pacific Islander colleagues, members, friends, and students over recent events, as well as those experienced globally by all races and ethnicities over the past year, and we condemn all acts of racism.

As a global professional association, we value and embrace diversity in every facet of our membership and within our members' institutions. We want every member of our association to know that they are welcome and included in every step of their membership journey. We also want to be sure, as leaders within institutions of higher education and corporations, that our members have the tools they need to be in a position of influence within their own organizations. Most of all, as professionals that support and influence the career development of future business leaders around the world, we look to instill a deep sense of diversity, equality, and inclusion among all of our stakeholders and constituents.  

After concluding a successful virtual conference last week focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, we continue to focus on global unity and partnership among all people and perspectives. We look forward to featuring content on unconscious bias at our upcoming Virtual European Conference, and are securing a speaker on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for our Global Conference. We hope you will join us for these opportunities to be a part of the collaborative conversation and facilitate similar conversations within your institutions.

Our organization will continue to build, strive, and contribute to bringing resources and support for our members to tackle these issues around the world. Each of us must identify, challenge and work to change the structures and behaviors that perpetuate systemic and acute acts of racism within our organizations and our country.

Stronger together means everyone.
 
John Helmers, MBA CSEA President
Megan Hendricks, MBA CSEA Executive Director

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