ASG condemns anti-Asian hate

Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) passed a sense of senate resolution condemning the recent rise in anti-Asian violence at its March 23 meeting.

This was ASG’s first sense of senate resolution after it passed a bill allowing the body to pass them at its Feb. 23 meeting.

The resolution was authored by RA Senator Cameron Bracely, Off-Campus Senators Nhu-Y Tran and Jakin Wu, Academic Senators Nikhil Patel and Alia Agee and Parliamentarian Evan Gates. It was also sponsored by Adam Vuth, William Bauer and Janna Maddox, executive board members for Miami’s Asian American Association (AAA).

The resolution states that hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased by 150% in the past year, which has negatively affected students’ sense of mental health, safety and identity.

It also criticizes law enforcement and the media for failing to identify racism as the cause of this recent violence.

“This sense of senate is looking to address how multiple law enforcement and media groups have attempted to water down and downplay these actions in Atlanta by using statements saying the shooter was claiming it wasn't a hate crime,” Wu said, “and that it was motivated by ‘sex addiction.’”

Several members of ASG spoke in support of the resolution.

“I think the lack of response from our university is quite alarming and concerning to say the least,” Academic Senator Vada Stephens said. “We keep finding ourselves in these situations ever so often, and I think that this is an important step, yet again, in getting our university to wake up.”

The resolution passed unanimously. On Monday, March 29, ASG released an official statement condemning the violence.

ASG’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 30 at 6 p.m.

@madphabes

phabymr@miamioh.edu