Many have been shocked by the mounting incidents accompanying the terrible violence against other communities of color. The surprise that many have expressed over the outbreak is itself a sad commentary, as the history of racism and anti-Asian violence in America is as endemic as it has been continuous. It is time to acknowledge that reality, too, and stand against it. -Gordon Chang

BY SANDRA FEDER | May 10, 2021

This story first appeared in Stanford | News.

Here, scholars from the School of Humanities and Sciences reflect on historical and recent anti-Asian violence. They also discuss the many contributions of AAPI communities to California, the Bay Area and Stanford and how those communities have shaped their work.

In addition, scholars share their suggestions for books, articles, films and other resources where people can learn more about the contributions and history of AAPI communities. Read the full story here.

The Memory and Resistance Laboratory (MEM-RES) announces the Around Abolition Film Festival, a month-long run of films that engage with the urgent question of abolition. The festival runs through the month of May and features five film screenings as well as virtual conversations every Thursday with the filmmakers and MEM-RES organizers. The festival includes The Infiltrators by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, Criminal Queers by Eric Stanley and Chris Vargas, Alunsina by Kiri Dalena, The Prison in Twelve Landscapes by Brett Story and Re-Visions of Abolition by Setsu Shigematsu.

Across the five films and conversations, we hope the Around Abolition Film Festival will support and amplify the work of all those who have been in the streets uprising and all those who have been tirelessly organizing against anti-blackness and for the abolition of policing and the prison industrial complex. With broken hearts, we honor the memory of the most recent victims of police violence, Ma’Khia Bryant, Daunte Wright, and Adam Toledo. We hope this film festival will offer some space for critical reflection and some impetus for those new to abolition to help us continue to build the movement.

The Around Abolition Film Festival is produced with the support of the Department of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Riverside, The Southern California Library, the University of California Humanities Research Institute, and the Center for Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University. The Southern California Library’s digitization of CAPA videos was supported by a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), a program made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The conference is sponsored by the Stanford Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE), Digital Civil Society Lab (DCSL) at the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI).

Sculpture by CSRE Alumnx Kiyan Williams ('13)

Live Virtual DJ Dorien Blue ('17, AAAS)

Invitation art by Diego Marcial Rios

Stanford | Today

Sarah Heilshorn, Polly Fordyce, Jennifer Dionne and A-lan Holt first brought their kids to the office when they were infants in front packs. Now, many milestones later, they say growing up around campus has given their children a special sense of curiosity and community. Their children, in return, have given the Stanford scholars new ways of looking at their work – along with a commitment to normalizing parenthood in the early stages of an academic career. Filmed in 2019. Click here or on the image to view.

During the week of May 10, you will receive an invitation to take part in the first-ever university-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey. Part of the IDEAL initiative, the survey focuses on the individual experiences of community members at Stanford. Faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, students in the professional programs, postdoctoral scholars, staff and academic staff will be invited to participate.

During the development stage of the survey, many of you contributed feedback. We are very grateful for your input, which has helped shape the survey instrument. A summary of your feedback and suggestions as well as more information about the survey can be found on the survey website.

Why is this particular survey so important? Our intention with this survey is to provide an avenue for all community members to share their own experiences at Stanford. The survey will help us to include your voices in how we address our problems and where we put our resources – on both university-wide and local levels. Your responses will inform the actions we take to reach our goal of a truly inclusive university.

We invite news and stories written by and about our CCSRE community—including from faculty, students, staff, alumni, and on and off campus partners—as well as race-centered events to feature in our newsletter and blog.

Submit news, stories, & event information to drpearls@stanford.edu.