PARK: Rutgers, do not fail your Asian American students
Column: The Queue
By now, many of you have probably heard of Christina Yuna Lee. Or, perhaps the headline stating that a New York City woman was stabbed and killed may sound more familiar.
Lee was followed into her Chinatown apartment and murdered in her bathroom. She was 35. She was a Rutgers alumna, having graduated from Livingston College in 2008.
The Rutgers Alumni Association released a brief statement entitled "Standing Against Hate." While this statement is not a press release or a CNN news article, the title lacks any context to the situation — an attack on an Asian American woman.
It ends with a quote, not from our president or a Rutgers affiliated source but from New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D): “We stand with our Asian community today." The piece goes on to add, "The Rutgers community does as well.”
While the attack is not being investigated as a hate crime, this factor certainly cannot be ignored. The New York City Police Department has stated that there was a 361 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes since last year.
We could discuss the morals and issues surrounding this case. The man charged for her murder, Assamad Nash, was arrested four times for assault, possession of drugs and harassment.
He was homeless, and while there are arguments to be made that say to help the homeless or defund the police that are important, that is a discussion for another day. So how does this case relate to Rutgers?
Vahini Shori, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, posted a short essay on Instagram offering her thoughts on Lee and Rutgers’ lack of acknowledgment. She wrote, “But a university that sits in one of the largest Asian communities in the country, who boasts a population where Asian students make up 24.9%, tricked me into thinking that they recognized Asian Americans at all.”
This got me thinking. Shori is right. Both the University and society, in general, have little to say about Lee. I will admit it: I, unfortunately, found out from a Twitter notification followed by a text from my mother telling me to “be careful.” What we need is informative and mental health resources, as well as a place to be educated on social issues relating to communities of Asian Americans.
These resources should be made available to students anywhere and especially where a tragedy like this affects the student body so directly. The Asian American community lost one of our own and so did the Rutgers community.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Asian Americans, including students and the elderly, were being targeted and blamed for starting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. From microaggressions to fatal attacks, there is increased worry that can have a huge toll on people’s health, mentally and physically.
Beyond awareness and recognition, more universities including Rutgers should provide ways to help and support Asian American students. Though, that is just the first step. We pay thousands of dollars to get an education, but some of the biggest lessons Asian American students — and students of color — learn are ones of hate, discrimination and finding our own identity that stem from outside an academic setting.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased over the last few years, but this is not something that is new to our society. Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and the gay rights movement are only some examples of taking a stand. Hate based on the overarching culture of racism, gender and sexuality has left many people frustrated, unheard and unseen.
We must pay attention to this issue. Whether it is the lack of mental health resources available to people, the lack of resources to the homeless or just a patriarchal, corrupt system, we have no answers to an answerless question. We as students have a voice where we can continue to express advocacy for marginalized groups who may live in fear.
As an Asian American woman, I want to walk around without fear. On our campus, I do feel safe. But that is not to say I, like many other students on campus, do not now have my guard up a little higher than I did last week.
I love Rutgers. I love what we stand for, and I love the pride that comes with being a Scarlet Knight brings me. But the lack of recognition and respect for Lee’s death from Rutgers has me wondering whether our community is doing the most it can for its Asian American students.
We can have hundreds of vigils for lost lives, but Lee’s death serves as a reminder to people everywhere that there is still violence regarding attacks against the Asian American community. Due to its proximity to our school, the recognition of anti-Asian hate crimes should be even more relevant in society today, and especially on our campus.
Annabel Park is a Rutgers Business School first-year majoring in marketing and minoring in journalism. Her column, "The Queue," typically runs on alternate Fridays.
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