New York, NY (December 21, 2022) — Committee of 100, a non-profit membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, today issued the following statement:
“The mockery of Asian languages by Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon in a commencement setting was deplorable and inexcusable. This type of behavior only contributes to the vicious cycle of hatred, bigotry and violence directed at Chinese Americans and the AAPI community. An attack on Asian Americans, be it verbal or physical, is an attack on all Americans. Education leaders should be held to an especially high standard as they nurture the leaders of tomorrow. Chancellor Thomas did just the opposite, and while the Chancellor did issue an apology, the AAPI community has endured the pain of this type of mockery for far too long. Words have meaning, and racially charged words have consequences. We urge groups and organizations across all communities to join with Committee of 100 in making such behaviors unacceptable in American life.”
Xenophobia in the U.S. towards Chinese Americans and the larger AAPI population often manifests across a myriad of words, phrases, and tropes. To help combat this issue, Committee of 100 crafted an anti-hate glossary as a guide for identifying terms, phrases, and imagery often associated with the Asian community. The glossary can serve as an accessible reference with examples to illustrate the types of language to combat and can be downloaded here: bit.ly/antihateglossary.
About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as the preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org/ or follow Committee of 100 on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.
Contact
Charles Zinkowski
Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications
Committee of 100
czinkowski@committee100.org
