Statement in Solidarity with Asian and Asian American Communities Across the United States
On March 16, 2021, a white gunman killed eight people at three Asian American-owned businesses in the Atlanta area. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent. This disturbing act is part of a long history of abuse and violence aimed at Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American, and other communities of color.
The Department of History at Santa Clara University vehemently condemns the racialized and sexualized violent attacks against Asian Americans, which include a series of attacks since the start of the pandemic as well as the murders that took place in and around Atlanta on Tuesday night. We also condemn the pervasive discrimination and stereotyping that has hurt Asian Americans for far too long. We stand in solidarity with our Asian and Asian American colleagues, students, friends, family, and neighbors.
As historians, we understand that racial violence has a long history in the United States--a history tied to colonialism, slavery, and imperialism. While this is indeed our past, it doesn’t have to be our future.
Santa Clara’s History Department strives to be a community of scholars in which students and faculty engage in vigorous inquiry to study and understand the past.
This is the product of both interpretation of what others have written about the past and original scholarship that expands the boundaries of historical knowledge. Because history is what the present says about the past, it is continuously undergoing reinterpretation. Examination of the construction of history is therefore at the base of learning and scholarship within the department.
Through an integrated approach to teaching, learning, and scholarship, students will become informed about their own and other cultures in a global context, will develop broadly reflective and analytic skills, and will prepare themselves to be engaged citizens serving their societies.
History isn’t just for patriots
"We teach students how to understand the U.S., not to love it — or hate it." Read the Washington Post's article on the importance of teaching students all aspects of history.