Welcoming New Stanford A3C’s Appointment of Assistant Director Sunny Trivedi

Dear President Richard Saller, Provost Jenny Martinez, Vice President Howard Wolfe, Dean Mona Hicks, Dean Deborah Satz, and other Stanford leaders:

We write as the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC) Board to share our enthusiasm for a recent development at the University.

We celebrate the appointment this fall of Sunny Trivedi, PhD ‘22, as Assistant Director at the Asian American Activities Center (A3C). Dr. Trivedi brings a wealth of knowledge to the role as a Stanford alumnus with a background in educational research; institutional diversity, equity and inclusion; and community-based organizations. He has professional experience on both coasts and the Midwest, including recent work with the Indo-American Center in Chicago, alongside Chicago Public Schools. He also served on the South Asian American Policy & Research Institute’s Community Equity Research Council.

In the first quarter of the 2023-24 academic year, “Sunny” -  as he is called by students -  spearheaded first-year initiatives and led New Student Orientation activities. As a South Asian American with roots in Gujarat, India, he provides a welcoming and inclusive touchpoint for Stanford’s diverse South, Southeast, and East Asian American students—all of whom rely on the A3C as a community anchor.

As the elected representatives of Stanford’s Asian and Pacific American alumni, we hope the University will continue its commitment to A3C personnel and program-dependent resources. With Dr. Trivdedi joining the Center’s vibrant and innovative leadership team—Director Linda Tran, BA ‘06, MA ‘07, Associate Director Dr. Jerald Adamos, and Assistant Director Latana Thaviseth—we see a bright future ahead for the A3C.

We continue to call on Stanford to engage with, be responsive to, and recruit Asian Americans for senior university leadership. This priority is highlighted by Professor Gordon Chang’s return to full-time teaching after concluding his term as Senior Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. (In the same vein, we welcome the appointment of Prof. Shashank Joshi of the School of Medicine in the newly-created role of Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Well-Being).

As alumni committed to our University whose values reflect its diverse campus life and leadership, the Board looks forward to collaborating with Stanford students, staff, faculty, and community members on SAPAAC’s advocacy and education projects. These include documenting the experiences of Asian Americans at Stanford through their oral histories; seeking active participation, co-creation, and collaboration with the Asian American community to acknowledge and commemorate the history and impact of Chinese laborers on campus; and continuing to support the ongoing development of Asian American Studies at Stanford.

We hope to stay in contact with you on these issues of high priority to our membership.

Sincerely,

The SAPAAC Board

Kevin Fan Hsu, President
Jennifer Xiong, Secretary
Kuldip Ambastha
Nelson Hsu
Josephine Lau
Caroline Lee
Danielle Limcaoco
Evelyn Mei
Jin Park
Katie Gee Salisbury
Risa Shimoda
Tutti Taygerly
Connie Chan Wang

[Board Statement] Welcoming New Appointments to Crucial Stanford AAPI Resources

To: President Marc Tessier-Levigne, Provost Persis Drell, Vice President Howard Wolf, Dean Mona Hicks, and Dean Debra Satz

We, the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC) Board, write to share our enthusiasm for two Fall Quarter developments at the University:

We celebrate the appointment of Linda Tran as the new Director of the Asian American Activities Center (A3C) and Associate Dean of Students. We are extremely proud that the A3C brings together diverse students from all years, empowering them to make new friends, engage in organizing and advocacy, and share their distinct cultures. The A3C hosts numerous interns, whose projects engage our Asian American community. It serves students as a home away from home, with spaces for meeting, socializing, learning, and simply hanging out—particularly critical as we recover from the isolation of the pandemic. Linda has an exemplary record of leadership in our community, from her days as a Stanford student to her past role as SAPAAC President. We have already seen positive results from her first quarter at Stanford, welcoming students back to campus and hosting events during New Student Orientation (NSO), a speaker series on “Finding Your Place” and campus resources, and Sib Family events. We look forward to many more years with the A3C in the care of Linda, and her dedicated A3C staff members Dr. Jerald Adamos and Latana Thaviseth.

We also extend a warm welcome to Dr. Thaomi Michelle Dinh, the new Associate Director of the Asian American Studies (AAS) Program. The Program offers core AAS courses for Stanford students of all backgrounds to explore the wide-ranging history and present-day experiences of Asian Americans, from the struggle for political and social inclusion to creative contributions in art and literature. We are particularly excited about Dr. Dinh’s interest in enhancing the undergraduate academic experience through expanded AAS course offerings. We are confident that the AAS program will continue to grow through the leadership of Dr. Dinh and the program director, Professor Steve Sano.

With the appointments of Associate Dean Linda Tran and Dr. Michelle Dinh, Stanford is renewing its commitment to maintain crucial resources for the Asian American student community. We applaud this maintenance, and call on Stanford to work with students, alumni, faculty and staff to explore how the University can expand support to Asian American students with concrete actions and dedicated resources.

Sincerely,
The SAPAAC Board
Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club

Kevin Fan Hsu, ‘09 and MS ‘11 (Secretary, SAPAAC)
Josephine Lau, ’02 and MA ‘04
Caroline Lee, PhD ‘09
Evelyn Mei, MS ‘17
Shizu Munekata, MA ’83
Jin Park, ‘91
Katie Gee Salisbury, ‘07
Risa Shimoda, ‘77
Connie Chan Wang, MA ‘05
Jennifer Xiong, ‘22
Cyndy Yu-Robinson, ‘87 (President, SAPAAC)
Catherine Zhao, MA ‘17
Crystal Zheng, ’10 and MA ‘11 (Chair, Advocacy & Education)

[Board Statement] AAPI Alumni Letter: Investing in Asian American Studies

Dear President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Persis Drell, Vice Provost Sarah Church, and Dean Debra Satz, 

As leaders of the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC), we are following up on an issue of high importance for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community: support for Asian American Studies. Over the past year, our community has been wrongfully blamed for the coronavirus pandemic, Asian-owned businesses have faced economic devastation, and more than 3,800 hate incidents have been reported nationwide. The meteoric rise in racially-motivated incidents underscores the need for Asian American Studies—a field of study that makes visible our community’s contributions and concerns. Asian American Studies affirms that we are an integral part of America’s narrative.

In May 2020, the SAPAAC Board of Directors wrote an open letter to Stanford’s leadership expressing concern about the diminished state of Asian American Studies. The same month, the Asian American Activities Center (A3C) supported a widely circulated petition signed by over 200 alumni to fund a multi-year, full-time lectureship in Asian American Studies. We were pleased to learn that these advocacy efforts contributed to the University’s recent commitment to fund a 3-year lecturer position. However, Asian American Studies still requires basic resources to become a thriving academic program on par with those at peer institutions and befitting a world-class university.

One year later, we continue to hear from AAPI students and alumni deeply concerned about Stanford’s lack of progress in strengthening Asian American Studies since its inception in 1997. The program has experienced strong student demand, yet struggles to offer core courses consistently—a problem linked to lack of full-time faculty and funding. We were also shocked by the recent decision to cut Cantonese language instruction—an allied program serving the AAPI community. Leland Stanford’s fortune was built on the backs of Cantonese railroad workers, and numerous students and alumni view courses in both Asian American Studies and Asian languages as vital to accessing our cultural heritage, building a shared community, and advancing equality and inclusion.

We applaud Provost Drell’s commitment to diversity through the IDEAL initiative and President Tessier-Lavigne’s recent statement in support of the AAPI community. While these are important steps, we hope the University will take concrete action beyond statements of concern to address our community’s needs. Specifically, we ask the University leadership to consider and act on the following:

• Establish in perpetuity several tenured faculty roles dedicated full-time to the Asian American Studies program. These faculty would advance education, research, and development of the program’s vision.

• Ensure “Introduction to Asian American Studies” and a broad array of other core and elective courses are offered every year, with a commitment to fund the associated teaching faculty and staff in perpetuity.

• Restore the Cantonese language program to its previous status of four courses per quarter, every year, taught by a salaried lecturer with benefits. Continue offering a variety of Asian & Pacific Islander language courses—including Filipino/Tagalog, Hawaiian, Hindi, Punjabi, Taiwanese, Tibetan, and Vietnamese among others—to reflect the diversity of the Stanford AAPI community.

• Consult SAPAAC as a representative of AAPI stakeholders. Engage with us in longitudinal discussions that include senior University leadership to develop a flourishing set of programs that enhance the Stanford AAPI experience.

Asian American alumni are the largest ethnic group of color among Stanford graduates. We care deeply about Stanford and ensuring it remains a leader in an increasingly diverse society. As past and present elected representatives of the AAPI alumni community, we welcome an ongoing dialogue with you to share how the hopes and aspirations of our community can be actively incorporated into Stanford’s vision—and recognized as integral to a truly inclusive campus. We look forward to your response.

With warmest regards,

Kevin Hsu ‘09 Asian American Studies Coalition (AASC) Chair & former SAPAAC President
Lan Le ‘10 SAPAAC President
Crystal Zheng ‘11 SAPAAC Advocacy Committee Chair
Ron Nakao ‘78 AASC Coordinating Committee Member
Nancy Tseng ‘00 AASC Coordinating Committee Member
Irene H. Yen ‘85 AASC Coordinating Committee Member

On behalf of the SAPAAC Board of Directors & Asian American Studies Coalition

Interested alumni can show your support for this letter by signing your name here

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Kathleen Ko Chin, Economics '80, alumni Multi-Cultural Hall of Fame inductee
Marsha Fong, Psychology '77, former SAPAAC Board Member, Co-Chair 2017 Stanford Asian Pacific Alumni Summit
Doug Chan, '76, President, Chinese Historical Society of America
Gloria S Kim, Chemistry '79, Director of Educational Programs at the Stanford Center for Asian Healthcare Research and Education (CARE)
Jacob Wang, Psychology '72, SAPAAC Board Member
Dr. John Chang, Human Biology '93, SAPAAC Board Member
Van Anh Tran '13, M.A. '14, former SAPAAC Treasurer and Board Member
Linda Tran, Asian American Studies '06, M.A. Sociology '07, former SAPAAC President
Mo-Yun Lei Fong, Chemical Engineering '95; M.A. Education '96, former SAPAAC Board Member
Katie Gee Salisbury, Interdisciplinary Humanities '07, M.A. Sociology '08, Chinese Language minor
Thuy-Van (Tina) Hang (formerly Duong) Asian American Studies & Biology '12
Judy Tzu-Chun Wu American Studies '92, A.M. History '93, Ph.D. History '98
Hope Nakamura, Economics '83
Takeo Rivera, CSRE '08, M.A. Modern Thought & Literature '09
Maria Deloso, Earth Systems '15, Stanford Alumni interviewer
Leslie Kim, English '98, Stanford staff
AnQi Yu, Film & Media Studies '21
Calvin Cheung-Miaw, Interdisciplinary Humanities '03; Phd Candidate, Modern Thought and Literature
Andrea Yung, Biology '12
James Li, Computer Science '19, M.S. Computer Science '19
Cynthia Liao Asian American Studies, M.A. Sociology '09
Roger W. Tang, Communications/Geology, '79
Ravi Chandra, MD
David J. Lam, PhD Psychology '70
Viet-Co Tran, History, '17
John W. Young, M.S. Statistic '86, PhD Education '89
Manoj Waikar, Biological Sciences '91
Jacqueline Ramos, Urban Studies '18
Vanuyen Pham, History '18
Melinda Su, MBA '95
Jude Leung, Psychology '02
Jeannie Shu, Psychology
Sabrina Yuan, M.S. GSB '16
Nina Loh, MD '93
Amy Chen, International Relations '01
Jean Lee, Urban Studies '93
Risa Shimoda, General Engineering / Product Design '77
Chester Day, Computer Science '00, Asian American Studies '00
Angela Zhang, International Relations, '16
Joanna Chan, MD
Elsa Tsutaoka, Biology '87
Aya Yagi, French, Music '14
Stanley N Shikuma, Biological Sciences '76
Kenneth Chiang, Political Science '84
Brian Cheu, Psychology '85
Evan Kratzer, JD '20
Sophia Kuo, PhD Cancer Biology
Prof. Jamie Tam, Biology, '10
Jason Pu, Psychology '95
Vivian Gee, '02, M.S. '02
Austyn Toshihiro Lee, Psychology '18
James C. Fong, M.S. EES '72
James Yan, PhD Chemistry '18
Munson Arthur Kwok, Mechanical Engineering '62, M.S. Aero & Astro '63, PhD Aero & Astro '67
Kenneth J. Hong, Anthropology '89, M.A. Sociology '90
Alan Chiu, M.S. GSB '11
Madeleine Lu Wang, Economics '95
Kathryn Han, Sociology '98
Masaru Oka, Physics '10
Steven Chen, Human Biology '95, MD '00
Michael Liu, East Asian Studies '83
Christopher Yeh, Computer Science '19, M.S. Computer Science '19
Meg Chan Feitelberg, Economics, '85
Yvette Yeh Fung, Psychology '82, JD '88
Ellen Lee '91
Colleen Jiang, East Asian Studies '11, International Relations, '11
Kairen Wong, MCS '12; M.S. Statistics '16
Dr. Kalei Inn, PhD Sociology of Education '75
Naoko Fujii, East Asian Studies '85
Amber Wong, Human Biology '77, M.S. Civil Engineering '78
Rosalyn Mahashin, '02
Jeremy Wang, '94
Gina Wei, Economics '16, M.A. Education '17
Jamie Kwan, Art & Art History '11
Joseph Huang, General Engineering '85, M.S. Aero Astro '86, M.S. Civil/Environmental Engineering '92
Karen Kurosawa '20
Elsa Tsutaoka, Biology '87
Emily Burton, M.A. Education '05
Shaw Yean Lim, Mathematics '07, M.S. MS&E '07
Girard D. Lau, Economics '81
Bernadette Cay, Management Science & Engineering '10
Bo-Gay Tong Salvador, Psychology '71
Rose Chan, Communications/International Relations '82
David Wang, Symbolic Systems '15, M.S. Computer Science '17
Nicel Mohamed-Hinds, Physics '19
Yang Lor, Sociology '08
Elizabeth Wong, M.A. Education '12
Sylvia Fan, Mechanical Engineering '92, MSME ‘94
Bill Shen, Public Policy '98
David Yoon, MBA '00
Kyle James Abraham, Asian American Studies '15
Niki Nguyen, Political Science, CSRE minor '21, M.A. Sociology '21

[Board Statement] SAPAAC on the State of Asian American Studies in 2020

Dear President Marc Tessier-Levine, Provost Persis Drell, Vice Provost Harry Elam and Professor Sarah Church, and other University Leaders,

As the organization representing Stanford’s Asian American and Pacific Islander alumni—the university’s largest ethnic minority community—SAPAAC remains highly attuned to student experiences on campus. We wish to highlight the concerns of recent graduates and long-time alumni about the state of Asian American Studies at Stanford. At a stock-take during the global Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Summit in 2017, alumni were surprised and dismayed at the lack of progress in securing faculty and resources for the Asian American Studies program, despite its founding two decades prior. The program still cannot hire its own tenured faculty and relies on professors in other departments and part-time lecturers to teach all courses. We are astonished that a university of Stanford’s reputation, in a state as diverse as California, has no full-time instructors housed in Asian American Studies—and cannot even consistently offer an introductory course in the subject.

We saw welcome progress this year when “Introduction to Asian American Studies” was taught at Stanford again, for the first time in a decade. The exceptionally strong enrollment and positive feedback speaks to the demand for these classes. To maintain a thriving program that meets student interest and fulfills an important educational need, courses in Asian American Studies must be scheduled regularly, and taught by engaged, full-time instructors—not only offered on an itinerant basis, where faculty from other departments teach on borrowed time.

We strongly support the student-driven initiative, joined by many alumni, asking the University to create and fund a full-time Asian American Studies lecturer position with a multi-year contract. We also ask the University to step up and empower the program to hire faculty, lecturers, and executive staff to ensure that a core set of classes is offered on an annual basis, so that students who wish to major in, or simply be trained in, Asian American Studies can do so. We do not want to hear any more reports of students being discouraged from majoring in this field due to lack of classes.

The Provost’s Statement on Diversity and Inclusion and the launch of the IDEAL dashboard in 2019 were encouraging steps in the right direction that highlighted your administration’s renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion. We hope you will take action to match your inspiring words by providing meaningful support to Asian American Studies.Racist incidents on Stanford campus this past year, and the worrying increase of hate crimes witnessed across the country during the pandemic show that ethnic studies programs—including Asian American Studies—are more important than ever. These disciplines illuminate our country’s history and social fabric, and reveal how people of diverse ethnicities and ancestries have always been an integral part of the story of America, a nation of immigrants.

As a leading university based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the movement for ethnic studies originated, Stanford has the potential to cultivate a flourishing Asian American Studies program that befits a leading institution of higher education—and that is commensurate with the enormous enthusiasm and ongoing contributions by Asian American students and alumni to university life. We urge Stanford to fulfill this collective aspiration and live up to its commitment to genuine diversity.

Sincerely,
Concerned Members of the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Community

Solina Kwan, SAPAAC President

John Chang, SAPAAC Board Member

Mo Fong, SAPAAC Board Member

Kevin Hsu, past SAPAAC President

Dan Kojiro, SAPAAC Board Member

Lan Le, SAPAAC Board Member

Jay Wang, SAPAAC Board Member


See the companion petition expressing concern about Asian American Studies that has collected signatures across generations of Stanford alumni

Alumni Letter to the White House on anti-Asian sentiment during COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Mr. President:

We are the Stanford University Asian Pacific American Alumni community. The current coronavirus pandemic outbreak is causing much fear among the American population. In times like these, some citizens will, unfortunately, look to scapegoat others and direct anger and violence towards them.

Because the outbreak initially occurred in a major city in China, and spread from there to much of the world, some misguided people have already been mistakenly directing their fear and anger toward Chinese Americans, or Asian Americans in general (or even those simply perceived to be Asian). Numerous incidents of harassment and physical assaults on Asians have already occurred around this country.

In recent statements, you have frequently referenced the coronavirus as a “Chinese virus,” or a “China virus,” defending this label as an accurate depiction of the origin of the virus, and as a defense against the false claim that the U.S. military may have brought the virus to China. However, such rhetoric also encourages others to blame all people of Chinese ancestry, and even Asians in general, for the misery caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites World Health Organization practices in naming new human infectious diseases, which suggests not formally calling diseases by geographic, country, cultural, or economic sector names, to avoid stigma against a specific population. As of March 25, 2020 the CDC itself stated: “Fear and anxiety can lead to social stigma, for example, towards Chinese or other Asian Americans...Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem.”

Racially-motivated harassment and violence against Asians in the United States has already repeatedly occurred, even during the mere infancy of the viral outbreak. As we head into the worst of the pandemic in the weeks to come, mass unemployment, hundreds of thousands of illnesses and hospitalizations, and potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths will occur here in the United States. In such trying and difficult circumstances, desperation and anger will increase exponentially, greatly elevating the risk of more frequent and more serious harassment and assault directed against Asians living in the United States.

We therefore ask you, Mr. President, going forward, to continue to no longer refer to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” or the “China virus.” We are not asking for an apology, nor looking to assign blame for past racist incidents. Indeed, we appreciate your comments on March 23, 2020, condemning virus-related harassment of Asian Americans. We ask that you continue in this positive direction by actively discouraging misguided elements of our society from taking out their fear and anger on innocent Asians living in this country. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Stanford University Asian Pacific American Alumni

Many thanks to SAPAAC member Girard Lau, ‘81, for initiating this statement.

[Board Statement] Concern over Verbal Assaults Against API Students and Staff

To the Leadership of Stanford University,

Every generation of Stanford students deserves to learn and grow in an environment that is safe, respectful, and welcoming. As alumni of Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) descent, we were disturbed by the reports of harassment of API persons on the Stanford campus since February, including students and staff members of the Asian American Activities Center. We understand that incidents have occurred across campus, including at White Plaza, Tresidder, the bookstore, the arboretum, and that the verbal assaults included suggestions that Asians were “invading” campus.

(1)  We encourage the University to thoroughly investigate the assaults and do its utmost to prevent individuals who use threatening language from repeating this behavior.

(2)  We ask the University to reassure Asian American and Pacific Islander students and staff that they are in a safe environment, and to affirm that Asians are welcome on campus.

(3)  We suggest proactively meeting with the API community and listening to their concerns on these matters, whether students or their staff and alumni representatives. Their insights can inform the response to such incidents, as well aid the University in creating a broader environment of inclusion.

As concerned alumni, we will continue to monitor the situation and will consult with the A3C and API groups to ensure that students feel safe. We hope that concrete actions are taken in response to these incidents, and periodically placed back on the Administration’s agenda for review.

Thank you for supporting an educational environment that welcomes all persons, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality. 

Sincerely,
Board of Directors, SAPAAC
Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club

[Board Statement] Support for Martial Arts Groups

Dear Susie Brubaker-Cole, Emelyn dela Peña, and Student Activities Leadership,

We write to share the collective dismay of many Asian American and Pacific Islander alumni who participated in martial arts and other club activities while at Stanford and were positively affected by their experience. Over the years, martial arts groups have established a track record of serving the Stanford community. We were thus very surprised to hear that all the groups were suspended—and particularly distressed that this decision was carried out right as students were ending the quarter, without adequate time for consultation and with little chance for appeal.

We understand that many students and alumni supporters have written letters expressing their support for martial arts groups, and asking for the temporary suspension to be lifted. We hope that the groups can operate normally and recruit students this fall, while working to comply with any newly-enumerated university requirements. Otherwise, they risk being unable to recruit new student participants, which could negatively impact their ability to serve the Stanford community, as well as prevent them from meeting the VSO standards regarding student membership and leadership.

Given this wave of collective outcry, we thank you for responding with your letter to the community. We appreciate that students and alumni are heard by the Stanford administration. We hope you will work productively with martial arts groups to resolve any outstanding matters. In the meantime, we wish to bring to your attention a few points that have arisen through our own dialogue with martial arts groups at Stanford:

1)    Participating in martial arts is a crucial outlet for many students to maintain both physical and mental well-being. Time and again, we are reminded that mental health is incredibly important. Please keep this option available to students.

2)    In addition to training their own members, martial arts groups offer services to the Stanford community at large, including free seminars on women’s self-defense. Such trainings are well-received and provide a useful service.

3)    Martial arts are passed down from teacher to student, and refined through years of practice. It is crucial that groups be allowed to recruit high-quality instructors with sufficient experience to safely train others. Inexperienced students training other inexperienced students is not a feasible model for safely running a martial arts group.

4)    Many of Stanford’s martial arts groups draw from traditions that originated in the Asia-Pacific region, including karate, kendo, tae kwan do, wushu and others. Through martial arts, Stanford students encounter Asian cultures in a positive context. We hope this cultural representation can be sustained by allowing martial arts clubs to operate.

5)    If student groups are intended to be “student run, student led,” please respect the wishes of students in maintaining a unique culture and high standard of martial arts instruction and practice.

6)    The student activities working group that will address these issues only appears to have room for one “alumnus.” Given the interest of alumni as part or present participants in Stanford martial arts groups, we wonder if more alumni engagement could be possible.

7)    In the future, we hope that when undertaking sweeping actions that impact many members of the Stanford community, a more proactive and consultative approach can be adopted. A respectful genuine dialogue would allow the Stanford community sufficient time to respond, instead of a mandate during finals week.

Again, we appreciate your response to our community’s letters. Stanford’s API alumni will continue to observe this issue, and we look forward to a productive resolution. We fondly recall Stanford to be a safe learning environment, where students are empowered to pursue diverse interests and passions, including in the martial arts—and are eager to see it remain this way for future generations.

Sincerely,
Board of Directors, SAPAAC
Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club

More background on the issue can be found here:
http://www.sapaac.org/issues-advocacy/2019/8/1/stanford-martial-arts

[Board Statement] Congratulations to the Stanford and the Asian American Activities Center (A3C) on hiring a third staff member

The A3C provides a vital sense of family and community for Asian American and Pacific Islander students at Stanford. We welcome the long-awaited appointment of an additional assistant director, Latana Thaviseth, who will enable the Center to continue its critical mission of serving students.

We applaud the Stanford administration for responding to input from students, alumni, and A3C staff on this matter. Budgeting resources to hire a third A3C staff member shows the University recognizes the value of our Community Centers.

As representatives of Stanford’s Asian American and Pacific Islander alumni community, SAPAAC remains interested in the well-being of students. We hope the new staff position will be made permanent, so that the A3C can continue serving Stanford students for generations to come.

Sincerely,
Board of the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC)

Alumni Letter to Stanford Administration on Responses to Sexual Assault

Not in our name: don’t “protect the Stanford brand” at the cost of human beings

As a community of Stanford alumni with a profound sense of commitment to our alma mater, we are deeply shaken by the latest allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power, where graduate students were left vulnerable to powerful faculty. We are shocked by the culture of impunity and normalization that allowed these crimes to occur unchecked.

The allegations appear to be part of a distressing pattern of institutional inertia: Stanford’s disappointing handling of sexual assault and sexual harassment claims by students and faculty, bureaucratic hush-ups during the Brock Turner rape case, and other actions that have hindered advocates for the victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Rather than launching into another iteration of crisis management and brand protection, could the university administration simply admit a problem exists and engage in deep personal, community and institutional reflection? Why do we treat survivors in this way? What incentive structures give rise to this treatment and could this system be reformed? Ultimately, what kind of culture do we wish to cultivate at Stanford? The courage of such an open approach would be far more inspirational to students and alumni than trying to sweep it under the rug, and could spark social impact beyond our campus borders.

As an example of a way forward, the Stanford Daily and the national press recently reported about Dr. Seo-Young Chu, at one time a Stanford graduate student, who was allegedly raped by a faculty member. Stanford could support redress for Dr. Chu by joining in the public calls for ASECS, a scholarly organization that had honored the alleged perpetrator until she spoke up, to “acknowledge the reason for rescinding his name from the award” and to “apologize for...violence enacted, however unwittingly, in naming this award.”

However, the issues go beyond any single case and point to a more systemic problem of power imbalances that enable abuse. In developing the university’s plans for preventing and responding to harassment, assault, and other violations of trust, and combating toxic masculinity in academia, we also encourage Stanford to seek broader and more meaningful participation by those who are most vulnerable: students.

In service of greater transparency, university leaders could better explain the conditions under which faculty who are accused or found to have committed sexual assault return to teaching, or are invited to campus to teach in the first place. To regain trust, it would also be helpful for the university to enumerate what safeguards have been implemented; avoid penalizing survivors or their advocates; and adopt clearer communication that smacks less of corporate obfuscation. Perhaps graduate student orientation could even explicitly address these issues and highlight feasible recourse for students, given an existing power structure that has not yet evolved.

If an oftentimes vapid Hollywood can express its horror at sexual assault and begin to examine the depravity of the industry’s embedded misogyny, could the Stanford English Department, or School of Humanities & Sciences, or the larger Stanford community, not do the same? Given the University’s claims to be exceptionally “innovative,” full of the “brightest minds,” and committed to “creating cultured and useful citizens in the service of humanity” could the administration find an equally innovative approach and stand out as a leader in the country when confronted by ethical challenges? Is it possible for our institution to respond with greater humanity, and to avoid resorting to callous corporate strategies that undercut the victims and obscure the issue?

After all, we didn’t graduate from a corporation—we joined a Stanford family. We see current students as our brothers and sisters. That is why as alumni, we speak out today. Stanford is not simply its brand or its reputation. It is most of all constituted by its people: students, staff, faculty, and alumni—living, working, learning and thriving together, generation after generation.

Organizational incentives gone awry have resulted in the university deflecting responsibility, silencing victims, and downplaying problems. Instead of tackling ethical challenges head on, issues are minimized or swept under the rug, all in the name of “protecting the brand.” We expect far more than anodyne corporate-speak from Stanford.

We recognize that managing a university is a complex, difficult task. Administrators bear many responsibilities, and must balance the interests of numerous stakeholders and donors. Therefore, we feel it imperative to make clear the interests of a number of us in the alumni community.

Let us be unequivocal: as alumni, we wish to prioritize our fellow Stanford family members. We care about their lives, their physical and mental health, their academic flourishing, their basic human rights. Their well-being is far more important, and far more precious, than the contrived notion of a “corporate brand.” We would never sacrifice our brothers or sisters simply to protect a brand.

We urge the University to do better: to be more transparent, to show urgency rather than annoyance, and to lead with moral clarity. Silence is complicity. We also ask Stanford to treat members of our community as human beings, not as cases to be managed. Addressing each instance of violence and harm with appropriate concern for people would better demonstrate Stanford’s values.

We urge the University to begin a period of reflection, leading to institutional change at the campus and departmental level, so that those in positions of power will treat all members of the Stanford community as human beings—persons worthy of care and respect.

We love Stanford, and in our hearts, we know it is better than this. The University has tackled some of the world’s great challenges. We hope that it will also take on this important work at home.

With love, concern and gratitude,

Solina Kwan '92
SAPAAC Board Member

Justin Lam '13
SAPAAC Board Member

Brian Cheu '85
SAPAAC Board Member

Rachel Cao '15
SAPAAC Board Member

Linda Tran '06
SAPAAC Board Member & President, Emeritus

Kim Truong '10

Benjamin Chang MS '90

Keiko Suda '97

Kevin Hsu '08, MS '11
SAPAAC Board Member

Van Anh Tran '13
SAPAAC Board Member

Dan Kojiro '74
SAPAAC Board Member

Takeo Rivera 08, MA '09
SAPAAC Board Member, Emeritus

Julie Yumi Hatta '78
SAPAAC Board Member, Emeritus

Laura Yuen '15, MS '16

Mo-Yun Lei '95, MA '96

Madeleine Han '17

You are invited to sign here to express your support for this statement. Your signature will be added to the collective. We welcome alumni from any graduating year and of any Stanford affiliation or department.

Kristine Tom '13, MS '15

Carlos Gomez '15

Irene Hsu ‘17

Carmel Yuen ‘85

Vanuyen Pham ‘18

Akin Salawu ’96

Kris Carpenter Negulescu ’92, MA’94

Jeanine Becker JD ’99

Maria Breaux ’91

Amy Aniobi ’06

Kerry Stivaletti ’92

Lucila Ek ’92

Cynthia Castro Sweet ’92

Navin Kadaba '08

Hyemin Han PhD ‘16

Teresa Hofer  '08 

Alison Buchsbaum ‘15

Emily Cheng

Kim Huynh ’14

Miki Nguyen ’04

Angela Sy ’16 M.S. ’17

Jane Huang ’09

Catherine Zaw ’15

Stephanie Krapf ’92

Jane Lin ’92, ’93

Ellen Schwerin ’92

You are invited to sign here  to express your support for this statement. Your signature will be added to the collective. We welcome alumni from any graduating year and of any Stanford affiliation or department.

Anne Hartridge ’92

Kam Brecher ’96

Becca Bracy Knight ’93

Michelle Cave ’91, MA ’92, MBA ’03

Brinton Clark ’92

Yelena Furman ’92

Ellen Posman ’92

Amy Taylor ’98

Katrina Matheson ’01

Karina Bahrin ’92

Earth Cervantes-Castillo ’94

David Whelan ’92

Lisa Grove ’92

Jeff Blumberg ’91

Miguel Ascencios ’91

Leslie Ann Roldan ’92

Mary Jo Chase ’92

Roberto Prieto ’92

Jennifer Derwingson ’92

Sarah Bernstein Jones ’92

Stefanie Huie ’94

Larissa Vidal

John Bartol ’92

Karen Kramer ’92, JD ’95

Rosaur Sandoval ’02

Martha Brockenbrough ’92

Heather Orosco ’92

Julie Fneker Lindsey ’92

Valerie Mih ’92

Emi Macuaga ’95

Kevin Smith ’92

Kasandra Vitacca Mitchell ’92, MA ‘93

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You are invited to sign here to express your support for this statement. Your signature will be added to the collective. We welcome alumni from any graduating year and of any Stanford affiliation or department.

Audrey Ho '15, MS '17

Michaela Sanchez-Wallace '92

Elizabeth Desmond '91

Elisabeth Osgood-Campbell '92

Roxana Maldonado '92

Yin Yin Ou '12

Sunita Nasta '91

Pete Hoyes '92

Jason Gische '92

Libby Feil '91

Shilla Nassi '91

John Chang '93

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Interested in having a dialogue about this issue? Write to us at sapaac.talk@gmail.com