Prejudice against Asian-Americans has no place in America…

The first quarter of 2021 has brought events that are both encouraging and profoundly troubling. On the one hand,  I am encouraged by the resumption of face-to-face meetings between high-ranking American and Chinese officials, bringing hope that relations between our two nations may improve.  On the other hand, I have watched with dismay a resurgence of anti-Asian and anti-Asian American prejudice that not only violates basic standards of human decency but also contradicts our nation’s core belief that our strength derives from the fruitful convergence of diverse peoples and ideas.  The current outbreak of cruel words, violent and even lethal attacks is not, sad to say, a new phenomenon. It is rooted in centuries of distrust and bias that includes the first laws that our nation enacted to restrict the immigration of a specific ethnic population.  To state the matter clearly: Anti-Asian and anti-Asian American prejudice has no place in America; and I must emphasize that to condemn prejudice against Asians includes an equal condemnation of the prejudiced mistreatment of all others. 

How best to respond? Let us not treat the recent events as an unexpected “crisis” that requires immediate, dramatic action but then fades into the background. We are dealing with a dangerous infection that requires sustained and thoughtful effort to combat. Xenophobia will always be with us, lurking like a virus that spreads if we are not vigilant about our cultural health. May the events of the past weeks arouse us not to argue about who is at fault but attend to finding and implementing ways to heal. Together we can make the best use of our diversity to create a dynamic society enhanced by complex interactions rather than constrained by stale sameness.

Universities can play a key role in this process.  The Center for Asian Studies at UT Dallas reaffirms our commitment to foster knowledge and understanding of Asian and Asian American cultures through academic programs and educational opportunities provided to our students and the greater community. To adapt the words of the Greek historian Herodotus, our goal is to celebrate the remarkable achievements that have arisen and can arise from the productive convergence of East with West. Together we can make this a wiser, more inclusive  and truly greater community.

Dennis M. Kratz

Founding Director, Center for Asian Studies

Senior Associate Provost

Ignacy and Celina Rockover Professor of Humanities