#StopAsianHate

I am horrified by the recent racist attacks on the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The shootings last week in Atlanta are heartbreaking and enraging, and this is not an isolated event. The increase in violent attacks on Asian-Americans here in San Francisco adds to the overwhelming weight of the racism we are still dealing with. It is hard to find the right things to say, but to say nothing is unacceptable.

Our school wide expectations (that students are Brave, Accountable, Respectful, and Kind) include ways we can and should stand against racism and oppression every day. We should all bravely stand up against racism and oppression in any form. We should be accountable for our own biased thinking and actions, and aware of the ways these things are sometimes unconscious. We should be respectful of our differences, and see those differences as a source of strength.

Lastly, we should approach one another with kindness in all that we do. This is not just work for students, but for each and every member of our community. Our diversity can be a great source of strength, but only when we are inclusive of all voices.

A call to action in the middle of a pandemic is difficult, and I wish I had a better list of things we can do to help.

● Ask for help if you need it!

○ Students, you can refer yourself to wellness if you need support. Asking for that help is not weakness, it takes real strength. Here’s the link for the wellness self referral.

○ Families, please reach out to us and let us know if there is anything we can do to help you through this. It is difficult for us to come together as a community this year, but we are still here and want to help.

● Check in on your AAPI friends and neighbors. This is a frightening time for so many reasons, and adding this to the already overwhelming year we’re going through is just a lot.

● If there are things we can do better as a community, name them. We can only get better working together.

● Here are some additional things you can do:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-you-can-do-to-fight-violence-and-racism-against-asian-americans

I want to end with words from an email I received from a student today that felt very on point:

“Optimistically, I hope this attempt will be the start of cultural understanding between everyone at Wallenberg. There is a lot of hate in this world right now, and we tend to forget that we are on the same side. Hope is hard to maintain when you see your people hurt, assailants remaining free. However, we are the future. If the hate doesn't end with us, when will it stop?”

- Principal Kelly