Syracuse University has experienced at least 10 vicious racial discrimination incidents in the past two and a half weeks.
Various offensive graffiti targeting Asian, African American, and Jewish communities, along with property damage and the rampant spread of hate speech, have left the entire campus in unease and panic, and the reputation of this prestigious university is suffering a severe blow.
Escalating Racial Discrimination Incidents
This series of racial discrimination incidents began on November 7th.
Students in Day Hall dormitory reported finding insulting phrases and graffiti targeting African American and Asian individuals in common areas, and name tags on the doors of multiple African American students were maliciously torn off.
When the students who reported the incidents met with campus security and university leaders, they were actually asked not to share what had happened.
It was not until the evening of the 11th that the university administration notified the entire campus about the recent events, expressing regret in an email for "not having communicated more broadly."
However, the vicious racial discrimination incidents did not stop there. Between the 14th and the 16th, multiple Nazi symbols and anti-Asian graffiti appeared on campus, and a Chinese student and several African American students were subjected to various racist verbal attacks.
On the 18th, all fraternity social activities across the university were suspended.
The racial discrimination incidents continued to worsen. On the 19th, students studying in the library were air-dropped the white supremacist manifesto of the suspect in the New Zealand mosque mass shooting. A Hispanic Jewish professor at Syracuse University also received an anonymous threatening email telling her she should be sent to a "Nazi crematorium."
After investigation, the Syracuse campus police stated that they had not found any "credible threats," and that the airdrop of the "white supremacist manifesto" was likely just a rumor spread on social media. The investigation into the racial discrimination incidents is ongoing.
The University's Inadequate Handling Sparks Widespread Dissatisfaction
It can be said that the current severity of the racial discrimination incidents at Syracuse University is largely due to the university's mishandling.
As early as the 13th, Syracuse University students had criticized the administration's cover-up and spontaneously organized a one-day #NotAgainSU sit-in protest, demanding stronger action from the university. Faculty also expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with the administration.
New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo condemned the university's response as insufficient and called on the board of trustees to hire external investigators. Syracuse University alumnus and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also tweeted urging attention to the situation.
This is not the first time racial discrimination incidents have occurred at Syracuse University. Last year, 15 members of the Theta Tau fraternity were punished for similar discriminatory incidents.
Some students, staff, and alumni even stated that Syracuse University has a long history of racial discrimination incidents, yet the administration has never given them adequate attention or handling, and this year is no different.
Currently, under pressure and demands from multiple parties, the FBI has joined the latest investigation into the incidents. On the 21st, the Syracuse University president announced that he agreed to meet 16 of the 19 demands raised by international students and student protesters, and would suggest minor adjustments to the remaining three.
However, by this point, panic had already spread throughout the campus. Professors chose to cancel classes, students were afraid to leave their dormitories, and some chose to go home early for Thanksgiving break, not wanting to stay on campus a second longer.
One wonders if the university's response this time has once again come a little too late.
Fighting Racial Discrimination: You Are Not Alone
In this protest against racial discrimination, the Chinese student organization at Syracuse University also actively joined in, uniting with many Asian and African American student groups to urge the university to take the recent incidents seriously and address their reasonable demands.
As a professor of religion at Syracuse University said:
"No one can eradicate the virus of racial discrimination, but there are always potential ways to actively combat it and demonstrate that such violence is not tolerated on campus."
The broad student body at Syracuse University, including Chinese international students, has, in the face of the university's insufficient response, used active and correct voices to fight for their safety, legitimate rights, and to combat racial discrimination to the end, which is truly moving.
Racial issues in American society have long been difficult to resolve, and even university campuses, as higher education zones, are not immune. Staying silent or leaving may sometimes avoid risks, but it does not reduce the occurrence of racial discrimination such as "white supremacy."
For us international students, as a non-white group studying in a foreign country, speaking out reasonably and seeking help from others not only allows public opinion to understand our demands, but also better protects our rights and interests.
Facing Discrimination, We Refuse to Stay Silent
In January this year, a graduate program director at Duke University sent a mass email to all students in the department, stating that it was impolite for Chinese students to speak Chinese in the lounge, and threatened to note down the names of those speaking Chinese and remember them when they applied for graduate programs and internships.
The Chinese students at Duke University did not choose to remain silent. Instead, they united and drafted a protest letter overnight. A day later, the dean of the Duke University School of Medicine apologized, and the person involved was removed from the position of master's program director.
CheersYou（清柚教育） has always been deeply concerned about the study and life of international students, and we empathize with their hardships and difficulties.
On the day of the racial discrimination incident at Duke University, we immediately wrote to the dean in charge of the program and the Chinese Embassy in the United States, hoping to help the international students at Duke seek justice.
Last year, a student of CheersYou（清柚教育） was beaten for no reason by a black individual in a school parking lot. When both the police and the school were handling the matter passively, CheersYou（清柚教育） immediately helped the student write a petition letter, comforted the student and their parents, contacted the embassy, and pressured the school, ultimately leading to a proper resolution.
In the fight against racial discrimination, CheersYou（清柚教育） wants to tell everyone: You are not alone!
If you encounter such incidents on a U.S. campus, while ensuring your safety, you must also speak out actively, and seek and unite with more people to help each other and combat racial discrimination together. CheersYou（清柚教育） will always be a strong support for all international students.
In the face of discrimination, we refuse to stay silent!
