Date: March 29, 2022
TO: The NYU Community
FROM: NYU President Andrew Hamilton

Dear Friends,

I know I speak for everyone in the NYU community when I condemn and deplore the rising incidence of anti-Asian bigotry and violence.

Even as COVID-19 seems to have abated somewhat, the odious, accompanying rise in anti-Asian prejudice and violence remains seemingly undiminished: reports of hate crimes against Asians increased by nearly 350% from 2020 to 2021 in NYC. A number of these attacks have stood out for their cruelty and violence, such as, most recently, the horrific and unprovoked assault in Yonkers earlier this month. Almost as troubling are the pervasive, random attacks of the kind we saw around our own campus in February, to say nothing of the jostling, verbal affronts, or other forms of harassment that Asian New Yorkers describe confronting on a daily basis.

Our most potent weapons for combating anti-Asian bias are our collective and unequivocal denouncement of anti-Asian racism and violence; our determination to act together to oppose it; our reassurance to the Asian and Pacific Islander members of our community that we understand their fear, that we stand with them, and that we will continue to strive to make NYU a place where they feel welcome and safe here; and our reassertion of our University values, especially equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.

Below is a list of some key campus resources that can assist in the fight against anti-Asian bigotry.

Sincerely,
Andrew Hamilton

Reporting and Support Resources

  • Call 911 — If you are the victim of a crime, call 911 immediately and then report the incident to the Department of Campus Safety (DCS).
  • Call Campus Safety — If you witnessed, or have information about acts of aggression or suspicious behavior on or around campus, call Campus Safety at +1.212.998.2222. You can also chat Campus Safety via the Safe NYU App.
  • Contact the Bias Response Reporting Line via email (bias.response@nyu.edu), phone (+1.212.998.2277), or through our online reporting form to report experiences and concerns of bias, discrimination, or harassing behavior that may occur within the NYU community.
  • NYU’s Victim Services Unit works with individuals who have been directly impacted by crime. The unit will walk you through the process of filing a police report, and accompany you to the police department, Office of the District Attorney, Family Court, or the Family Justice Center.
  • The Wellness Exchange (reachable 24/7 by calling +1.212.443.9999 or by chatting through the Wellness Exchange app) provides counseling services that are specifically designed to help process traumatic incidents.
  • Given the rise in crime targeting the Asian community, we would like to highlight the Counseling and Wellness Service’s Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Students Support Space, which meets Fridays at 2pm ET.
  • The NYU Asian Administrators and Allies group hosts events and monthly drop-in meetings. Administrators and staff can join by emailing asian-admins-allies-group+managers@nyu.edu.