Migration Scholar Collaborative (MiSC) member, Mae Ngai, was deliberately shoved on the street of New York City’s Upper West Side in what appears to be an anti-Asian motivated attack. Holder of an endowed chair at Columbia University, Professor Ngai is one of the foremost historians of immigration history in the United States. We are grateful for all Professor Ngai has contributed to advancing the field of history and informing public understanding of immigration history. Although professors generally occupy a privileged position in our society, this attack demonstrates the vulnerability of all Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people in the United States today.
The US is currently experiencing a rise in hate crimes throughout the country against nonmajority groups. AAPI people have been experiencing a rash of such attacks during this past year, as illustrated by the horrific murder of eight people in a massage parlor in Atlanta. However, as historians, we want to recognize that anti-Asian racism has deep roots in this country stretching back to the nineteenth century and is part of systemic racism in the US. We will continue our mission at MiSC to educate the public on immigration history and to advocate for migrant justice. We stand in solidarity with our colleague Mae Ngai and with all the other AAPI people who are victims of racial violence and discrimination. We call on everyone to StopAAPIHate with dozens of AAPI organizations.
Migration Scholar Collaborative, Steering Committee
Erika Lee, University of Minnesota
Maddalena Marinari, Gustavus Adolphus College
Monica Martinez, University of Texas, Austin
Stephen Pitti, Yale University
Elliott Young, Lewis & Clark College