During this difficult time there have been incidents of racism, xenophobia, and mistreatment toward individuals of Asian descent, both nationally and in our community. As leaders, we want to state unequivocally that this behavior is misguided and wrong. And it is unacceptable. As individuals committed to inclusive excellence, it is vital that we stand up for each other when facing any form of oppression that threatens our shared values. We are in this together. Any act of racism diminishes all of us. We must affirm our community and professional values in trying times like these.
It is important that we emphasize facts over fear. COVID-19 is not a "Chinese virus." It affects us all.
For the most up-to-date information, go to coronavirus.uiowa.edu.
Campus and Community Resources
If you witness or experience harassment, please contact:
- University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, (319) 335-5022 (https://police.uiowa.edu/)
- Iowa City Police Department, (319) 356- 5275 (https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/police)
- City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission, (319) 335-5022 (https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/equity-a...)
- Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (for incident reports) (http://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/)
- In an emergency, call 911
For additional support, please contact:
- Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Carver College of Medicine, (319) 384-2952, (https://medicine.uiowa.edu/diversity/)
- University of Iowa Counseling Service, (319) 335-7294 (https://counseling.uiowa.edu/)
- Medical Student Counseling Center, (319) 335-8056 (https://medicine.uiowa.edu/md/student-support/student-counseling)
- iowacrisischat.org
- CommUnity (formerly The Crisis Center), toll free 855-325-4296 (https://builtbycommunity.org/)
Other resources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
- https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/how-to-respond-to-coronavirus-racism
In solidarity,
Denise A. Martinez, MD (she, her, hers)
Associate Dean, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Carver College of Medicine
Associate Professor, Family Medicine