We are horrified and angered by the racist attacks and discrimination against people of Chinese and East Asian descent and of mixed ethnic backgrounds within the UK and globally, and by the racism that these attacks have demonstrated. We also condemn racist messaging around the coronavirus, which is also explicitly against WHO guidelines about naming viruses. At a time when people need to reach out to understand each other more than ever before, both active and casual expressions of racism dehumanize us all. Chinese students, scholars, neighbours and friends are valuable members of our community, and simply because they are human beings they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We strongly support the calls of Chinese students for better public education and awareness about anti-Asian racism and its harmful effects in UK universities and wider society. We also fully endorse their calls for more support for people of East Asian appearance who are singled out by others for discriminatory treatment.
BACS Council 29th March 2021