这些反对的声音是从我们群体的内部发出的。近日,有近50位华裔美国人(包括儿童)聚集在罗德岛反对一项数据搜集新政。这一新政策得到了许多亚裔教育组织的支持,如Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE)和亚裔青年组PrYSM等。这一新政规定小学和中学在搜集亚裔数据时要给出具体的细分选项。
细分数据会被合理使用,从而更好的了解每个社区中亚裔学生群体的不同。罗德岛的抗议和加州的抗议是一致的。这其中都包含了很多具有煽动性和极具误导性的语言,甚至将此政策与德国的纽伦堡法案相比。
搜集亚裔数据数据意味着亚裔数据的选项将被细分至具体的族群。亚裔填写族裔一栏时,可以只填亚裔,也可以自发性的选择填写具体的族群,比如“韩国人”、“中国人”或“越南人”。他们也可以选择不止一个细分族群来更好的反映他们自己的族裔背景。细分数据是美国统计局搜集数据的主要指导思想。这一举措将实打实的为亚裔社区带来许多福利。比如加强选举系统的语言协助,双语教育,学生心理健康服务,并能更好地提供满足各个族群文化和传统需求的县医院医疗服务。
在过去的三十年里面,亚裔和太平洋裔的社区领导人,民选官员,学者,老师,教授和学生都在积极地呼吁搜集细分数据。这种呼声在1965年达到了高潮,因为那一年美国第一次废除了移民国籍配额制。当亚裔群体日渐壮大后,很多学校和政府机构都不能有效地区分不同亚裔的历史,经历和社会需求,因为亚裔总是被归类成一大族群。这一同质化的做法使得了解和服务不同亚裔社区的需求变成了一项巨大的挑战。这种现象更造成了教育机构,医疗机构和社会服务机构误解和忽略亚裔中不同族群的需求。
作为教育者,老师,和大学的教职人员,我们在尽最大的努力去了解我们学生群体所面对的挑战,更好地服务和支持他们在教育方面的多样需求。但是,没有高质量的数据,我们无法做到这一点!比如说,柬埔寨,老挝,夏威夷岛民和萨摩亚人在社区大学的毕业率远小于其他族群。心理健康问题在不同的亚裔群体之间也有着巨大的差别。比如华裔女性比起其他族群有更高的自杀率。高质量的细分数据是了解各个群体中学生所面临的挑战的关键。更为重要的是,这将为有需要的学生提供更多来自公共或私立系统的资源。
将搜集亚裔数据和纳粹德国的纽伦堡法案做对比具有极大的误导性,完全误会了这一举措的目标和意图。很久以来,亚裔美国人包括华裔同胞一直走在呼吁具体数据搜集的第一线。我们想在公开信中再一次诚恳的向各位呼告,搜集细分数据的目的绝不是为了孤立任何一个群体来迫害或监视他们。相反的,搜集细分数据是为了更好的了解和支持我们群体中的各个族裔,来保证在教育问题上,我们对所有学生的帮扶做到一个不落。
Aaron Parayno, Assistant Director- Asian American Center at Northeastern University
Abbie Bates, UCLA
Abby Chien, Program Manager, University of Michigan
Abhinav Mishra, Medical Student- Texas Tech Health Science Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
Aggie Noah, Assistant Professor; Arizona State University
Ah Young Chi, School Counselor, Hong Kong International School
Alethea Serna, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Alisa Carithers, Academic Advisor, Cal State L.A.
Allan Colbern, Assistant Professor, Arizona State University
Alyss Dixson, Lecturer, San Francisco State University
Amanda Assalone, Postdoctoral Research & Policy Analyst, Southern Education Foundation
Amanda Seaman, Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Ami Thakkar, Resident Director at Loyola University Chicago
Amita Manghnani, Director of Public Programs, Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU
Amy Bhatt, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Ana Rossetti, Assistant Dean, Illinois Institute of Technology
Andre Yang, Lecturer, California State University, Fresno
Andrew Chin, Professor, University of North Carolina School of Law
Andrew Leong, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University
Andrew Yao, Teacher – Manor ISD
Angela Arunarsirakul, Educator
Angela Kong, Instructor and Program Coordinator, UCSD
Angela Vo, Former Teacher
Angela Wu, Assistant Director, Williams College
Angie Chung, Associate Professor, University at Albany
Angie Kim, Residence Hall Assistant Director, New York University
Anjela Wong, teacher educator
Ankita Rakhe, Assistant Dean/Associate Director, Stanford University
Anna Gonzalez, organizer, association for asian american studies
Anna Lau, Professor, UCLA
Anna Takahashi, Director of College Counseling, Eastside College Preparatory School
Annabelle Estera, Graduate Assistant, Michigan State University
Anne Joh, Professor of Theology and Culture
Anne Saw, Assistant Professor, DePaul University
Anne Vo, Assistant Professor of Medical Education / USC
Anthony Antonio, Assoc Professor of Education, Stanford University
Anthony Kim, Program Coordinator, Colorado State University
Antony Wong, Program Coordinator, AAARI-CUNY
Anuradha Advani, Teacher, Simon Academics, Inc.
Arshad Ali, Assistant Professor, George Washington University
Arun Ponnusamy, Head Counselor & Vice President, Collegewise
Bach Mai Dolly Nguyen, University of California, Los Angeles
Baldeep Pabla, Lecturer, San Francisco State University
Barbara Kim, Professor, Dept. of Asian and Asian American Studies, CSULB
Barry Chaiveera, Assistant Director, UCLA
Ben Medeiros, Housing & Residence Life Administrator within Student Affairs
Benedicto Llave, Department Coordinator, Cesar Chavez Community Action Center, San Jose State University
Benjamin Chang, The Hong Kong Institute of Education
Bernard Liang, Director, Center for Student Involvement, Seattle University
Betina Hsieh, Assistant Professor, California State University, Long Beach
Bianca Louie, Instructor – City College of San Francisco
Bianca Nepales, Director, TFA
Bill Hing, University of San Francisco school of law
Billy Hsu, University of Pennsylvania
Brant Lee, Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law”
Christina Carpio, Assistant Director, Asian American Cultural Center, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Christina Yao, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chu Huang, Co-Chair of the Chinatown Resident Association (Boston, MA)
David Kyuman Kim, Professor, Connecticut College
David Pe, Associate Dean of Students / NYU Shanghai
David Roh, Associate Professor, University of Utah
David Song, Stanford University