An Open Letter to Universities Calling for Academic Accommodations and Mental Health Support for Uyghur and Chinese Students
Editor’s Note: This open letter was drafted by members of the Chinese international students community. Dove and Crane Collective is a proud signatory of the letter, but not the original author.
As members of the Chinese diaspora and in solidarity with the Uyghur community, we are writing to urge universities to provide academic accommodations and mental support for Uyghur and Chinese students at this unprecedented time of political turmoil.
With almost three years under COVID impacts, a lot of Chinese students faced exceptional difficulties, witnessing and experiencing inconveniences and injustices both back home and outside of China. Having families back home, many have been traveling back and forth amid COVID waves, and have needed to take synchronous online classes with time difference, putting their mental and physical health at stake. The rest of them stayed in their countries of study, being far away from home and their previous support systems while facing xenophobia, the threat from ICE or other immigration uncertainties, self-quarantine, moving all on their own, etc. Although we can not speak for Uyghur students since we don’t share the same experiences, we want to stress the fact that they have been facing challenges that are even more complex and arduous with additional layers of oppression.
The persistent COVID policies in China have led to controversial responses, and all the frustration, anger, disappointment, and the sense of powerlessness every now and then, had come to a culmination point with the recent fire in Ürümchi, Xinjiang, the provincial capital of the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region”, or the lands of Dzungarstan and Altishahr. This sparked the latest wave of vigils and protests (see reports from Lausan Collective; Bloomberg News; NYU News) and became a particular moment of awakening for many Chinese students and activists. We as a diasporic community are in mourning, mourning the lost lives of these victims, most of them are of Uyghur descent.
For many Uyghur and Chinese students, their families and friends back home may have been put into lockdowns, participating in these protests, or experiencing heightened police surveillance. Meanwhile, some took the initiative to organize vigils and protests in universities and communities across the globe. Some are participating in these kinds of events for the first time, and some are mourning privately. Many continue to engage in reflections and discussions about the ongoing events. (To learn more about different perspectives, see comments by international scholars at ChinaFile). Needless to say, it is an incredibly difficult time for the Uyghur and Chinese diasporic communities.
We urge university communities to be mindful of the needs and state of Uyghur and Chinese students at this moment. As finals approach, they may struggle more because they are concerned about family and friends back home, or because they are putting a lot of effort in organizing or participating in events. This can take an emotional toll. We especially want to urge universities to give more support to Uyghur students and listen to their needs, since they have been in a more marginalized, underrepresented place.
Faculty and staff who work with Uyghur and Chinese students should offer appropriate accommodations when possible, such as more flexible deadlines and extensions, or simply checking in with them to see how they are doing. These small gestures can mean a lot in this difficult time. We also encourage university health services and counseling centers to offer additional support and resources for Uyghur and Chinese students who seek mental health services.
Members of the Chinese Diaspora
Here are some news articles for more information:
on Ürümchi Fire:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63752407
on protests:
https://lausancollective.com/2022/from-urumqi-shanghai/
https://nyunews.com/news/2022/11/29/washington-square-china-protests/