MCC Letter

The Santa Clara January 25, 2018To Our Community:We, the leaders of the Multicultural Center, Santa Clara Community Action Program and Associated Student Government, stand firmly against oppressive systems, whose existence on our campus was made clear by the hateful posters displayed on Sunday night.To those who may not understand the impact of such displays, we remind you of the systems of oppression by which these and other acts continue to be possible, and rampant, within our society.We must acknowledge the multiple levels of offense that are compounded within these posters and the corresponding, damaging, rhetoric.We must acknowledge the multiple, intersecting identities that these photos attack—including, but not limited to, undocumented people and survivors of sexual assault.We must acknowledge the rampant sexual assault—particularly towards women—that is committed along the border.We must acknowledge the offense upon which this hate was built—the theft and continuous erasure of indigenous peoples upon whose stolen land we continue to stand.As we acknowledge these offenses and the impact they have had on many members of our Santa Clara community, we also urge the university to stand with us as we denounce the many manifestations of hate that have been found on our campus time and time again.We urge that the university acknowledge the fact that these actions are indicative of larger, systemic issues highlighted above. During his State of the University address next month, we urge Father Engh to recognize that this truly is the state of the university, and not just the false pictures of perfection that are continually marketed as “Claradise.”We hope that the members of our community—both directly affected and not—will not just stand up amidst these systemic issues, but march toward a community that truly values the dignity of all.In Common Struggle,Zerreen Kazi (MCC Director), Kaylyn Arima (MCC Associate Director), Harshitha Mogallapalli (SCCAP Director), Meredith Anderson (SCCAP Associate Director), Samantha Pérez (ASG Vice President), Jack Herstam (ASG President)