RISE Center
The RISE Center: Resources for Inclusion, Support, and Empowerment aims to build an equitable and inclusive campus environment for all students. Additionally, the center is a support service for students from traditionally underrepresented and underserved backgrounds, such as students from minoritized ethnic/racial groups, students with disabilities, first-generation college students (those who are the first in their family to attend/graduate from college), undocumented students, and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community.
Purpose
Through promoting the values of equity, justice, and empowerment, the RISE Center seeks to create an equitable and inclusive campus environment where all students may succeed academically and personally.
Programs and Services
The RISE Center strives to fulfill its mission through advocacy, education, and a variety of support services which promote the personal and academic success of LWTech students.
A welcoming space for students to relax, do schoolwork, and build community.
The RISE Center has a small collection of books on topics related to social justice issues and personal narratives from authors of diverse cultural backgrounds and identities. Current LWTech students may check out books from the RISE Center library free of charge.
As a supplement to classroom learning, the RISE Center hosts quarterly workshops and events to build the intercultural competency skills of the student body, celebrate diversity, and enhance the student experience. Examples include affinity lunch hours, graduation award ceremonies, and leadership conferences.
At times, navigating college life can be stressful and students may need someone to talk to for support and guidance. The RISE Center full-time staff can meet with students one-on-one to provide general advising that is sensitive to students’ unique needs, while connecting them to resources on-campus and off-campus.
Statement Supporting Our Asian Students
On March 16, 2021, there was a mass shooting in which eight people were killed, six of whom were of Asian descent, in the state of Georgia. Although an investigation is ongoing and a motive has not been confirmed, these murders are the latest in string of recent violence against members of the Asian community. The increase in violence against Asian-Americans is a result of anti-Asian prejudice provoked by people blaming COVID-19 on China and Chinese peoples.
The RISE Center and Office of Student Life Lions CREW condemn all forms of anti-Asian bias, prejudice, and racism. We stand in solidarity with the Asian community and our Asian and Asian-American students against this violence. The role of both Lions CREW and the RISE Center are to provide support and opportunities for education, encouraging students to interrupt and prevent racism. We believe all students deserve to live and learn free from violence and fear.
What is Happening
Even as overall hate-crime reports fell 7% in the country, violence against Asian Americans rose by almost 150%. Incident reports of anti-Asian prejudice also grew more violent, with 15% involving physical assault or spitting; two-thirds including verbal harassment or threats. Hate crimes that target people based on their ethnicity are especially dangerous because it strikes fear in an entire communities. Hate crimes target individuals but they also affect anyone sharing identities with those targeted, and contributes to individuals feeling at risk in facing similar violence. These feelings of intense fear and anxiety impact all parts of an individual's life, contributing to the feelings of living in fear and violence.
The increase in anti-Asian violence represents anti-Asian prejudice that has increased in our country since the world first became aware of COVID-19. This is not the first time that Asian communities have been targeted and scapegoated as a result of fear about world events. Previous examples include: demographic changes, immigration, World War II, September 11 attacks, and now the global pandemic. Racist language, slurs, and images are connected to increases in racial violence.
An illustration of this prejudice can be seen in this graph of Google searches for “Ch--a Virus,”, “Ch—k,” “Kung Flu,” & “G—k” (derogatory terms/slurs for COVID-19 and Asians) over the last year:
Figure 1: Google Trends Key Word Search "Chi--a Virus, "Ch--k," "Kung Flu," & "G--k" Weekly (3/1/20 to 2/21/21). Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region (United States) and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means there was not enough data for this term.
See more graphs and charts about anti-Asian prejudice and violence.
If This Happens To You
- If you experience anti-Asian prejudice from an LWTech student, staff or faculty member, report it in this online form, and the Bias Response Team will respond to you.
- If you experience a hate crime in your community, contact your local police department and specify that you were targeted because of your identity(s) and that you believe you are a victim of a hate crime.
- More information on what to do if you believe you’ve been the target of a hate crime.
If This Happens To Others
- If you witness anti-Asian prejudice from an LWTech student, staff or faculty member, report it in this online form, and the Bias Response Team will respond to it. Bias and prejudice includes comments directed at specific individuals as well as general derogatory comments.
- If you are a witness any form of anti-Asian prejudice, or want to support the Asian
community, here are some principles for fighting hate, from the Southern Poverty Law Center:
- Act: Perpetrators of hate will always perceive silence as acceptance of their behavior. Use your voice in your communities to raise awareness, condemn violence, and support victims.
- Unite: Reach out to organizations around you to see how you can get involved by attending virtual events and volunteering your time safely. You can find a list of organizations and nonprofits that support the Asian community here.
- Support the victim: If you witness a bias incident or hate crime against an Asian person, first use your best judgment to assess if the situation is safe to intervene in. If it is safe, find ways to assure the victim that you are an ally while respecting personal boundaries. Ask the victim if they feel safe and if they would like to report the incident to the police. If they do want to make a report to the police, offer to be a witness.
- Do your homework: Do not wait until a national incident occurs to learn about how prejudice affects your community.
- Speak up: If you notice or are aware of anti-Asian prejudice among your friends or family, call it out. Most people are more open to learning and discussing with people they already have relationships with.
- Teach tolerance: Start having age appropriate conversations about race and diversity with the young people in your life.
- Dig deeper: Reflect on your own prejudices and what you’ve learned over the years from the media and your community about other identities and cultures.
Asian Counseling and Referral Service
ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing and advocating for innovative, effective and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services.
Contact Information
- (206) 695-7600
- 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. Seattle, WA 98144
- Email Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Established in 2011, Seattle is a charter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.), one of the nation’s oldest civil rights organizations, having been founded more than 100 years ago in San Francisco. The mission of the organization is to promote and protect civil rights, develop leadership in Chinese youth and provide community service.
Contact Information
Chinese Information and Service Center
We help immigrants make the transition to a new life while keeping later generations in touch with their rich heritage.
Contact Information
- (206) 624-5633
- CISC Main Office 611 S Lane St. Seattle, WA 98104
- Email Chinese Information and Service Center
Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Washington State
The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs is a state agency with an advisory board of 12 commissioners who are appointed by the governor to be a voice for Washington’s diverse Asian Pacific American communities. We improve the lives of Asian Pacific Americans in Washington State by ensuring their access to participation in the fields of government, business, education, and other areas (Chapter 43.117 RCW).
Contact Information
Mailing Address
Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
P.O. Box 40925
Olympia, WA 98504-0925
Physical Address
Capitol Court Building, Suite 220
1110 Capitol Way South
Olympia, WA 98501
Phone Contacts
Phone interpreter services available upon request.
- Executive Director (206) 377-9583
- Project Manager (206) 370-9554
- Project Coordinator (253) 229-9826
Email Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Washington State
Hmong Association of Washington
Our mission is to preserve and promote the culture, advocate for the Hmong people, and promote education in the community. We meet the diverse needs of the Hmong refugee and immigrant communities in WA by creating resources that empower them to become economically self-sufficient and proud of their Hmong heritage, culture and traditions.
Contact Information
- (206) 651-5480
- P.O. Box 84601, Seattle, WA 98134
- Email Hmong Association of Washington
We encourage you to reach out to us if you have questions or need additional support.
