In the summer of 2020, the Office of International Affairs (OIA), including inbound staff, the Education Abroad team and a representative from Temple Rome, formed a division-wide Anti-Racism Taskforce to address this complex issue and provide context and understanding for Temple\u2019s international student community and OIA staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAmidst the tragic killing of George Floyd and other innocent people of color in the United States, the rising voice against racism and police brutality in the U.S. has given urgency to this cause and clarified the need to form our taskforce. We want to provide a platform for discussion among OIA staff and international students, not only about racism in the U.S., but also throughout the world,\u201d said Leah Hetzell, EdD, director of International Student Affairs who is leading the taskforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want to provide a platform for discussion among OIA staff and international students, not only about racism in the U.S., but also throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\u2014Leah Hetzell, EdD, Director of International Student Affairs<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n This initiative is all the more important for international students who without context may not fully understand what U.S. protests are about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe must acknowledge that the journey to equality is a work in progress in the U.S. that can only advance with our collective commitment to specific action on both a local and global scale,\u201d said Assistant Vice President for International Affairs, Martyn J. Miller, PhD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OIA\u2019s Anti-Racism Taskforce is made up of four subcommittees (Mission\/Vision, Student Experience & Education, Professional Development, Internal Review), which aim to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the first events the Student Experience team implemented was a session for new international students entitled \u201cRacism and Diversity in the U.S.\u201d Presented by OIA staff in partnership with the IDEAL (Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership) office, this session led students through an exploration of personal values and biases, social identities, relevant concepts such as white supremacy and privilege, and an overview of relevant moments in U.S. history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor international students, learning about the racial situation in the U.S. can be startling. The strangeness of race in this country, and how invisible it often seems to those within it, might even push international students to wonder, \u2018What problems are there in my country that are strange yet invisible to me?\u2019 Ultimately, international students discussing race in the U.S. is a recipe to break the status quo,\u201d said international student Fernando Gaxiola, KLN \u201924.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For students and staff, the work has just begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Rachel V. Jenkins, Marketing Manager, International Affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the summer of 2020, the Office of International Affairs (OIA), including inbound staff, the Education Abroad team and a representative from Temple Rome, formed…<\/p>\n