Dear President Holley,

We are writing on behalf of a concerned group of students to formally report a series of discriminatory incidents targeting Asian international students on Fizz, the anonymous social platform active within our campus community. These incidents are deeply troubling, and we believe they demand immediate and meaningful attention from the university administration. We respectfully urge the administration to treat this matter with the seriousness and urgency it warrants.

The Incidents

Incident 1: Dining Hall Accusation

A Fizz post singled out "Asian international students" for alleged dining conduct, adding: "You know who you are…" Witnesses confirm the students had briefly stepped away to retrieve ice cream. Regardless of the facts, the deliberate identification of students by race and national origin constitutes discriminatory harassment.

Incident 2: Xenophobic Responses to Tuition Discussion

During a campus discussion on tuition, posts appeared targeting international students directly:

"Maybe go a more affordable institution  in your home country if you were able to."

"Can the Asian internationals please let us know why they came all the way to America for an education?"

Screenshots have been preserved. Their removal from the platform does not diminish the harm. These remarks question the very legitimacy of international students' presence at this institution.

Our Requests

1.Issue a campus-wide statement immediately.

Acknowledge these incidents publicly, affirm that rhetoric targeting students on the basis of race or national origin is incompatible with this community's values, and make good on commitments already indicated to affected students.

2.Apply the Honor Code to Discriminatory Discourse Fizz and provide updates.

Clarify that existing community standards extend to online platforms such as Fizz. Engage with Fizz to address the reported content and advocate for stronger moderation. Keep affected students informed of actions taken.

3.Make a public commitment to international student safety.

Commit institutionally to the safety, dignity, and belonging of all international students. Make clear and across all campus spaces, digital and physical, that hate speech targeting any group will not be tolerated.

At the same time, we want to acknowledge that some of the conversation around this issue has included comments that are harmful toward other communities, including anti-Black remarks. Addressing anti-Asian discrimination should never come at the expense of other marginalized groups. Different BIPOC communities experience oppression in different ways, and recognizing those differences should lead us to greater solidarity, not division. As we call attention to anti-Asian harm, we also reaffirm our commitment to standing with other communities facing racism and discrimination.

Many of us chose Mount Holyoke because we believed it genuinely values diversity, global perspectives, and the dignity of every student. These incidents erode that trust. We respectfully request a formal acknowledgment of this petition and a clear timeline for the university's response.

Sincerely,

JJ Guo '29

Liz Li '28

Susan Jiang '28

On behalf of a concerned Asian International students group