Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion Dania Matos and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stephen C. Sutton issued the following message on Thursday, August 31, 2023:
Dear campus community,
On Friday, August 25, an incident was reported at Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity (AEPi), a fraternity that serves the Jewish community at UC Berkeley. New details have since emerged that similar vandalism — throwing and dumping shellfish — occurred at multiple fraternities. The...
We would like to acknowledge that this communication of support should have been issued much sooner; for our delay, we apologize to the impacted Afghan community. Our thoughts are with our Afghan community members, their families, friends, and colleagues near and far. There are an estimated 60,000 Afghans in the Bay Area, some of whom have been here for decades and others recently arrived, who contribute significantly to the innovation, economy, and culture that make this region great.
Every member of the UC Berkeley community is a valuable contributor to the university, regardless of immigration status. We recognize that there are many issues of concern that are causing a heightened level of anxiety for members of our community, including the pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which is expected soon. We remain committed to making sure Berkeley's undocumented community experiences our university as a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive space.