A Formal Apology to Our NHPI Community

Friends,

I graduated from Andrews University more than a decade ago, in May 2009. At the time I graduated, Andrews University had not yet incorporated cultural celebrations and stoles into graduation weekend events. Even so, I will never forget the euphoria I felt as I finished my academic journey at Andrews University and walked out of Pioneer Memorial Church with my fellow graduates.

As I excitedly walked toward the J.N. Andrews sculpture and panned the crowd of people to find my family, I was first greeted by a familiar face: Taufau Afaese, known to many here in our community as “Mama Fau.” She was a stalwart in our broader campus community in general and in our Andrews University and local Samoan community in particular. As I walked closer to her on my graduation day, she smiled her wonderful wide smile and motioned for me to bow. At that moment, she honored me by placing a flower lei around my neck. She then gave me a big hug and congratulated me on my achievement.

As happy as I was to receive my diploma that day, I will also never forget how Mama Fau extended her arms out to embrace me and invite me into her cultural practice of honor with the bestowing of a flower lei (the leis made of candy are great, too!). That caring action made me feel seen, appreciated and respected in a way that receiving my diploma could not have done on its own. At that moment and with her kindness, I truly felt like I was a part of her family.

I thought of that experience on Thursday, when I had a conversation with Evelyn Elisara Talaepa, one of our Samoan students who came to attend Andrews from her home in California. She came to my office to visit with me to express her pain and concern at the fact that the Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (NHPI) community was not more intentionally and fully included in the planning and execution of our campus’ upcoming AAPI culture and heritage celebration, which I had announced in an email to our Andrews University community earlier that day.

As she talked with me on Thursday, Evelyn articulated her message and her concerns with painful and heartfelt clarity. It was disheartening to know that this oversight in our planning and preparation has caused Evelyn and others in our NHPI community here on campus so much pain. Even though it was hard to hear, I am so glad that Evelyn had the courage to come and speak with me directly about this egregious error on our part. It gave me a welcome opportunity to honestly acknowledge our error, to apologize for it, and also make tangible commitments to Evelyn and our NHPI community toward corrective action as we go forward. As Evelyn and I talked yesterday, I also thought that it was important for us to acknowledge this error publicly so that others in the NHPI community who were hurt by this error can hear from me, and from Andrews University, directly.

On behalf of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion here at Andrews University, I would like to formally and sincerely apologize for this significant oversight in our planning process for this month’s events, which are intended to better understand and celebrate all members of our AAPI community, including our NHPI students and employees. That oversight was not right and there are no excuses for it.

Facing that mistake reminded me that our Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Andrews University as a whole, strives to create an equitable and inclusive environment on our campus where everyone feels that they belong. We have failed to make this a reality for the NHPI community, especially as we planned for this month of celebration and recognition, and for that, I am truly sorry. I want each member of our NHPI community here, and beyond our campus, to know that I am committed to ensuring that this office does much better going forward.

Please know that you are heard. You are valued. You are seen. You are a part of our family. Especially, please know that you are loved. This office commits to backing up those words with our actions.

In an effort to celebrate and affirm all of the members of the AAPI community—a community of Asians and Pacific Islanders whose countries of origin make up over 60 percent of the world’s population—I am sorry that we failed to see and affirm every part of its diverse makeup. I was reminded in my conversations with Evelyn that when we talk about the AAPI community here in the United States, the NHPI experience is unfortunately often overlooked, minimized and marginalized. In turn, I deeply regret that too often, the NHPI experience on our campus has also mirrored those painful realities in the broader U.S. experience. This conversation forcefully reminded me that we know we have to do better, and we must do better.

Once again, we will commit to the work that is necessary to do better and be more and increasingly inclusive of the NHPI experience going forward.

Specifically, in the coming weeks, I plan to continue meeting with Evelyn and other members of our Andrews University Samoan Club to work to define ways that we can honor, celebrate and affirm our NHPI students and employees. If you would like to be engaged in these discussions, please contact me (michaeln@andrews.edu) and I will be sure to keep you in the loop. As we move forward in this important task, no idea or contribution is too small. Please engage with me, and Andrews University, as we work together to chart a better path forward.

I want to close by once again thanking Evelyn for what she taught me in our Thursday conversation—not just through the strength of her words but also through the strength of her grace.

By the way, when Evelyn walked into my office yesterday, she walked in with a lei. Before sharing her words with me, she placed the lei on my neck as a sign of honor to me. I was struck by this act of humility and grace on her part. It of course reminded me of that graduation day act of honor by Mama Fau more than a decade ago. So, when Evelyn and I were done talking together, I shared my memory of Mama Fau and what she did for me on my graduation day.

As I was sharing this story, Evelyn literally stopped me and shared that Mama Fau is actually her aunt!

At that moment, the purpose of our meeting and the way Evelyn approached it hit even closer to home and touched my heart. Before she had a difficult but needed conversation with me, Evelyn took a moment to honor me with a beautiful lei that powerfully reminded me that I am a part of her family. I realized, especially at that moment, that when family members hurt, we hurt too. When family members need to be seen, affirmed, honored and celebrated, we need to see, affirm, honor and celebrate those family members. And just as importantly, when we treat family members poorly, we responsibly and humbly take ownership of our shortcomings, apologize and then do what is necessary to make it right.

So, with the fragrance and symbolism of that lei and the power of our conversation together, I look forward to continuing my conversations and work with Evelyn as she carries on the legacy of her aunt to ensure that our NHPI community knows without a shadow of a doubt that Andrews University is also their home and that they fully belong here.

Thank you, Evelyn. We will go forward together “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2–3).

Grace and peace,

Michael Nixon
Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion