Our team of archivists, librarians, and researchers is hard at work (from home) during the Covid-19 crisis, helping you with all your research needs. As the current pandemic continues to affect the world, we have been working to document our institutional response, as well as the ways that current events reflect our collections and past history. If you have a research query, please contact us at special.collections@sjsu.edu.

Lately i’ve been thinking about issues of racism during the pandemic and the way in which politicians are responding, and how those responses are similar to actions taken in regard to past events. For example, on April 10th, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, and Mazie Hirono wrote a letter asking the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to “issue guidance to federal agencies on preventing and addressing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia related to the coronavirus pandemic.” A similar call for guidance and action was issued after the events of September 11, 2001, when Congressman Mike Honda worked to stop racial discrimination against Muslim-Americans. We have documented Congressman Honda’s responses in the Mike Honda Papers, with a fully-searchable Finding Aid available here. Our collections provide a wealth of information on how the local, state, and federal government responds to emergencies and any related issues like discrimination that spring up when we face urgent crises.
 
Recognizing that we are all in this together, and that Covid-19 affects all people, regardless of skin color or religious affiliation, is a key step in creating a robust and inclusive plan for our community’s future as we all work toward ending this crisis.