In response to an email exchange between a local Berkeley landscaper and a student member of UCBerkeley’s Chican@/Latin@ Architecture Student Association (CASA) which contained rather disparaging and racist language regarding Latinos and immigrants, CASA posted the following statement last night on its Facebook page:
Our intent, as the Chican@/Latin@ Architecture Student Association, is to advance equal access to the University and assure diversity of students studying Architecture, Landscape Architecture, City and Regional Planning, and Sustainable Design at UC Berkeley. Our conversations generate awareness about past and current issues in architecture/planning/sustainability/design+art that affect our communities. Learning from the past and present will allow us to record the novelty of Latino Architecture.
On Tuesday September 30th CASA received an email from Sachi Landscapes in response to a request for a tour of their office. Their informal, unprofessional, and offensive response completely shocked and disturbed CASA Board members, Alumni, and many members of the Latino community as it used xenophobic language. We, as CASA, are asking for a public apology from Sachi Landscapes not only to CASA Students but also to our community who have been deeply affected by these comments.
Moving forward we ask that Sachi Landscapes be made aware of the tremendous effect of their inappropriate behavior. We would like to point out that we are willing and open to hold a conversation, but we will not tolerate being treated with such level of ignorance.
Your psychic abilities of “I’m sure he was referring to” needs more practice, or proof of your assertions