Given recent attempts to seal the United States away from the world, specifically to exclude those of a particular religion from our country, and to deport those without citizenship who are legally protected, we in Comparative Media Studies and Writing insist on diversity and inclusion in our academic unit and in the entire Institute. We oppose religious tests for admission to the country, mass deportation raids, and all attempts to block international scholars and students from joining us or to remove them once they are here. We strive to include international voices in the reading lists for our courses and in our scholarship to enrich our thinking and enlarge our experience. We welcome thinkers of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions in our classrooms and in all academic discussions. We see tolerance and openness as essential values, not only for our particular intellectual work but for our society overall.
