MSU apologizes for canceling Chinese student event after Trump order

• MSU says it regrets canceling a Chinese New Year student lunch over Trump worries
• Officials originally said fears sparked by executive orders from President Donald Trump led to the cancellation
• Now, officials say executive orders had nothing to do with the decision

Michigan State University is apologizing for canceling a Chinese New Year student luncheon, calling the move an “overreaction” to an anti-diversity executive order by President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, officials in the College of Communication Arts and Science sent an email to staff notifying them the lunch to commemorate the holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, will be rescheduled for noon Feb. 11.

“We deeply regret the disappointment and pain caused by the decision to cancel our Lunar New Year event and the language used to do so,” Dean Heidi Hennink-Kaminski wrote in an email with Lauren Gaines, the director of the college’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office and author of the original cancellation email. 

 “We acknowledge that the decision to cancel the event was an overreaction.”

Even so, the email suggested the cancellation had nothing to do with Trump, even though the original decision came the same week the president signed an order calling for an end of diversity, equity and inclusion programs in organizations that receive federal funding.

“(W)e acknowledge that the cancellation of the Lunar New Year event should not have been associated with recent actions taken by the Federal government,” Tuesday’s email continued.

Related:

• MSU cancels DEI event following Trump order, threat to investigate
• Amid fears of Trump DEI orders, MSU cancels Chinese New Year student lunch

That’s a different message from the original cancellation note, penned by Gaines.

In part, that email said: “This decision comes in response to concerns shared by members of our community regarding the current issuance of Executive Orders related to immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These actions have prompted feelings of uncertainty and hesitation about gathering for events that highlight cultural traditions and communities. We feel it is important to honor those concerns with sensitivity and care.”

Gaines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

You can read the original email here, and Tuesday’s email here.

In his first week in office, Trump signed an executive order calling for ending DEI in organizations that receive federal funding and threatening investigations of universities with more than $1 billion in endowments. That could include MSU ($4.4 billion endowment) and the University of Michigan ($18 billion) as possible targets.

Without clarity on what could make universities a target, officials at schools across the country have scrambled to gauge what can and can’t be done under Trump.

For example, just a week before the Chinese New Year lunch was canceled, MSU postponed without a new date a webinar on “The Future of DEI policy at MSU.”

“With every new administration comes transitions and policy shifts, which can bring uncertainty and unease as we await further information and guidance,” Gaines wrote to staff, faculty and students in the email canceling the lunch, which is normally attended by about three dozen students.

Tuesday’s email suggests the cancellation didn’t go over well among some of MSU’s about 4,400 international students, about 1,000 of whom are Chinese citizens.

“This decision was not intended to diminish or misrepresent the Lunar New Year,” the email said. 

“We recognize the cultural importance of Lunar New Year and other long-standing cultural celebrations. We want to emphasize that there are no plans to cancel future ComArtSci cultural events.”

The decision to cancel the lunch was made within the College of Communication Arts and Science, and university-wide administration was not consulted, college spokesperson Allison Eason told Bridge Michigan.

“We hope this is the beginning of a collaborative relationship with the MSU Asian and Asian American communities, one that deepens understanding and informs how we move forward to ensure that voices are heard and nurtures an environment where each member is treated with dignity and respect.” Tuesday’s email said.