Aerial view of the Erimi excavation site. Source: Luca Bombardieri, et al.   An Italian research team recently unearthed the ruins of a 4,000-year-old temple in Cyprus. According to a July 8 news release from the University of Siena, the temple was discovered during excavations of an ancient artisan settlement at the Erimi archaeological site. The temple, which contains several significant artifacts, is the oldest sacred building ever found on the island of Cyprus.   Ruins Found at Ancient Artisan Settlement Italian researchers at the Erimi excavation site in Cyprus. Source: University of Siena.   During the Bronze Age, a community of artisans created the settlement of Erimi atop a large limestone hill on the southern coast of Cyprus. The community was occupied from about 2000 to 1600 B.C.E., after which it was abandoned following a massive fire. At their prime, the workshops at Ermini were widely known for producing distinctive red textiles. The temple ruins, which make up a small rectangular room, were recently discovered on the western side of the settlement.   The Erimi Archaeological Project of the University of Siena has researched the archaeological site for many years. Professor Luca Bombardieri, the project leader, said, “On the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the first systematic investigations in the Bronze Age area of Erimi in Cyprus, the positive balance of the research activity carried out is reflected in the new results of a series of particularly fruitful excavation seasons. The recent fieldwork has led to the discovery of the oldest recorded sacred building in Cyprus, whose ritual function and ideological value seem to have particular significance.”   Cyprus Temple Contained a Large Monolith A digital recreation of the ancient temple, including an amphora, fire pit, and the monolith. Source: University of Siena.   A large monolith was erected inside Cyprus’s oldest ancient temple. It was over seven feet tall, polished, and surrounded by a decorative circle of small cups. Bombardieri said, “The monolith, which originally stood in the center of the room, collapsed onto the floor, destroying a large amphora placed at its feet, in front of a small circular hearth.” The monolith, amphora, and hearth were originally arranged in the center of the room so visitors could walk around them. Bombardieri continued, “The peculiarities of this space, especially in comparison with the surrounding spaces of the production workshop, indicate that it is a small sacred space, the oldest recorded on this island, with an interesting cult function due to its location within the workshop complex. Thus, the activity that economically sustained the community also involved its members ideologically and symbolically.”   Skeletal Remains Suggest Bronze Age Femicide Researchers at the Erimi excavation site. Source: Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata.   The research team also discovered a Bronze Age murder victim at the Cyprus temple. The skeletal remains of a young woman had been intentionally sealed off in a nearby small residence. A heavy stone was laid across the victim’s chest, and her skull bore evidence of a deadly head injury. There was no clear doorway or grave marking the remains. Bombardieri hypothesized that the remains “may be connected to other cases [of femicide] recorded in the past in other parts of Cyprus.” The victims in these cases were always young women—possibly pregnant—who were brutally killed and isolated from their communities, even in death.

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As someone who was involuntarily used as a poster child for Asian American and Pacific Islander month by my university, yet listened to some classmates rant that Asian Americans “would be nowhere without black people,” take it from me: Diversity, equity, and inclusion offices make racism worse, not better. Nobody should wonder whether circling their race on an application form would harm his or her chances of being accepted, yet I would be lying if I said that was not my first thought every time I reached the dreaded racial question. What else can you expect when your racial identity—an immutable trait that is literally skin-deep—signals to a university or workplace that you are “too privileged” or less deserving to have a seat at the table? Conversely, how could one’s race alone fairly make someone more deserving of admittance? I will never forget my senior year of high school, when I consulted a pro-DEI teacher about my essay topic for the Common App to colleges. She squinted at my face before asking, “Have you given much thought to writing about your race in your college essay? I mean … ’cause you’re clearly not white.” My heart sank. Suddenly, I went from being an impressive writer to another non-white person whose race needed to be exploited for sympathy. Little did my teacher know that I am half white and half Asian, two of the DEI scorecard’s least favorable boxes to check. To this day, classrooms preach inclusivity in the same breath that they write white people off as privileged and cultureless. The more an individual is “white-passing,” the less interesting they become. This narrative is poisoning minds in grade school and higher education. Take the “model minority” stereotype about Asians, which asserts that Asians are successful because their culture uniformly pressures them to perform well. Stereotypes such as these have been perpetuated by DEI under the guise of being inclusive when it is anything but. It treats people as groups defined by distinct levels of oppression, instead of rewarding people based on merit. In late May, former Harvard University President Claudine Gay was honored with a Faculty Award and called “our forever president” at a separate graduationfor black students, not due to her research, but because of her “commitment to social justice.” Meanwhile, Harvard’s DEI office, which Campus Reform reports sponsored the ceremony, has not commented on Gay’s inability to state unequivocally before Congress that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard’s policies. I may be biracial and have Asian heritage, but that identity has no bearing on my most important and fulfilling identities: child of God, daughter of two great parents, proud sister, and friend to many. It certainly has no bearing on my ability to seek opportunities and try my best. Anyone who says otherwise is evidence that DEI offices profit from teaching people to judge others by their skin color, rather than their character. Character cannot be built by meeting  racial quotas. It’s developed through taking risks and working hard. Contrary to what the Left would have you believe, the ability to grit your teeth and work hard to pursue your dreams is not exclusive to “white-passing” people. This fact is liberating, and anything but oppressive or racist. What is unacceptable is impeding someone’s potential to learn or succeed because they do not check a favorable racial box, not to mention doing so under the guise of being against racism. Last year, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn race-conscious admissions to colleges and universities marked a celebratory step for fairness. But it isn’t enough. State lawmakers in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Texas, and more are prohibiting the use of taxpayer spending on racist DEI programs at colleges. Policymakers around the country frustrated by the student “encampments” on campuses this spring that claimed to be for peace, but were really antisemitic activists, would do well to follow suit. DEI is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and it’s time we exposed it as such. Like racial preferences, it too must go. The post As an Asian American, I Say DEI Must Go appeared first on The Daily Signal.