Students explain the meanings of their Chinese names in viral video

Chinese students at Columbia University have responded to a series of xenophobic attacks on campus with a simple 2 minute video.

The video was made after an increasing number of Asian students with Chinese names found their name tags vandalised and torn off their dormitory doors.

Name tags bearing Western names, meanwhile, had remained intact, recent campus reports say.

Their video, titled "Say My Name," has gone viral, reaching over 250,000 views on Facebook.

In the video, students introduce their names and explain the meaning behind their names, in an effort to combat xenophobia.

Huhe Yan, an undergraduate student who produced the video, told Mashable: "The video is a way to challenge the stereotypes about the Asian community and especially Chinese students -- that they are silent and take punches without complaints."

"No, we might have good tempers and tend to avoid conflicts, but we do have an attitude and voices to be heard."

Chinese students were quick to respond to the video.

"Bravo to you all for putting this together and taking a stand!" said one user on Facebook.

"Thank you for taking the time to produce this powerful video," another commented.

Huhe adds that he was not expecting the video to gain such traction.

"I initially intended the video to be shared among the campus community at Columbia, but the viewership reached much further. I'm very glad it has prompted people to discuss and reflect on their identities and how we can combat the larger xenophobic climate," he said.

Columbia University's Asian American Alliance released a statement condemning the incidents as a "racist and unacceptable attempt" to alienate the Asian community, and calling for a "rejection of acts of bigotry and intimidation."

Over 200 people have signed the statement in solidarity.