Viral Racism

By Karla Vega

These are strange times we are living in. Confined to our homes, we do not have much of a choice but to wait and see how our government chooses to move forward. For some, the quarantine is peaceful, as they reside at home with their families, and life goes on as normally as it can. Weekly stops at the grocery store and quiet, solitary walks around the town are no problem. For others, these simple quotidian things are not possible because of the threats posed by racism.

Recently, some conservative politicians have been calling the global pandemic COVID-19 by names that create stigmatism aimed at Asians and Asian-Americans. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called COVID-19 the “Wuhan Virus”, and Republican Senator, Tom Cotton, has used that same term often when speaking in the Senate (Rogers). In a tweet, California Representative Kevin McCarthy used the term “the Chinese coronavirus” (Rogers). Trump has called COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus” multiple times when addressing the nation, not caring for the negative effects that it is creating, or the consequences that the American people face because of it (Cave and May). Surely the President should know better than to call a virus by an unofficial name that creates discrimination, shouldn’t he? Despite the World Health Organization’s attempts to create a name for the virus that does not create a stigmatism for those that come from the place of origin of the virus (Rogers), some continue to use names that sow the seeds of fear.

This is not the first time that Asian-Americans have faced the consequences of being a scapegoat. If we think back to the era of World War II, Japanese-Americans were forced to suffer despite not having played any part in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Misplaced nationwide panic created discrimination that altered the lives of thousands of Japanese-Americans. Now, Asian-Americans are also facing discrimination due to panic that has been instilled into the people of this country. Part of the reason that Asian-Americans have been made into scapegoats is Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that he did not move forward to protect the American people from the virus during its early stages (Cave and May). In order to shift the negative attention from himself, Trump has redirected the attention to China. New York Times writers, Damien Cave and Tiffany May, sum up Trump’s actions of deflection by writing,“despite warnings that he is encouraging xenophobia, Mr.Trump has repeatedly used the term ‘Chinese Virus’ in what critics see as an effort to distance himself from the problem.”

The repercussions of the language that Trump and other politicians use are obvious in the lives of Asian Americans across the country. Recently many Asian-Americans have said that they are afraid to “go grocery shopping, to travel alone on subways or buses, to let their children go outside” (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.). Innocent people are being harassed as they try to deal with the new lifestyle that everyone around the world is trying to come to terms with. It’s understandable that people are scared, because life as we all know it has changed significantly, but we should not lash out at one another in fear. Asian-Americans are being followed and harassed on the streets, and made to feel unsafe in their own cities. One Chinese-American woman in San Francisco reported that she was followed by a man who shouted at busses, telling them to run her over (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.). The attacks range from verbal to physical, with multiple reports of assault across the country, and with no care for age. A child was assaulted at school for being Asian, as his peers accused him of carrying the virus, and a father was attacked in front of his young son (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.). Even Asian-American doctors who are fighting to treat COVID-19 patients and to find a cure for the disease are facing racial discrimination. The head of the emergency department of a Manhattan Hospital, Dr. Edward Chew, has reported a shift in the behavior of those around him, as some people “cover their nose and mouth with their shirts when they are near him” (Tavernise and Oppel Jr.). In these trying times, nobody should have to fear catching the virus, and much less fear getting harassed and assaulted for something they are not responsible for.

We’re all responsible for keeping one another safe, whether it’s from disease or from racially charged assault and harassment. During this time of fear, we have to remember that we are all fighting it together, and that we cannot cure this disease on our own. Remember to look out for your Asian-American neighbors, and be the person that they can look to for kindness. Stay safe.

Cave, Damien, and Tiffany May. “World Feared China Over Coronavirus. Now the Tables Are Turned.” New York Times, March 20, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/world/asia/coronavirus-china-united-states.html.

Rogers, Katie. “Politicians’ Use of ‘Wuhan Virus’ Starts a Debate Health Experts Wanted to Avoid.” New York Times, March 10, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/politics/wuhan-virus.html?searchResultPosition=8.

Tavernise, Sabrina, and Richard A. Oppel Jr. “Spit on, Yelled At, Attacked: Chinese-Americans Fear for Their Safety.” New York Times, March 23, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/chinese-coronavirus-racist-attacks.html.