BY LYNNE INOUYE AND SYDNEY WESCHCKE
STAFF WRITERS
As Coronavirus cases steadily rise in America, a lot of us are becoming more and more stressed as we worry about jobs, family, or schooling. This, by itself, is perfectly understandable and valid. It’s only when this anxiety turns to blame, racism, and xenophobia that things become dangerous. In this article, we will be talking about how to spread kindness in these trying times instead of hate.
First, many politicians and public figures have taken to calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Coronavirus” or the “Chinese virus.” This not only makes a scapegoat of China as a country but encourages racism against Asian Americans here. Though these people may treat it as a joke, it can encourage hate crimes and violent acts of racial discrimination. Over the last two weeks, there have already been reports of 1,100 Coronavirus-related attacks against this community. If you hear someone call it the “Chinese virus,” don’t hesitate to speak up and explain why this needs rethinking. There’s a reason we don’t name diseases after their place of origin much anymore; it has a long, negative history.
Next, you can just support the Asian-American community in general. The federal government hasn’t taken any strong action to protect these people, but some agencies have. The U.S Commission on Civil Rights raised concerns about it, and the Department of Education issued guidance to educators to protect their students at the risk of harassment. This is a good start, but a lot more can still be done. Be aware of the bigotry, and if you see someone being mistreated, defend them.
I hope this article was informative! Stay safe and healthy, everyone.
Sources:
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/how-to-respond-to-coronavirus-racism
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/17/us-government-should-better-combat-anti-asian-racism#