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Asian American speaks out: racial discrimination is the new virus in the US

Asian American speaks out: racial discrimination is the new virus in the US

Source: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe, Via Getty Images

The New York Times CN published an article by Jessica May Lin on 10 June, 2020, in which she narrated Asian Americans’ experience combating malicious harassment in the US during the pandemic, and called on all minorities to stand together firmly against racial discrimination.

How Asian Americans suffered

As the Trump government tried to blame the pandemic on China and insisted to name the coronavirus as “Chinese” virus or “Kung-flu”, the situation got worse for Asian Americans from the very early stage of the outbreak. Before some states announced that wearing masks was actually a necessity in the fight against the novel coronavirus, Asian Americans generally avoided wearing masks in public, in fear of being insulted or even attacked as a result of racial discrimination. Triggered by the pandemic, racism and xenophobia started to spread again in the US like another dreadful virus along with the coronavirus out there.

“I sneezed once at a bus stop and the white woman beside me looked quite disturbed, deliberately hiding behind a glass shelter to stay away from me. I was wondering if it was just me, but not long after, it was reported that restaurant revenues in Chinatowns in San Francisco and Auckland declined by 50% due to fear of the virus and the resulting xenophobia. In the following months, Asian Americans (many of whom were not Chinese) across the US were verbally abused, threatened, and some suffered physical injuries. One of my Asian friends sat in his car one day and someone spat on him. Another friend’s house got damaged,” Ms. Lin wrote.

The minorities should stand together

Asian Americans are not the only victims. African and Latino groups in America had been hit especially hard by the pandemic, since the virus has been found exacerbating longstanding inequalities - people with low incomes across the US bore greater risks thanks to inadequate medical insurance coverage and financial savings.

Alongside dramatic upsurge of anti-Asian attacks, racial violence against African Americans and violent law enforcement by the police shocked the US and much of the rest of the world. The death of George Floyd triggered the largest wave of protests against racial injustice in the US in decades. “If we want to solve the problem of racism against Asian Americans, then all Americans need to see the seriousness of this prejudice before it worsens,” Lin said. “Now it’s time for us to stand side by side with other minorities.”

Racial discrimination is unacceptable

“It’s a great concern that this will develop into a new wave of racism that push us back to the past, when Asian immigrants were considered as a threat to both employment and Western culture and civilization,” Lin pointed out. “In my opinion, in the fight against the pandemic, the biggest obstacle is not the virus itself, but us human beings.” Countries around the world may be able to bring the virus under control by adopting isolation measures and developing vaccines eventually. However, it is more difficult to find an antidote to cure the “virus” in people’s mind.

Lin calls on the US government to use legal weapons to strengthen the fight against hate crimes and raise public awareness. It should also stop using words, such as “Chinese virus”, which may deepen biases and hostility against Asian Americans. Racial discrimination is by no means acceptable.

[ Editor: WXY ]