February 26th, 2020 | Written By - Maggie Chen '23
By now, few people have not heard about the coronavirus outbreak. As of February 19, the disease, which was traced back to a market in Wuhan, China, has led to over 2,000 deaths worldwide. This outbreak has sparked a wave of fear and panic and as it spread, so did misinformation and racist attitudes towards Chinese and Asian people.
Around the world, those of Asian descent were and continue to be harassed online, ridiculed, barred from public places, and even physically attacked. Many took to social media and posted racial slurs and attacks, most accusing Asian users of eating bats and telling them to “go back to their country.” In an attempt to calm the public, the University of California Berkeley posted a list of “Common Reactions” to outbreaks on Instagram; it assured readers that in addition to anxiety and difficulty concentrating, xenophobia and fear of Asians was a perfectly normal response. Despite it later being deleted, the post perpetuated the idea that negative feelings toward Asians were justified under the circumstances.
This was evident at a seafood restaurant in Seoul, which plastered a sign saying “No Chinese allowed” at its front, in addition to restaurants in Italy, Japan, and Thailand. One restaurant owner stated the reason for the ban was he felt “icky” having Chinese patrons and it would scare other customers. The same wariness has taken a toll on Asian businesses as well. Since the coronavirus gained attention, Chinese and Asian restaurants have gone from serving steady streams of customers to only several a day and many are on the brink of going out of business. This makes sense when looking at a poll by Ipsos MORI, which shows that roughly 14 percent of participants would avoid interacting with anyone that looked Chinese. In addition, the number of hate crimes toward east Asians, including physical attacks, has only increased. The coronavirus has affected our communities and hurt even those that have not been infected.
This kind of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment in the US is not unheard of. The belief that all Chinese people are diseased and dangerous is almost as old as the country itself. In the late 19th and early 20th century, a plague outbreak in California happened to hit Chinatown particularly hard. Despite people of many different backgrounds falling ill, the Chinese were blamed for creating and spreading the plague. Honolulu’s Chinatown was burned down and San Francisco’s quarantined, while fear and disease ran rampant. As the cases died down, so did the accusations, but we are seeing alarming similarities in the 21st century.
As a new and deadly illness spreads, feeling anxiety and confusion is completely normal. It is reasonable and even encouraged to express our concerns, raise awareness, and take steps to protect ourselves. However, it is important to make sure we are doing so in a way that respects certain groups and does not promote false and discriminatory views. Only then can we truly help ourselves and those around us.
Photo Source - WIX
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