COVID-19 and Xenophobia
An incredibly important piece by our Advocacy Chair, Jessica Kim.
When Dr. Chandrasoma urged the Assembly to prioritize combating coronavirus-induced xenophobia at our last GM, I thought the timing couldn’t have been more right, as I was at the research stage of writing this article. As the coronavirus outbreaks have worsened globally in the past few weeks, more and more of my APIDA friends and family have shared their tragic experiences of facing increased hostility and outright racism. For my sister, who has been living in Germany for the past year, it happened on a flight from Istanbul. As soon as she boarded the plane, a group of older men sitting near her started to cover their nose and mouth with their hands, stare sinisterly at her, and flinch everytime she made any movement. She was asked “Where are you from?” by multiple people on the plane. For my friend, a current sophomore at USC, it happened at a Nordstrom Rack. When she was at the shoe aisle with her boyfriend, both of whom identify as either Asian or Asian American, a college-aged girl was walking toward them before her friend pulled her away while saying “. . . don’t go near his corona-looking-ass.”
Even as someone just listening to these stories, I felt the overwhelming feeling of rage, sadness, and fear that always accompanies my experiences with racism. These experiences illustrate how racism and xenophobia toward our community is prevalent all around the world and is perpetrated by people of different backgrounds and ages that are only unified in their misinformed fear and prejudices. And a quick google search proves this. In New York, an East Asian woman wearing a mask was verbally abused before being physically assaulted. In Indiana, two Hmong Americans were denied hotel rooms after being harassed with questions about their heritage and bombarded with fake facts about how anyone from China has to be “picked up and quarantined.” In Los Angeles, our city, a Thai American was yelled at by a fellow passenger that “every [disease] comes from China because they’re so fucking disgusting”. Many Chinese businesses are also taking a hit. While no one in the state of New York has been diagnosed with the virus, the famous restaurant New Shanghai Deluxe that usually takes reservations months in advance saw a 70-80% decrease in business (CNN). And literally less than a day ago, a student was punched in the face in London by a group of people, just for looking like he could have been from China (facebook).
Universities are also acting as the breeding ground of unfounded fear and xenophobia. The Asian/Asian Pacific American Students’ Coalition at ASU published a statement asking for the university to condemn racism and xenophobia after multiple students voiced how students were refusing to sit next to them in classes. In Columbia, a hate message toward Chinese students was written on the blackboard of the library (NBC). UC Berkeley’s Wellness Initiative posted a graphic on instagram that included “Xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia” as a “normal reaction” that students may feel (CBS). I’m so proud of APASA for taking a proactive stance on this issue and releasing the statement before the major outbreaks, but the fact that so many of our friends and classmates are still experiencing racism, xenophobia, or microaggressions reminds us that we need to continue actively engaging with this issue.
Firstly, remember these stories and share these stories with people who say the coronavirus outbreaks have not been accompanied with increased hostility toward our community. While many people may think it is okay to make a controversial joke here and and there or to resort to a series of microaggressions with the excuse of worrying about their health, hearing these stories will let them realize they are contributing to this horrible, global trend of bigotry. Sometimes the easiest way to bring about change is to inform the people already around you who may be less aware. Secondly, show your support online. Share the APASA statement, contribute to the I Am Not A Virus campaign, and share the stories of people who were brave enough to come forward. Lastly, take action. When you see someone being openly hostile to another person, say something if it feels safe. Think about how you can show support for the target. Sit next to them and ask them if they are okay, or start a conversation with them and ignore the perpetrator. If you feel unsafe, or if you are the victim, call for help immediately and record the situation if possible. Even though there are many online articles and social media posts that are encouraging Asian and APIDA individuals to stand up for themselves in these situations, I don’t feel comfortable asking you to do anything when your safety is at risk, especially because this places the responsibility of solving xenophobia and racism on us, the population that is hurt the most by the situation. If you have any more suggestions for our community, or if you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please feel free to send them to me at minsolk@usc.edu and I will share them in our next few newsletters. In the meanwhile, please feel free to share these things with your friends and classmates so more and more people can stay aware.
Sources:
Some students say colleges not doing enough to combat coronavirus-fueled racism
UC Berkeley deletes post saying xenophobia is "common reaction" to coronavirus