Mattia Sayson ASA A02 002 Week 1

The impact of this pandemic and how it has changed the world every single day is something I never thought I would experience in my lifetime. Of course, it was always something possible, but the idea of this outbreak and its societal impact was what I thought was solely part of the "world history" I heard back in my 7th grade class. Especially as a first year student who was still transitioning and figuring out the whole "college" thing, this curve ball was unimaginable. It hadn't really hit me until the walk-in lectures were cancelled and the discussion of moving out was a confirmed and tangible option. I was updated for the most part on how it slowly spread but the lock down of California set it in stone. Something that really stood out to me, however, was the heightened discrimination and racism that has unfortunately been a societal plague for centuries. A few weeks back, our President, used Twitter, one of the most prominent platforms of virtual interaction, to relay news to the current generations about the "Chinese virus," referring to Covid-19. As an Evangelical pastor has said as a response to the tweet, "Calling it the 'Chinese virus' only instigates blame, racism, and hatred against Asians — here and abroad. We need leadership that speaks clearly against racism; Leadership that brings the nation and world together. Not further divides."  As much as the coronavirus has continued to spread and increase, the hate that comes as a "2 in 1" package with this outbreak increases just as much. In an article by The Atlantic, many people who identify as Asian had faced a number of forms of discrimination. From restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown to dirty looks to those who choose to wear masks, the hate that has associated oneself with being asian is so much more mentally impacting that I think many underestimate.
              I think the idea of inferiority that many people of minority feel because of how society perceives them is a discussion that always gets pushed aside. We do not need this pandemic to already add on to the oppression that already exists. As I read Professor Valverde's article, I could not help but make a number of facial expressions from confusion to frustration to triumph. Despite being something that happened in the past, I was silently rooting for her as I read through the article; I wanted her to succeed. Her victory was a victory for women. her victory was a victory for people of color. her victory was a victory for women in color. As a young Filipina American woman fresh in this institution and navigating this system that is not made for me, I appreciate the ASA courses that are offered as it is giving a space for all the voices that went unnoticed.

Image: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/coronavirus-us-asian-americans-racism

References

Brito, Christopher. “President Trump Uses Term ‘Chinese Virus’ to Describe Coronavirus, Prompting a Backlash.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 19 Mar. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-coronavirus-chinese-virus-backlash/.

Valverde, K.-L. C. (2013). Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. Seattle Journal for Social Justice, 12(2). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu

Yasmeen Serhan, Timothy McLaughlin. “The Other Problematic Outbreak.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Mar. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-covid19-xenophobia-racism/607816/.