Regarding the coronavirus situation, I have noticed that a lot of people have begun to associate any
and all Asians, no matter what nationality, with the virus. I have seen many comments online
associating popular Asian figures with the virus, whether they are Chinese or not. Yet when the
perpetrators are called out, they simply say, “Calm down, it’s just a joke.” This in a way demonstrates
a sort of double standard when it comes to racism- it’s reasonable for other groups to be offended by
racist comments, but when these comments are directed at Asians, we need to “learn to take a joke.”
This unfortunate situation is thus being used as rationalization for xenophobia, justification that is fueled
both by pre-existing stereotypes and the current social distancing situation.
Many people in America see Asians as easy targets for racism, largely due to the impression that we
will remain silent and won’t fight back. However, when we do speak out, our voices are often suppressed
by the majority group and our stories covered up. For these reasons, much of the general public remains
ill-informed on Asian issues and therefore assumes that racism toward Asians is acceptable, since we
“don’t complain” about it. To make matters worse, social distancing has left people with nothing better to
do than go online and leave offensive comments under the umbrella of anonymity. In difficult times like
these, people look for a scapegoat and this time, Asians are the group being thrown under the bus.
As an Asian American myself, it’s hard not to be frustrated and angry with the way people are reacting to the situation at hand. Diseases are almost never racialized, so why should this be deemed the “Chinese/Asian virus,” especially by people in power? No single group of people is solely responsible for the pandemic. It is not the fault of all Asians that many government systems failed to take action before the situation began to get out of hand. We did not force people to disregard health warnings or buy unreasonable amounts of toilet paper, yet many people look at us like we have single-handedly ruined their lives. Thus, with the growing realization that life may never go back to the way it was, an important question is raised for the Asian and Asian American communities: will the increased levels of racism and xenophobia in America ever return to previous levels? Or will they remain at current levels, even after the virus is no longer a major issue?
and all Asians, no matter what nationality, with the virus. I have seen many comments online
associating popular Asian figures with the virus, whether they are Chinese or not. Yet when the
perpetrators are called out, they simply say, “Calm down, it’s just a joke.” This in a way demonstrates
a sort of double standard when it comes to racism- it’s reasonable for other groups to be offended by
racist comments, but when these comments are directed at Asians, we need to “learn to take a joke.”
This unfortunate situation is thus being used as rationalization for xenophobia, justification that is fueled
both by pre-existing stereotypes and the current social distancing situation.
Many people in America see Asians as easy targets for racism, largely due to the impression that we
will remain silent and won’t fight back. However, when we do speak out, our voices are often suppressed
by the majority group and our stories covered up. For these reasons, much of the general public remains
ill-informed on Asian issues and therefore assumes that racism toward Asians is acceptable, since we
“don’t complain” about it. To make matters worse, social distancing has left people with nothing better to
do than go online and leave offensive comments under the umbrella of anonymity. In difficult times like
these, people look for a scapegoat and this time, Asians are the group being thrown under the bus.
As an Asian American myself, it’s hard not to be frustrated and angry with the way people are reacting to the situation at hand. Diseases are almost never racialized, so why should this be deemed the “Chinese/Asian virus,” especially by people in power? No single group of people is solely responsible for the pandemic. It is not the fault of all Asians that many government systems failed to take action before the situation began to get out of hand. We did not force people to disregard health warnings or buy unreasonable amounts of toilet paper, yet many people look at us like we have single-handedly ruined their lives. Thus, with the growing realization that life may never go back to the way it was, an important question is raised for the Asian and Asian American communities: will the increased levels of racism and xenophobia in America ever return to previous levels? Or will they remain at current levels, even after the virus is no longer a major issue?
References
Tlumacki, J. [2020, March 19]. Asian Americans Condemn Racism [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/virus-from-china-exposes-racism-in-america-coronavirus-us-2020-3
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