By: Animesh, Connor, and Ondrea Introduction:Hi everyone! We hope you all are still doing well and remaining safe. For week three, we’re going to tackle the issue of racism and xenophobia. As COVID-19 worsens, it’s important to keep track of both its medical and societal impacts. As a part of the API community, we thought we’d discuss some of what we’ve experienced throughout the last couple of weeks. Remember to stand up for what’s right and make sure to defend each other. Enjoy! Animesh:It’s week three. What used to be thought of as an aberration—sleeping in, not going to school, being confined in my house—has become my new normal. And although I can only handle so much boredom, life continues to go on. However, there is one thing over the last few weeks that, without fail, has always caught my attention in the midst of this monotonous routine: racism against API individuals. Sure, I’d seen documentation of it everywhere on social media: people posting racist things Chinese immigrants, Trump calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus”, and the spike in hate crimes in the last month. It’s one thing to see it on social media, but it’s another thing to see it unfold in person. A couple of weeks ago, I was just going through a normal quarantine induced night. Out of the blue, my friend texted in a group chat a couple of screenshots. It was a comment section of an instagram post. The post itself was innocuous enough—I myself had liked it—with a picture saying something along the lines of “what me and x want to say to Corona” and featuring two individuals flipping off the virus. Sure, not the most tasteful, but nothing overtly racist. What I’d missed were the comments saying “F**k China” and “bat soup eating f**ks.” I was stunned. These were people who hung out with the most popular crowd in our school. I couldn’t believe that I’d shared classes with people who harbored such exclusionary beliefs. On some level, it was a jarring reminder of the type of society and system we live in. But there are ways to change these incorrect sentiments. My friend posted the screenshots on his story—a public call out. Soon after, someone else responded to the racist comments on the post, labeling them ignorant and problematic. It racked up 30+ likes in less than an hour—momentum was on our side. The response? “I bet you eat bats.” Although that comment got deleted pretty quickly—after the individual in question decided to use their brain for a change—it showed what we were up against. So, I messaged the original poster and told them that they needed to reprimand their “friends.” They quickly agreed and apologized for leaving them up on the feed. The comments got taken down, a serious conversation was had, and, hopefully, lessons were learned. I think this story illustrates how local these issues of xenophobia and racism can be. We may just see it in the news, but we need to actively be on the lookout for ignorance to defend our community. OndreaRemember when the Korean film, “Parasite,” won an Oscar and APIs and non-APIs were all celebrating together since it was the first Asian film to win an Oscar? That was February. Fast forward a month later and APIs all over the world are being discriminated against for “causing the virus.” Racial slurs, like “kung flu” and “go back to China,” are being thrown around and anti-Asian hate crimes have also skyrocketed. Valerie Chow, a television producer, reported that a homeless man yelled at her to “go back to China” while chasing her down the street. In Australia, a teen spat and threatened an Asian woman with a knife while in London, a Singaporean student was attacked. It is evident that Asians all over the world are being discriminated against. However, these are only a few incidents which are being reported. Like so many others, most of them have yet to report it. As a teen, I scroll through my social media feed and the news to find that there is always a new article about xenophobia and hate crimes towards Asians. It is so disheartening and enraging that despite living in progressive times, it is easy to racially blame a group of people due to the fear of the unknown. This has definitely made me self conscious while going out to get groceries. In difficult and fearful times, it is so easy for people to fall into ignorance and blame a group of people without educating oneself about the situation. And, it does not make it any better when people placed in power decide to join in with the hateful comments. ConnorIt’s now week three of social distancing, and I honestly can’t remember what “normal life” was like. Going to the movies, eating out, playing basketball with my friends—all some distant reality. COVID-19 has redefined our way of life, but for API communities, it’s become even worse than the life-threatening virus it already was. It’s now transformed into a vehicle for xenophobia and hate. As the weeks have progressed, the conversation has only become worse and worse. I expected things to normalize by now, but they haven’t. The United States has officially become the new epicenter for COVID-19, so why is it still the “Chinese coronavirus?” It’s geographic origins shouldn’t transcend the reality that COVID-19 makes no exceptions for race, ethnicity, or gender. It’s decimated countries all around the globe, from Asia to Europe to now the US. The fact that it’s still carrying a descriptor after all these weeks reveals the underlying sentiment of hate. From everyday encounters on public transportation to digital forums which have seen almost a 200% increase in anti-Asian traffic, the conversation has transitioned from xenophobia to straight up racism and hate speech. Rebecca Wen. Devin Cabanilla. Amy Jiravisitcul. These are only a handful of names in a sea of examples. People need to understand the severity of their comments and actions. Covering your face when an Asian person boards a bus or joking with your friends about Chinese people being sick normalizes hate against Asian people. President Trump’s offhanded comments about the “Chinese coronavirus” or “Wuhan flu” tells society this type of language is acceptable. This week I wanted to continue the conversation on xenophobia, because amidst the growing pandemic, it’s important for us to stay vigilant in the fight against racism—now more than ever. Everyone, please be mindful.
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February 2023
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