Asian-Americans Affected by COVID-19
BY AKSHITHA MAQTEDAR '21
German immigrants were said to have brought the yellow fever. Irish immigrants were said to have brought cholera. Jewish immigrants were said to have brought typhoid. Mexican immigrants were said to have brought typhus. America has a history of associating immigrant groups with different diseases. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many Asian Americans are being accused of having or spreading COVID-19. Will this pattern of blaming immigrants for spreading harmful viruses ever end?
Viruses have not been the only cause of prejudice in the past; in fact, the current displays of bias are simply continuations of the previous acts seen throughout United States history. There has been an ever present trend of associating an Asian individual’s appearance with the stereotypes of a certain Asian country, resulting in discrimination against large groups of people. For example, in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration law to exclude an entire ethnic group, preventing many Chinese individuals from immigrating to the United States. It also banned Chinese newcomers from seeking naturalization. Another alarming act of racism against Asian Americans was the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Japanese Americans were put in internment camps with the intention of preventing espionage on American soil. However, there was very little public response condemning these hurtful acts in the immediate aftermath.
With the current COVID-19 crisis, many Asian Americans are facing racist remarks from their community, solely due to their appearance. The truth is, many Asian Americans do not strongly identify with the country that their ancestors are from; they view the United States as their home and consider themselves US citizens. Yet, upon seeing that a fellow citizen has an “Asian face,” some immediately assume that the individual has the virus or is carrying it. In reality, many Asian Americans have been in America for years and are not at all linked with the events happening in Asia. So far, people are claiming that the virus originated in Wuhan, meaning that Asian Americans did not spread the virus, and there is no logical reason for any discrimination towards Asian Americans.
Even so, the FBI recently flagged a potential increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. We are already seeing this in the President’s remarks, calling the coronavirus the “Chinese Virus,” and this trend is nothing new. Names for other diseases, such as the “Spanish flu” or the “Singapore virus,” have attached a whole ethnic group to the sickness. This association turns a group of individuals into scapegoats, distracting public attention from the severity of the disease. In accordance with these patterns, the Asian American community is facing an increased amount of hate crimes due to the ongoing crisis. In Brooklyn, there was an acid attack against an Chinese woman that resulted in severe burns. In Texas, a man has been charged with attempted murder after attacking an Asian American family. In addition to these cases, many Asian Americans are being physically abused, taunted, and spat on. They are scared to leave their homes due to these stories of violence and cruelty, figuring that it’s safer to stay at home than to become the subject of the next attack.
The racism Asian Americans are facing is simply outrageous. The Asian-American community is not entirely responsible for the spread of the virus and should not be blamed or harassed. As a country, we should be coming together in times of crisis, not turning against each other. However, there is hope. In the past, very few people spoke out against racist acts against Asian Americans. Nowadays, people are recognizing the racism that Asian Americans are facing, and they are rallying against it. Hopefully, instead of pointing fingers, we can come together as a nation and battle against the ongoing virus.
Viruses have not been the only cause of prejudice in the past; in fact, the current displays of bias are simply continuations of the previous acts seen throughout United States history. There has been an ever present trend of associating an Asian individual’s appearance with the stereotypes of a certain Asian country, resulting in discrimination against large groups of people. For example, in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration law to exclude an entire ethnic group, preventing many Chinese individuals from immigrating to the United States. It also banned Chinese newcomers from seeking naturalization. Another alarming act of racism against Asian Americans was the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Japanese Americans were put in internment camps with the intention of preventing espionage on American soil. However, there was very little public response condemning these hurtful acts in the immediate aftermath.
With the current COVID-19 crisis, many Asian Americans are facing racist remarks from their community, solely due to their appearance. The truth is, many Asian Americans do not strongly identify with the country that their ancestors are from; they view the United States as their home and consider themselves US citizens. Yet, upon seeing that a fellow citizen has an “Asian face,” some immediately assume that the individual has the virus or is carrying it. In reality, many Asian Americans have been in America for years and are not at all linked with the events happening in Asia. So far, people are claiming that the virus originated in Wuhan, meaning that Asian Americans did not spread the virus, and there is no logical reason for any discrimination towards Asian Americans.
Even so, the FBI recently flagged a potential increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. We are already seeing this in the President’s remarks, calling the coronavirus the “Chinese Virus,” and this trend is nothing new. Names for other diseases, such as the “Spanish flu” or the “Singapore virus,” have attached a whole ethnic group to the sickness. This association turns a group of individuals into scapegoats, distracting public attention from the severity of the disease. In accordance with these patterns, the Asian American community is facing an increased amount of hate crimes due to the ongoing crisis. In Brooklyn, there was an acid attack against an Chinese woman that resulted in severe burns. In Texas, a man has been charged with attempted murder after attacking an Asian American family. In addition to these cases, many Asian Americans are being physically abused, taunted, and spat on. They are scared to leave their homes due to these stories of violence and cruelty, figuring that it’s safer to stay at home than to become the subject of the next attack.
The racism Asian Americans are facing is simply outrageous. The Asian-American community is not entirely responsible for the spread of the virus and should not be blamed or harassed. As a country, we should be coming together in times of crisis, not turning against each other. However, there is hope. In the past, very few people spoke out against racist acts against Asian Americans. Nowadays, people are recognizing the racism that Asian Americans are facing, and they are rallying against it. Hopefully, instead of pointing fingers, we can come together as a nation and battle against the ongoing virus.
