I've been thinking and engaging around this subject A LOT recently (i.e., talking to a lot of racists on Facebook🙄). Heres some notes for anyone fighting anti-Asian racism in this global pandemic:
Sure. The problem is these phrases increase racial animus against Asians, leading to Asian Americans of ALL ethnic backgrounds, and other Asians in the West being attacked: people.com/health/coronav…
WWII: Japanese AMERICAN CITIZENS are targeted as potential foreign spies.
Vietnam conflict: Non-Vietnamese Asian AMERICAN soldiers are singled out during training, their fellow soldiers are told "this is what the enemy looks like".
This is how branding/marketing works. Corona beer got hit from "Coronavirus" - same thing happens to Asians bc of "Chinese virus" theknow.denverpost.com/2020/02/28/cor…
The South Korean Consulate in Canada issued a warning to all Korean Canadians and Koreans in Canada, saying that violence against Asians in on the rise: montreal.ctvnews.ca/covid-19-korea…
This is not anecdotal or local - scholars and sociologists are outlining what's happening. They show a clear rise in anti-Asian sentiment, linked to violence.
This presumes that Chinese identity and American identity are mutually exclusive - that you cannot be both Chinese and American.
Our journalists, reporters (@weijia), politicos (@RepJudyChu @RepTedLieu) have been saying it is not OK. Chu told McCarthy & Gosar a week ago this hurts our community, portrays us as un-American: politico.com/states/califor…
These guidelines are being extremely casually ignored, if not flaunted, by Trump and other (Republican) elected officials.
Was in Philly on New Year's w friends. We got in Uber, the driver asked us what we did, we said "Korean food." He asked: "Is that a kind of Chinese food? I've had Chinese, and Japanese, but idk Korean."
My point isnt this guy was racist. He was curious. My point IS the level of nuance we're facing. It's wrong to think "Chinese virus" won't blow back on ALL Asians.
...that was 1918. A lot of dumb 1918 stuff has changed by now, including:
-Women not voting.
-Blacks not voting.
-Asians not immigrating to America.
-Typhoid fever. Polio. Mumps. Measles.
-Flagrant racism.
1) PLEASE speak up/interject when you see someone harassing an Asian. In person OR online. Knowing we are not alone is powerful.
2) Donate to @a3pcon who are launching a Stop AAPI Hate reporting center tomorrow.
IF you experience an act of anti-Asian hatred, please go here to fill out their reporting form (available currently in English, Traditional & Simplified Chinese, and Korean): …anpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/