Xenophobia is when someone or a group of people demonstrate a hatred or prejudice towards another group of people from another country. Currently, many Asians are experiencing xenophobia due to the coronavirus, as it originated from Wuhan, China and has spread worldwide, infecting hundreds of thousands of people.
There are various examples that can be recognized involving the Asian American community in the United States that illustrate xenophobia. One example took place in New York City, where a Hong Kong native named Eunice believed it would be beneficial to wear a face mask to help her remain healthy and prevent infection. Living through the SARS outbreak in 2003, Eunice knew the potential impact of COVID-19 and wanted to prepare in advance before it possibly reaches the United States. She stated her action of wearing the face mask was an act of solidarity as she mentioned, "When you wear a mask, it's a symbol of solidarity to other people... It's a way of saying, 'I understand that things are scary, but here is a thing that I'm going to do to protect myself and to protect all of you"'. Though many citizens lacked the understanding of her actions, as she began to notice that people would distance themselves and eventually experienced racial comments directed towards her. This was an act of xenophobia.
Similarly, Chinatown's business for restaurants in San Francisco began experiencing the impacts of xenophobia. These restaurants began receiving less and less customers due to the outbreak, as Americans began avoiding Asian Americans due to the fact they believed they were protecting themselves from COVID-19.
One example of this would definitely be Trump's consistent referral of COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus". I feel like it's enabling the xenophobes.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting. I know in Asia wearing masks is common when you are sick or if you are afraid you might get sick. I think it is much less of a common practice here but maybe should be something people do more of. I know I always used to assume that a person wearing a face mask is sick. I think it is important that people know that wearing a mask does not necessarily mean a person is sick.
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting because I didn't realize that people were boycotting Chinese restaurants because they thought they'd get the virus. I hope something is released to set the record straight.
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