COVID-19 Is Not An Excuse To Harass The Asian Community
The fear instilled by COVID-19 has become a new excuse for Asian prejudice.
At the bottom of my apartment, I find solace in one of my favorite parts of the city. It’s a place of safe harbor and mental respite from the complexities of life. I frequently visit there on a weekly basis and I always walk away feeling happier, lighter even, than how I started.
That place of happiness and safety — a locally owned Indian restaurant within my community.
However, it’s not the food that keeps me coming. Okay, I’m half-joking. The food is a big part of it. It’ freaking delicious and my soul comes alive with each intense burst of favor.
But seriously, what I love about this restaurant is the people. True, they have great food, but… they have an even bigger heart.
Right before the COVID-19 pandemic, I got sick. My body fell ill to a winter cold (back when a cold was just a cold, and not a panic-inducing buzzword) and I wasn’t in good shape. I had the usual seasonal symptoms: coughing, runny nose, lost my voice, etc. I even lost my high usual energy mood swings and traded it for moving at the pace of dirt.
It was with them; I found kindness. They took care of me and checked on me. As a frequent patron of their business, it was extremely heart-warming to feel that kind of support.
However, this isn’t the first time I have felt this level of kindness from their community. Simply the latest in a long list of positive moments within my life.
So it sucks to watch so many of my friends and associates within the Asian community become racially targeted and falsely accused because of a virus that had nothing to do with them.
Please Social Distance Your Racism
As the pandemic becomes increasingly chaotic, local people are taking out their frustrations on a community of people that simply don’t deserve it.
Former President Trump, being a key fuel for this racist fire, in constantly referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus” (which is just wrong on so many levels.). While there is a truth that the virus was discovered in China, that doesn’t make it right. As usual, he was looking for a scapegoat instead of owning up for his many flaws in leadership.
The problem is that it gave an already extremely misinformed public the perception that the Asian diaspora is to blame for all of this. That in specifically, referring to it as “Chinese”, it gave everyone an easy target to lay blame towards.
That’s just… wrong.
Just like how COVID-19 has nothing to do with the actual Corona beer, and instead named that way because of a scientific naming format.
COVID-19 had nothing to do with the Asian diaspora, except that the first documented cases started in China.
The wildfire-like spread of misinformation is inciting racial prejudice and increasing attacks on a group of people that do not differ from anyone else.
They’re just trying to get through this situation like anyone else.
In the short term, it seems minor to aim your racial bias towards them. Unfortunately, racism isn’t something that just goes away. It indicates a much grander problem deep inside American culture. Even once this pandemic is over, it’s not going away soon.
This entire situation has given people a shield to hide behind and allow their racism to roam freely.
A perfect storm of excuses to not own up to their own shitty behavior.
On top of bringing mass hysteria and sickness, COVID-19 had brought out hidden racial tensions to a world that’s already with too much.
Conclusion
All I’m saying is that if you’re going to point fingers, at least point them in the right direction. And right now people might want to look in the mirror and take a good look at who they're pointing at.
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Dayon Cotton is Active Duty US Navy and Freelance Writer. I write dope articles about social issues, life lessons, and advice on how to live a better life. Stay safe out there!
