Viruses & Xenophobia

What reactions have YOU seen in response to the coronavirus?

• Stores have run out of stock of face masks.
• Travelers from the epicenter are beginning to be unwelcomed.
• Countries have flown their own residents back home for mandatory quarantines. 

Meanwhile, there have also been stories emerging of discrimination in Western Countries such as:

1. Australia https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/australia/coronavirus-racism-chinese.html,
2. Canada https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-health-canada-discrimination/coronavirus-stokes-asian-discrimination-fears-in-canadas-biggest-city-idUKKBN1ZS092 
3. and France http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/digital/2020/01/30/Chinese-people-respond-to-coronavirus-discrimination-We-are-not-a-virus-.html. 
4. The US in not immune either: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/02/811363404/when-xenophobia-spreads-like-a-virus. 

Many thanks to colleagues from the Asian American Psychological Association for sharing resources regarding the relationship between infectious diseases and xenophobia on the listserv. 

From Dr. Sachi Inoue...

• “As coronavirus spreads, so does concern over xenophobia
  ‘More panic, more temptation to blame the outsider ... the other,’ a Columbia professor of sociomedical sciences said.”
  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1125441
• “Rapper 50 Cent Wants Donald Trump to Send Chinese People ‘Back to China’ Over Coronavirus”
  https://nextshark.com/50-cent-trump-china-coronavirus/

From Dr. Grace Kim...
Treating Yellow Peril: Resources to Address Political Anxieties Over China’s Coronavirus...compiled by Asian American Studies scholars, and includes information on history and case examples from other epidemics (such as SARS).

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1-DLnAY5r-f4DRLZgndR_Bu47nqHVtAOKem5QRmbz7bg/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR2WeS44EeDSXSBhHoUih6FNQvsJhQnkEORjuvWnWSEsXULJS7gplhd2Rms

A "very quick google search...to highlight our history of recent infectious diseases and our societal response¹" was summarized by Dr. Sherry Wang who provided links to articles that can easily be found online. She was also speaking on KQED about personal experiences related to this matter: https://www.kqed.org/news/11800025/to-be-asian-with-a-face-mask-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak. 

·  SARS outbreak (2002-2003) triggered China-blaming attitudes and perceptions that were reflected in national newspapers and expanded to stigma against Asians, worldwide¹.

·  Bird Flu (2003-2007) elicited anti-Asian messages as well as prejudiced attitudes and discrimination¹.

·  Swine flu (2009) fueled anti-immigrant racism³ especially toward Mexican American immigrants⁴.  

·  MERS (2012-present), despite not being an urgent, worldwide threat, the name and geographical location of the disease generated fear of it being a “Muslim illness”⁵.  

·  Ebola (2013-2016) – The racial profiling and overt racism against Black people has been described as Ebola racism, facilitating discrimination, racial profiling, and anti-foreigner sentiments based on skin color^6-9.

·  Zika (2015-2016) – Despite its recognition as a global health emergency, Latin American and Caribbean women, especially poor women, were given differential treatment that rendered them “unprotected” and “badly served” and revealed the “hideously racist hypocrisy”¹⁰.

¹ https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/01/coronavirus-outbreak-sars-swine-flu-viral-history.html

² http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30467300/ns/health-cold_and_flu/t/amid-swine-flu-outbreak-racism-goes-viral/#.XjXFsmhKg2w

³ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-can-we-learn-about-r_n_203602

⁴ https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2009/swine-flu-prompts-anti-mexican-sentiment

⁵ https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/MERS-The-Major-Threat-Thats-Not-on-Your-Risk-Map?gko=ba980

⁶ https://theintercept.com/2014/10/21/cant-ebola-become-latest-racist-national-security-issue/

⁷ https://www.mic.com/articles/101660/ebola-racism-is-real-and-it-s-thriving-across-the-u-s

⁸ https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-29714657

⁹ https://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2014/10/austria-increase-in-racism-due-to-ebola-fear-the-local.html

¹⁰ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/health/zika-virus-response.html

¹¹ http://theconversation.com/coronavirus-fears-can-trigger-anti-chinese-prejudice-heres-how-schools-can-help-130945

The American Psychological Association has a few tips on how to manage viewing coverage of the virus: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/bird-flu.