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. 

Racism in the media

Freedom of speech allows people to take liberties with mocking Asian Americans.  Would the examples below be tolerated for other racial groups?

Here are examples of everyday folks with their tweets:  http://publicshaming.tumblr.com/post/54791337536/idiots-use-plane-crash-in-san-francisco-to-mock-asians

What is the role of the media in modern-day racism?  http://criticalspontaneity.com/2013/07/07/asiana-crash-the-role-of-media-in-modern-day-racism/

Sometimes there is a fine line between distasteful and blatant racism.  Check out this Chicago Sun Times headliner:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/chicago-sun-times-san-francisco-headline_n_3562177.html

Racism towards Asians among the media is not limited to this latest incident of the Asiana crash.  The so called “progressive” radio talk show host, Stephanie Miller and her sidekick, Jim Ward, made fun of Asians when they mimicked Kim Jong Il's accent:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJiLdatYhwY

Everyone is encouraged to speak out against such behaviors.  Call in to radio stations.  Write op-eds.  Comment on tweets, etc.  Any other suggestions for how to deal with such behaviors?