Blaming China and its people for COVID-19 doesn’t prove anything. It just makes you racist.
Just like anyone else, I see the “China Virus” and “Kung Flu” comments all the time. People all over the world are blaming the Chinese for what is commonly known as the Coronavirus. But what do the people of China really have to do with it? How about Asian-Americans?
Well, the short answer is nothing. People all over the world have suffered from this global tragedy. But one thing that is sure is that the entire population of one of the biggest countries in the world isn’t at fault. Blaming China doesn’t further any points but one: you’re a racist.
Calling COVID-19 the “Kung Flu” and “China Virus” has put many Asians in positions of fear. Speaking from a personal experience, I have had friends, family, and strangers say these slurs and blame China to my face. People jokingly ask, “is it okay to go to the Chinese restaurants?” and “can I go to the salon without getting sick?” but it’s not a joke and a simple reality check would answer those questions.
Many of the immigrants here aren’t fortunate enough to afford to go back to their homes. A lot of these people work hard for their lives and they are still treated as less-than. People have stopped patronizing businesses run by immigrants to the point of closure.
I have gone to two different Asian immigrant-run businesses and both said their business had declined. Both so grateful for my business they cried telling me how they’re being treated. As an Asian American, I don’t have to empathize; I understand. I am adopted from Vietnam and my sister is from China. Neither of us has been back to our home countries, we only speak English. It’s all we have ever spoken. But we, like hundreds of thousands of others, fear and continue to fear for our safety.
We have faced some of the most intense and painful racism of our entire lives in the last seven months. We were afraid to leave our homes, and for what? We didn’t have anything to do with it, and neither did any of the people who are like us.
Not only is it disrespectful, but it literally puts millions of people in danger. There have been numerous hate crimes, namely attacks on Asian-Americans. The number of these crimes has spiked since the beginning of the year and the start of the pandemic. Our misfortune isn’t your punchline. Our safety isn’t yours to determine. Blaming China and its people doesn’t prove anything. It just makes you racist.
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