How COVID-19 Has Given Rise to Xenophobia in The U.S.

Members of Massachusetts' Asian American Commission, stand together during a protest, March 12, 2020, on the steps of the Statehouse in Boston. Asian American leaders in Massachusetts condemned what they say is racism, fear-mongering and misinformation aimed at Asian communities amid the widening coronavirus pandemic that originated in China. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Editor’s Note: interviews were conducted prior to New York State on PAUSE executive order.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has left and will continue to leave scars on Browning's community, but, for some, the threat goes beyond the disease and includes being targets of hate based on their racial origins. 

In reaching out to faculty and students who identify as Asian Americans, there appears to be some consensus that anti-East Asian attitudes have emerged since the coronavirus threat came to light. Asian Americans have had to carry the brunt of hostility for something they had nothing to do with in the first place.

“I have heard of recent reports of Asian-Americans getting harassed for just getting groceries in this country, as well as some parts of the Philippines denying anyone who “looks Eastern-Asian” rights to public transportation,” Dr. Melodie Ting, the Director of Educational Technology, said.

For Asian Americans, reports of coronavirus-based discrimination have been on the rise. A woman of East Asian descent was attacked in New York City for coughing in public. According to Stop AAPI Hate, a website created to document hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic, there had been over 1,000 incidents in less than two weeks.

“Treating people based on their looks can be devastating to a whole community, especially to a minority community in the U.S,” Dr. Ting said.

“We have begun to create conversations where boys who identify as Asian have a safe space where they can debrief about the issues they have faced.”

Although many Asian Americans have never been to China, they are still being associated with it and are being punished because of the way they look. Prior to the pandemic, local restaurants, especially those in Chinatown, suffered a loss of customers due to the coronavirus well before other businesses started to be affected as a result of quarantine.  

Browning’s APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) affinity group has allowed students to discuss how they are feeling about the current affairs or what is concerning them. 

“In the group, we have begun to create conversations where boys who identify as Asian have a safe space where they can debrief about the issues they have faced,” Alexander K. ’20 said. 

In March, President Trump’s reckless use of the term “China virus” gave the public permission to aim their loaded angst at anyone “who looked” Chinese. Asian Americans are always grouped together by a bigotry that refuses to recognize their differences. Thus, Koreans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, and other ethnic groups have also felt the threat of discriminatory acts. 

The public should not perceive Asian Americans as just victims. The president and the public should recognize that many of the frontline heroes in the fight against COVID-19 are Asian Americans who serve their communities as doctors, nurses, scientists, food service providers, and business leaders. For example, 20 percent of the medical workforce in this country are Asian Americans.

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of how people live and work and it is already taking a hard toll on the economy. History has shown that when there is an economic downturn, scapegoating will happen and in this case, it seems to be Asian Americans, who will continue to be blamed for this virus. It is important to remember that even small biases against a culture and community can end up creating a domino effect. Hate can spread like a virus. But like a virus, hate can also be stopped and fully eradicated.

“The greatest enemy we face is not the virus itself,” Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, said, “It’s the stigma that turns us against each other.”