Jump to content

Racist assaults and ignorant attacks against Asians in the US owing to Coranvirus


panadolsandwich
 Share

Recommended Posts

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/20/us/coronavirus-racist-attacks-against-asian-americans/index.html

There is a rising panic about coronavirus in the US with many people blaming the virus on Asian people.  A Chinese American even admitted they give Chinese tourists a very large berth when she sees them, even dashing across the road in peak hour traffic. 

And now with rounds of  Chinese eating things like bat soup and live mice being shared on social media, people are becoming incensed. 

image.png.397e1736486de90508099fb76a8bb4da.png

Chinese medicine has long been blamed for causing the near extinction of various rare species.  Now people in the West are becoming outraged by the risk being imposed on their health by these odd beliefs.  Zoonotic disease caused by peoples penchant for eating rare and exotic wildlife are becoming more prevalent with globalism and cheap air travel. 

A lot of people are becoming understandably upset that someone can eat a virus infested bat, jump on a plane and come to infest your home town causing panic, death and pestilence.  Whether that should be called racism is a good question.  And it doesn't help that China tried to cover up the SARS outbreak and are now undoubtedly doing the same with this latest outbreak.  And what was learnt from SARS?  How to build hospitals fast and how to bury people really fast.  It's now clear to see no real lessons were learnt from SARS, we can only hope this time there will be.  

There is even talk of making these current quarantine requirements for Chinese a permanent thing.  At least until the Chinese start to crack down on themselves by closing down these diseased markets and stopping the people that patronize them from traveling internationally.  Fine, build a hospital in ten days well done.  But cracking down on the source of the outbreaks should be of the highest priority. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the moment as far as we know if you get the virus you've got about a 1 in 10 chance of dying from it.  Of course if you are a child, or an elderly person or your immune system this is very much increased, practically a death sentence.  This is a hell of lot worse than SARS. 

And yet already we are already seeing opinion articles trying to downplay it - look over there!  See how many people died of the flu last year.  I'm not sure were this is coming from or for what purpose.  But I can tell  you that dying from pneumonia is a horrible way to die.  You basically are just slowly drowning to death. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Coronavirus has sparked racist attacks on Asians in Australia — including me

With 10,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 200 deaths, as of Friday, it's no wonder many people feel anxious about the spread of the disease and the risk of infection.

But if that isn't enough, a new problem is emerging: more and more people are reporting racist comments and abuse from those who believe that because the virus originated in China anyone with an Asian-looking face is likely to spread the disease.

Before this experience, racism was something I knew existed but had only experienced via other people's stories.

...

Several Chinese-Australian friends shared their own experiences when I brought up my supermarket encounter.

One recounted how a waiter had dumped change at his table before turning and quickly walking away, after my friend paid cash for a meal at a Melbourne restaurant.

Another, who wore a mask as a precaution at a shopping mall on Friday, had three teenagers tell her: "See you! Go and catch coronavirus".

None of these three people have been to China recently, nor have had contact with anyone confirmed or suspected of having coronavirus.

Vitriol leaves its mark

Sydney man SK Zhang, who has lived in Australia for the past 20 years, said since news of the epidemic broke, he has been getting stares on public transport and is increasingly worried about how the online vitriol will affect Chinese-Australian children.

"It's been a tough week … we are very fearful [of the virus] … but at the same time we are also being targeted with racism and a lot of unwanted attention," he said.

"The way I would put it is right after 9/11, people looked at every Muslim as if they were terrorists, and that's how people are looking at us."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-01/coronavirus-has-sparked-racist-attacks-on-asian-australians/11918962

11919462-3x2-700x467.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I question the reasoning calling it racism.  I think there is a rising panic that China won't act to stop people consuming exotic wildlife.  And living in the West how do you compel China to do so?  No doubt there is a massive element of racism, but when even Chinese Americans and Chinese Australians are adamant about it, not to mention most Chinese nationals are incredibly angry about it, you have to really regard it as a more complicated phenomenon.  Of course the upshot is there will be racism, but the Chinese have a responsibility also if they wish to integrate with the West.  Or have their own citizens travel internationally. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Coss said:

Any one who tries to stop me eating my beloved Duck Blood Lahp, will find that it does indeed cause medical events, specifically, my fist in their face.

I worry more about bats, civets and pangolins being put in the soup.  I remember an old man, very senior at the temple (later found out the most senior) hand feeding me all kinds of insects, worms raw larbs and mysterious soups which I politely asked for a description of before eating it, most likely wanting to get some squeamish reaction out of me but I played along (that's what I thought at the time, now I believe he was just being friendly - he often takes my hand and we'll wonder off deep in discussion walking through the forest - some of the weirdest and most wonderful, but odd,  conversations I've ever had in my life).  However if he had tried to feed me a bat, well old man, and being at the temple and all despite all that it would have been extremely hard not to apply the old fist in the face approach there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Old man (OM) takes my hand after breakfast at the temple and we wander into the forest. 

OM: I think you were a tiger in your past life. 

PS: Well I think that's quite a compliment although I do look more like a leopard you know, I nod my head forward staring intensely through my eyes - I mean I'm often seen with a bottle of Leo in my hand and some people say wow, you look like Leo!  So what were you in a past life?

OM: I was a snake.

PS: Well I did read this story once were a snake saved everyone's life on a doomed ship, hey that could have been you. 

We pass the blossoming flowers of dragon fruit I and an my family had planted several years ago as we come up to the new temple, still under construction. 

OM: Do you think we should use this grey rock here or this light pink rock?

PS:  Well I do think the pink one is rather more fetching, and it would reflect more light at dawn when services are starting.  Let's put one of each on this trestle over here and we'll come and check it out early tomorrow morning.

OM:  Okay and what do you think of this paving rock?

PS:  Well you know I think we could do better ourselves by getting some forms and making them ourselves, it would be a rather good project for the monks I think.  You know, I happen to be going Udon the day after tomorrow,  I'll organise some forms and we can kind of do a trial run. 

And so on and so on.  My wife would come up to me, barely concealed delight I was being treated with so much respect and all I'd say was, 'What a nice old man'. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

China to Russia: end discriminatory measures against Chinese

China's embassy in Russia has demanded authorities in Moscow end what it said are discriminatory anti-coronavirus measures against Chinese nationals.

The complaint, detailed in an embassy letter to the city's authorities, deplored what it called "ubiquitous monitoring" of Chinese nationals, including on public transport.

Authorities in Moscow have also been carrying out raids on potential carriers of the virus - individuals at their homes or hotels - and using facial recognition technology to enforce quarantine measures.

The letter followed unconfirmed local media reports that Mosgortrans, which runs Moscow's vast bus, trolleybus and tram networks, had told drivers to try to identify Chinese passengers and inform police of their presence.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/china-coronavirus-outbreak-latest-updates-200226003835539.html

Well, well, it appears the Chinese are rather affronted by people monitoring their nationals.  They stab their finger in the chest in outrage and shock - it is we that monitor them not you!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, panadolsandwich said:

Well, well, it appears the Chinese are rather affronted by people monitoring their nationals.  They stab their finger in the chest in outrage and shock - it is we that monitor them not you!  

luverly  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...