Anti-Asian racism and COVID-19

(revised July 16, 2020)

Jennifer Ho is professor of ethnic studies and director of the Center for Humanities & the Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder, and president of the .

This outline of anti-Asian racism is adapted from a slide deck that was developed to help educate people about anti-Asian racism that has emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. I have focused on racism in the US, but anti-Asian racism is a global phenomenon. Feel free to share widely and to add your own slides. Click here to download the slide deck in pdf form.

Racism Defined

Racism is a system where one racial group dominates/has power over others—the site
Racism is institutional – it is power plus prejudice
Racism is not the same as talking about race
Racism in the U.S. has taken the form of
- and the enslavement of people from African nations
- and colonization
- The World War II
- Targeting
- Housing, Marriage, Educational discrimination whereby , are and

Anti-Asian Racism: A very brief history

Anti-Asian racism has existed from the time the first wave of Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. in the 19th century first and then when they were recruited to build the
Chinese were vilified and demonized in the U.S., (rats) and engaging in pagan religious practices (Confucianism). Generally , often because they were forced to live in overcrowded quarters (what became Chinatowns in industrial/poor neighborhoods), where and proper hygiene unobtainable
Anti-Chinese sentiment grew in the U.S. in the 19th century with accusations that

Yellow Peril

Anti-Chinese sentiment became part of the Yellow Peril language
refers to a general fear, mistrust, and hatred of, first, Chinese in the U.S., and then these negative sentiments were transferred to other Asian-ethnic immigrant groups: Japanese, Korean and Indian
sentiment fueled many anti-Asian U.S. initiatives, such as the , the �ұ�Գٱ��𳾲��’s&�Բ��;��𳾱�Գ�, and the Cable Act
The most important thing to note is that reduces Asians to always being foreign, never considered American

Asians becoming Americans

Historically anti-Chinese sentiment became anti-Asian racism once the ethnic particularities of being Chinese in the U.S. were flattened into the racial category of “Oriental” (past) now, ASIAN
[Note: it is akin to calling African Americans ”Negro”—��ǲ�’t do it]
Asians in the U.S. eventually became Asian Americans, officially but also culturally and socially as the U.S. became more accepting of non-European people being considered American
However, a sizable number of people in the U.S. still regard rather than as U.S. citizens—which contributes to anti-Asian racism

Vincent Chin & 9/11 backlash

Two instances that show how Asian Americans continue to be seen as “foreign” rather than as U.S. citizens and fully American:
—a Chinese American engineer who was brutally murdered by two white men who accused him of stealing their jobs during the Detroit auto industry slump
—many of the people in the aforementioned groups have described that have led to fear, stigmatization and

Why saying “C�󾱲Ա�� վ��ܲ�” is racist

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been clear in explaining They want when diseases have been affiliated with geographic regions or ethnicities
Though the virus may have first originated in Wuhan, China, it has become a global pandemic. And as the WHO and have noted, to mis-name the virus and call it by its point of origin
When and private citizens insist on calling it “C�󾱲Ա�� վ��ܲ�” because the 1918 flu pandemic was referred to as the “Spanish Flu,” this reinforces the problem with using “C�󾱲Ա�� վ��ܲ�” since so the logic does not hold up
And when people say to say that the virus originated in China, that would be true if we lived in a world in which systemic racism were not still an issue and did not still persist.
Using the phrase “C�󾱲Ա�� վ��ܲ�” to blame a country and people who others continue to associate with disease and filth and where

Incidents of Anti-Asian harassment/racism

Since the spread of COVID-19, and , has been on the rise
In the U.S., have resulted in the following:
- Asian Americans are of , and
- The has created a for people to report
- have created
- are reporting on connected

AAAS Statement about anti-Asian harassment and COVID-19

released early March 2020

The Centers for Disease Control recently announced that the Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19 may spread in the United States. As people take precautions to manage their health (the two biggest precautions are ), the Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) wants to also acknowledge the that many Asian Americans (particularly those who look East Asian) are experiencing. As an organization dedicated to the study of Asian Americans, we want to be very clear that xenophobia has no place in our communities or workplaces and that harassment of Asians due to fears of the coronavirus are not only unwarranted but sadly part of a . We stand firm in rejecting anti-Asian bigotry in the guise of people expressing fear of Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19. We also urge people to find resources that will educate them about how to manage their health as well as why their prejudices/biases in assuming all Asians have the virus are rooted in a , xenophobia, ableism, and anti-Asian racism. Please encourage your colleagues and friends to explore that addresses anti-Asian bias associated with the coronavirus. And please remember: frequent handwashing, not anti-Asian stereotypes/harassment, is your best means of preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Anti-Black Racism & Black Lives Matter

On May 25, 2020 , a Black American, died at the hands of White police officer, Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. The video recorded by was viewed around the world and set off a wave of US national and , police brutality, and systemic racism -- where people declared that .
Floyd is only one of several thousands (millions) of Black people to die at the hands of White law enforcement/White vigilantes over the last few weeks/months/years/centuries. , , , and are others recently killed by anti-Black racism.
; what seems new-ishis the attention people are paying in the midst of COVID-19—the ongoing global protests and demands for and .

Anti-Black/Anti-Asian Racism & White Supremacy

The current rise of -- the ferocity/violence is a resurgence of anti-Asian racism that emerges when the US is under “threat” (ex: WWII, Cold War, Viet Nam, 9/11)
Anti-Asian racism is is not the same as ; however, what both forms of racism share are
They are both subject to and are in service of
They are both systemic – it’s not about individual people being racist – it’s about the systems and institutions in the US that create conditions where Asians are seen as foreign and Black people are not granted basic humanity and rights.
If you are learning about for the first time, and especially if you identify as , then you must recognize the ways in which being against anti-Asian racism means

AAAS Solidarity Statement

June 2020

The (AAAS) unites in solidarity with our Black family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and co-workers to call for an immediate end to anti-Black racism and the killing of Black people. We are an organization committed to social justice, intersectional analysis, and global human rights. Our fight against anti-Asian pandemic racism is rooted in a common struggle against White supremacy. The recent murders of AhmaudArbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd propel us to state, clearly and definitively, that Black lives matter and that we must abolish the militarized police state in which anti-Black racism is embedded. To end global anti-Black racism, we must fight racism in our local communities and educate ourselves and others about the rich history of Black Americans and support, validate, and value Black lives now and always.

The Association for Asian American Studies Board of Directors

How to be an anti-racist ally

Anyone can be an you simply need to and promote and
The first step is about the – and this is on-going and
The next step is practicing in your communities – ��ǲ�’t just be a bystander, speak out. Remember:
How you can address anti-Asian racism NOW is to and explain how it is connected to a
You can, for example, share this presentation with them and encourage people to report anti-Asian harassment
You can attend a

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