Anti-Asian听racism听and COVID-19

Published: April 8, 2020 • By Jennifer Ho

(revised July 16, 2020)

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

This outline of anti-Asian听racism is adapted from a听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听Defined

Racism is a system where one racial group dominates/has power over others鈥攖he 听site听
Racism is institutional 鈥� 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
- 听听and colonization
- The World War听II听
- Targeting听
- Housing, Marriage, Educational discrimination whereby听听,听are听and听听

Anti-Asian听Racism:听A听very听brief听history

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

听听Yellow听Peril

Anti-Chinese sentiment became part of the Yellow Peril language
听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听and Indian
听sentiment fueled many anti-Asian U.S. initiatives, such as the听,听the听Gentleman鈥檚听Agreement,听and the听Cable听Act
The most important thing to note is that听听reduces Asians to always being foreign, never considered American

听听Asians听becoming听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听鈥�Oriental鈥� (past) now, ASIAN
[Note:听it is akin to calling African Americans 鈥漀egro鈥濃€敾宕遣遭€檛 do it]
Asians in the U.S. eventually became听Asian Americans,听officially听听听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听听rather than as U.S. citizens鈥攚hich contributes to anti-Asian racism

听听Vincent听Chin听&听9/11听backlash

Two instances that show how Asian Americans continue to be seen as 鈥渇oreign鈥� rather than as U.S. citizens and fully American:
鈥攁 Chinese American engineer who was brutally murdered by two white men who accused him of stealing their jobs during the Detroit auto industry slump
听听鈥攎any of the people in the aforementioned groups have described听听that have led to fear, stigmatization听and听

听听Why听saying听鈥淐丑颈苍别蝉别听痴颈谤耻蝉鈥�听is听racist

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been clear in explaining听They want听听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听听have noted, to mis-name the virus and call it by its point of origin听听
When听听and private citizens insist on calling it 鈥淐丑颈苍别蝉别痴颈谤耻蝉鈥� because the 1918 flu pandemic was referred to as the 鈥淪panish Flu,鈥� this reinforces the problem with using 鈥淐丑颈苍别蝉别痴颈谤耻蝉鈥� since听so the logic does not hold up
And when people say听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听听did not still persist.
Using the phrase 鈥淐丑颈苍别蝉别痴颈谤耻蝉鈥澨齮o blame a country and people who others continue to associate with disease and filth and where听听

听听Incidents听of听Anti-Asian听harassment/racism

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

AAAS听Statement听about听anti-Asian听harassment听and听COVID-19听

released听early听March听2020

The听Centers for Disease Control听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听), the Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) wants to also acknowledge the听听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听. 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听educate them about how to manage their health听as well as why their prejudices/biases in assuming all Asians have the virus are rooted in a听, xenophobia, ableism, and anti-Asian racism. Please encourage your colleagues and friends to explore听听that addresses anti-Asian bias associated with the coronavirus. And please听remember:听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听, a Black American, died at the hands of White police officer, Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. The video recorded by听was viewed around the world and set off a wave of US national and听, police brutality, and systemic racism -- where people declared that听.
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.听,听,听, and听are others recently killed by anti-Black racism.
; what seems new-ishis the attention people are paying in the midst of COVID-19鈥攖he ongoing global protests and demands for听and听.

Anti-Black/Anti-Asian Racism &听White Supremacy

The current rise of听-- the ferocity/violence is a resurgence of anti-Asian racism that emerges when the US is under 鈥渢hreat鈥� (ex: WWII, Cold War, Viet Nam, 9/11)
Anti-Asian racism is is not the same as听; however, what both forms of racism share are听
They are both subject to and are in service of听
They are both systemic 鈥� it鈥檚 not about individual people being racist 鈥� it鈥檚 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听for the first time, and especially if you identify as听, then you must recognize the ways in which being against anti-Asian racism means听

AAAS Solidarity Statement

June 2020

The听(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听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听Association for Asian American Studies听Board of Directors

听How听to听be听an听anti-racist听ally

Anyone can be an听听you simply need to听听听and promote and听
The first step is听about the听听鈥� and this听听is on-going and听
The next step is practicing听听in your communities 鈥� 诲辞苍鈥檛 just be a bystander, speak out. Remember:听
How you can address anti-Asian racism NOW is to听听听and explain how it is connected to a听
You can, for example, share this presentation with them and encourage people to report anti-Asian harassment听
You can attend a听

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