It’s dangerous to stigmatize Asians, especially during a public health crisis

By the Virginia Asian Advisory Board

In an already anti-immigrant environment, Asians, particularly the Chinese, are reportedly facing increasing acts of racism, xenophobia and stigmatization as a result of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Asian students have reported being victims of name calling, harassment and even violence. Asians, and even products made in China, are ridiculed or associated as sources or carriers of coronavirus. Asian-owned and operated businesses are being shunned. Uber and Lyft drivers are bypassing Asians because of their surnames. More and more stories are being shared on social media of Asians being victimized.

Why? Because political leaders in our country continue to use terms like “Chinese virus” and “kung flu” to describe COVID-19. This rhetoric is harmful, fuels misinformation, and inflames anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment. Now, a community response is required to not only contain a public health crisis but a public safety one too. We need to work collectively toward containing a virus that doesn’t discriminate. It knows no boundaries. It doesn’t care what and how many demographic boxes anyone checks.

While it doesn’t care what it’s called, WE do because it’s stigmatizing the Asian community and it’s dangerous.

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued best practices for naming new human infectious diseases, which include avoiding terms that specify geographic locations (e.g., Spanish Flu); people’s names (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease); species of animal or food (e.g. swine flu, bird flu); cultural, population, industry or occupational references (e.g., legionnaires); and terms that incite undue fear (e.g., unknown, fatal).

“In recent years, several new human infectious diseases have emerged. The use of names such as ‘swine flu’ and ‘Middle East Respiratory Syndrome’ has had unintended negative impacts by stigmatizing certain communities or economic sectors,”says Dr. Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general for health Security, WHO. “This may seem like a trivial issue to some, but disease names really do matter to the people who are directly affected. We’ve seen certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities, create unjustified barriers to travel, commerce and trade and trigger needless slaughtering of food animals. This can have serious consequences for peoples’ lives and livelihoods.”

Let’s be clear. The name of this virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease it causes is “coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”

We call on leaders and community members to always use proper terms and call others out when they’re misused. We ask anyone who experiences or observes a hate crime to contact local authorities and report it to Virginia’s Office of the Attorney General: click here or call (804) 225-2292. Stay informed and follow what Gov. Ralph Northam and his administration, including the Virginia Department of Health, are doing to keep Virginians safe and healthy, visit https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus-updates/.

Let’s lead Virginia forward. Let’s stop the spread of the virus. Let’s stop the spread of hate.

The Virginia Asian Advisory Board advises the Governor on ways to improve economic and cultural links between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Asian nations and on issues affecting the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the commonwealth.

Twenty-one members are appointed by the governor; 18 citizen members who shall represent business, education, the arts, and government; and the secretaries of Commerce and Trade; Health and Human Resources; and Education. Current citizen members are May Nivar (Chair), Midlothian; Eric Lin (Vice Chair), Chesterfield; Praveen Meyyan (Secretary), Arlington; Komal Mohindra (Treasurer), Falls Church; Melody Agbisit PhD, Norfolk; Suja Amir, Glen Allen; Julia Chun, McLean; Atiqua Hashem, Glen Allen; Razi Hashmi, Fairfax; Hyun Lee, Centreville; Justin Lo, Richmond; Bobby Ly, Fairfax; Carla Okouchi, Fairfax; Marie Sankaran Raval M.D., Henrico; Ssunny Shah, Roanoke; Mona Siddiqui, Midlothian; and Jewan Tiwari, Manassas.