Stigma

Stigma

A family, including a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old, were attacked by a knife-wielding man in a retail warehouse called Sam’s Club in Midland, Texas.

An art curator was summarily dismissed via e-mail from an art show in Britain. The note said, “Your presence on the stand would, unfortunately, create hesitation.”

Two university students were assaulted and threatened at knifepoint at a pedestrian crossing by a stranger in a city outside of Sydney, Australia. 

What do the victims of all three events have in common? They are all of Asian ancestry. You will note that I didn’t say ”Chinese.” The art curator in Britain and the students in Sydney were of Vietnamese ancestry.

You don’t have to be Chinese to be stigmatized by Coronavirus.

If you are not of Asian ancestry, you may not even know this kind of racism exists. And you may not understand the fear that burdens our Asian friends and colleagues.

One of my son’s and his family live in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington, an area hit hard with the coronavirus. A family man of Chinese descent posted this on their community page: “In a few Chinese groups I am in, folks are scared as hell of potential hate crimes due to recent references of the coronavirus as the Chinese virus. What can I say to my folks (and myself) to calm down a little bit?” My son replied to him, offering up a hug when they were allowed to hug again.

An Asian American colleague of mine came to grips with the fact that she had been managing her fear by avoiding certain public places. “I try to complete all of my grocery shopping at the Asian markets and avoid Kroger and HEB whenever possible because of this.” This is In America. Because of what she looks like. In 2020.

So, take all of the pressure you are already feeling, because of job uncertainty, industry volatility, home schooling your eight-year-old, and the risk of contracting the Coronavirus, and add to that the burdensome fear that your family may be attacked just because of the way you look. That’s the world many Asians live in today. It’s real.

My other son, coincidentally, shared an article that had a “solution” to this situation that was floated by a former U.S. presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. Andrew Yang is the son of immigrants from Taiwan and has probably experienced racism growing up in the U.S., so he speaks with some credibility. Which in this case is not a good thing because, as my son put it, it is the worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas.

Mr. Yang says that telling people “[d]on’t be racist toward Asians won’t work.” So, he shifts the responsibility to Asian Americans. He says, “We Asian Americans need to embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before.” He suggests the people of Asian ancestry in America” wear red, white, and blue” and “should show without a shadow of a doubt that we are Americans.” To be fair, he also said Asians “need to step up, help our neighbors, donate gear . . . and do everything in our power to accelerate the end of this [COVID-19] crisis.”

While I am not suggesting that supporting one’s country (here, showing “American-ness”, but can apply to any country) is a bad thing, it is no replacement for calling out prejudice. And it should never be done in an effort to cover one’s authentic self. Further, suggesting that Asian Americans do this shifts the blame and responsibility for racism to the targets of racism, asking them to change their behavior and outward appearance to fit in. What’s next, plastic surgery?

Prejudice associated with global events isn’t unique to the coronavirus. The Latin community was stigmatized for the swine flu, blacks for Ebola, the LGBTQ community discriminated against for AIDS, and all middle-Easterners for 9/11.

And in an odd twist, Africans are now being stigmatized in Guangzhou, China as they are being blamed for a new wave of coronavirus. They are being refused service in restaurants and being evicted from their apartments, being forced to live on the streets. And in India, Doctors and Nurses going door to door to assist the elderly and the sick have been attacked by mobs and police, as they are assumed to be carriers of the virus.

You don’t have to be Chinese to be stigmatized by coronavirus.

But let’s be clear, Asians are carrying the brunt of the stigma. So, what can you do? Here are some ideas:

Refer to it by its official name. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls it coronavirus, or COVID-19. We all know it originated in China, but the people in China who have been impacted by it, along with everyone else in the world, are victims too. Coronavirus doesn't recognize race, nationality, or ethnicity. Referring to it by the region or country of origination reinforces the incorrect stereotype that if you are Asian, you are more likely to be the cause or a carrier. 

Wearing a mask does not mean a person is sick with COVID-19. A person may be wearing a mask for a number of reasons; cultural or social reasons, to avoid pollen and air pollution, or maybe to rob a bank. We should not assume someone has COVID-19 just because they are wearing a mask.

We have to make sure we share accurate information. Political and religious leaders are making lots of statements in the field of medicine these days. Listen for their sources and verify them before repeating advice. The best sources are the WHO or the Center for Disease Control (CDC) websites.

Always lead with inclusivity. Leading with inclusion is easy when it’s easy. When it’s hard, it’s very hard. Learn how to manage it here. 

Most importantly, show empathy. Recognize that there are those that are impacted just because of the way they look. A simple smile and a greeting can go a long way. Recognize that those being stigmatized have already sustained wary glances at best and verbal or physical assault and rejection at worst. Let them know you understand.

Stand up for them. Bring them into the fold. Let them know you care.

Because when everyone’s in, everyone wins.