China News Agency, Beijing, August 28th, title: Asian Americans are frequently discriminated against. Who is contributing to the "mental plague" under the epidemic?
China News Agency reporter Ma Jiajia and Diao Haiyang
The new crown pneumonia continues to spread around the world. While threatening the lives and health of people in various countries, racial discrimination and hatred caused by the epidemic in some countries have developed into another "mental plague." Who is contributing to the "mental plague"? Who is responsible for the rise of racism under the epidemic?
A number of studies have shown that since the outbreak of the new crown, discrimination against Asians and Chinese has become more and more serious. A recent study released by the Pew Research Center in the United States found that since the outbreak of the new crown, about 40% of Asian and African Americans said that because of their race, the behavior of people around them made them "uncomfortable."
The Chinese Association for the Promotion of Chinese Rights, a non-governmental organization in the United States, also conducted a follow-up investigation and research on the discrimination of Asian ethnic groups during the epidemic. The latest report released by the organization on August 27 pointed out that from March 19 to August 5, 2020, the United States received a total of 2,583 incidents of discrimination against Asian Americans. According to the report, a large amount of data shows that during the COVID-19 epidemic, the Asian ethnic group continued to suffer widespread racist discrimination. Discriminatory behaviors are regardless of age group, and specific methods include verbal attacks and violations of civil rights.
Regarding the reasons for the rise of racial discrimination in the context of the new crown epidemic, Professor Russell Jeung from the Center for Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University pointed out that “fear and political speech are driving discrimination against Asian-Pacific Americans—all of us have it. Responsibility to stop this discrimination." Zhang Huayao also pointed out that with the opening of schools and the influence of American political events, racist words and deeds in the United States will show an upward trend in the next few months.
A national survey on the discrimination against Asians in the United States recently released by the US media also pointed out that political factors will have an impact on people's attitudes towards the epidemic. The survey stated that leaders have a prominent influence in shaping people's attitudes towards the new crown pneumonia.
In fact it is the same. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, some American politicians, out of their own political interests, have repeatedly issued statements that violate scientific facts on issues such as the source of the virus and the naming of the virus, misleading the public and exacerbating racial discrimination in the United States. The New York Times once pointed out that when the U.S. government began to blame the “Chinese virus” for the epidemic, discrimination against Asian Americans became more and more uncontrollable: Asians across the United States were verbally abused and threatened with death. Also suffered physical injuries.
When cooperation against the epidemic and scientific tracing have become the universal consensus of the international community, US Secretary of State Pompeo has recently made racist remarks at the Republican convention. Not only did he repeat the old tune and mention the "Chinese virus", he also tried to blame China for the consequences of the US government's ineffective fight against the epidemic. Pompeo's remarks sparked widespread criticism on social media. Some American netizens said, “Even if the attacks against Asian discrimination and xenophobia have been triggered, Pompeo once again called the new crown virus a'Chinese virus' on TV." Some American netizens said, “Pompeo treats the new crown The virus is called the "Chinese virus." This is a term for racism and it only increases hatred."
The Chinese Association for the Advancement of Chinese Rights, a non-governmental organization in the United States, pointed out that the issue of racial discrimination in the context of the new crown pandemic will have a destructive impact on the lives of millions of people in the United States, and this impact may take decades to reverse. Indeed, countries around the world may be able to contain the new coronavirus by adopting quarantine measures and eventually developing vaccines, but the "mental plague" is even more difficult to find an antidote. If you want to really solve the problem of racial discrimination, all relevant parties, including American politicians, need to realize the seriousness of the problem before this prejudice worsens. The U.S. government needs to use legal weapons to strengthen its fight against hate crimes. U.S. politicians must start by stopping the use of discriminatory words against Asians and Chinese descent. (Finish)