The Rise of Anti-Asian Sentiment

Asian Americans make up around five and a half percent of the U.S. population. And though anti-Asian racism has always existed, the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be the leading cause behind this spike in anti-Asian sentiment. From online racist posts to real-life hate crimes, the situation of Asians in the Western world (especially in the U.S.) is getting worse and, increasingly, out of control. Asian people are threatened by verbal harassment, workplace discrimination or refusals of service, physical assaults, and many others.

Being a minority group with different cultures and physical aspects, hate and dislike cannot be avoided. In the past, hate and dislike mainly happened online, but recently, while hate speech and racist behavior online increased, it also set the stage for real-life violence.

The virus was first identified in December 2019 in China, with the first outbreak occurring in Wuhan. Though it is not known precisely where the first case originated--China has speculated that it may have originated somewhere else--many people believe the virus started in China.

As Covid-19 began to spread at the beginning of 2020, former U.S. President Trump attacked China and politicized it, referring to it as the “China virus.” Conspiracy theories abounded. Many said it came from a wet market; others claimed it had been produced in a lab. Asians became the new “boogeymen,” viewed as carriers and spreaders of the virus. Within weeks and months of this official vitriol, the situation of Asians in the West, especially in the U.S., worsened: racist attacks online increased in severity; Asians were threatened with verbal abuse on the street; harassed in the workplace, discriminated against, refused service, and assaulted physically. And now, Asians have increasingly become the victims of deadly violence.

So, who’s to blame for this surge in anti-Asian rhetoric? Some have directly blamed former President Trump for appealing to Americans’ fear of “the other” as he continually accused China as the source of America’s woes. As Trump stirred the pot, the world witnessed his ability to appeal to the mob mentality of his supporter base, inciting them to violence on January 6, 2021. Trump successfully tapped into a fear of the other that has always existed in America and exists, on a certain level, in all of us. Trump is the first U.S. President to tap into this innate fear and use it to cause emotional and physical harm against Asians and other groups, such as the Democrats, who he accused of “stealing” the 2020 election.

Some say that Asians are easy targets for these kinds of attacks because they historically have responded with quiet dignity in the face of microaggressions and anti-Asian comments. Spreading awareness is essential for stopping violence. When people become aware of the situation, they can make sure that their actions do not contribute to the spread of hate and even participate actively in helping to stop it.

I can understand that people are frustrated and very sad about the pandemic and all the number of cases and deaths and want to release the pain and anger on someone, but that is not the reason for violence. First, thinking only about the facts, though the first outbreak of the virus was in China, its origin is still unknown; because of globalization and the convenience of traveling, the actual first case could have come from anywhere. Second, the virus first spread to the Asian countries and then to the rest of the world, so while the Western countries are experiencing the full blast virus, countries in Asia have already contained it. It is not as if the virus only affects a particular group of people.

Being Asian and living in Europe, I have experienced discrimination because of my race. Learning about the violence happening to Asians in the U.S. makes me feel sad and angry. We are also victims of the pandemic; we also experienced loved ones dying because of the virus; in front of the virus, all races are equal, but why do Asians have to become a punching bag? Is it because we were able to contain it before other countries were able to? That is simply because we were affected before you did. Or is it because the world needs someone to blame, and we were just in front of the muzzle?

Not enough is being done to stop the hate and violence, and more action should be taken by the government. Not just because right now, people should focus on getting everyone vaccinated and putting somewhat of an end to this pandemic, but more importantly, making people understand that these actions should not be done to anyone. COVID-19 is killing so many people; we should be grateful that we are alive during this pandemic, and we should see how valuable life is and not hurt and kill even more people because of incorrect beliefs.

If you do not want to be treated a certain way, you should not treat others in that way, a concept that the Chinese philosopher Confucius taught. We should all keep this in mind before doing anything that could harm someone else.