Research Paper

The novel coronavirus, known as Covid-19, has killed over 3000 people and infected almost 100,000 worldwide. Because of growing concerns, anti-Chinese racism has become increasingly prominent. An elderly Chinese man collecting cans in his neighborhood in San Francisco was verbally and physically assaulted and mocked. Less than a week after this incident, another Chinese man had a bucket of water thrown onto him on the streets in New York City for “having the coronavirus.” The outbreak of the Covid-19 virus has brought to light the lingering racial hatred towards the Chinese, as they are wrongfully blamed for their cultural practices and the faults of their government.

Anti-Chinese racism is deeply rooted in the belief that Chinese people are unclean and impure. In the article, The Coronavirus Reawakens Old Racist Tropes against Chinese People, John Pomfret states that “Anti-Chinese racism always hinged on the belief that Asians harbor disease.” There is a lingering representation of poor hygiene surrounding the Chinese tracing back to the 1800s. In Pomfret’s The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present, he writes, “If the future historian should ever be called upon to write the Conquest of America by the Chinese Government, his opening chapter will be an account of the first batch of Chinese courtesans and the stream of deadly disease that followed.” With the rise in infections, hate crimes against Chinese people in foreign countries has also spiked. Not only have hate crimes become more frequent, other forms of discrimination, such as being isolated and avoided in public, have also become a common occurrence. Some may argue that it is natural to avoid those wearing masks in public, but more often than not, it simply serves as a convenient excuse for malicious intentions and racist mentalities. People who are not wearing masks or aren’t even showing symptoms of being ill are still discriminated against merely for being Chinese. As written in Pomfret’s book, in the 1850s, Chinese women were targeted by American health authorities and politicians for being sources of disease and infection. This tenacious racist mentality that is evident throughout history is being reflected in people’s skepticism around Chinese people. This silent, seemingly harmless discrimination is putting a whole race to blame. The misconception that the Chinese harbor diseases creates a stigma and a destructive division amongst communities. Several other deadly viruses, such as Ebola, MERS, and West Nile, originated from other countries. It needs to be understood that diseases do not only arise from the Chinese, or a single race. 

The outbreak of Covid-19 has sparked prejudice towards the Chinese. Chinese cultural habits, specifically the consumption of wildlife, have been the center of blame for the epidemic. Cultural differences have always been a divider between races. Decades ago, the Chinese were discriminated against for their appearance and apparel (Pomfret, 73). The world was so quick to point their fingers at the Chinese because of a differing cultural habit that unleashed Covid-19 as well as SARS back in 2003. According to Andrej Trampuž’s journal, Sars – A New Challenge for the Mankind, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is another example of how the Chinese’s eating habits have introduced viruses to humans as it was linked to civet cats, which were sold in wet markets similar to the one that Covid-19 (allegedly) originated from. David Quanmmen states in his article, We Made the Coronavirus Epidemic, that the outbreak is “part of a pattern of choices that we humans are making.” The choices of intruding natural habitats and environments, disrupting ecosystems, and shaking viruses loose of their hosts. These choices aren’t solely made by the Chinese, but by people all over the world. Instead of believing that the outbreak is the fault of the Chinese or of a single cultural habit, the world needs to realize that this epidemic, as well as any others from the past and in the future, has no relation to race whatsoever and are the consequences of mankind’s selfish actions.

While discrimination is aimed at the entire population of China, it is driven by a sense of distrust and disdain towards the Chinese government. Instead of doing what is necessary to protect its people amid this outbreak, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to have been putting more effort into covering up scandals and anything that points out their flawed leadership. The censorship and lack of freedom in China fuel doubts on the reality of the disclosed information on the virus. Some may argue that the CCP’s response to Covid-19 is better than that of SARS as the World Health Organisation (WHO) was alerted of the virus within 23 days of the first case (the period was 68 days during SARS). However, the Chinese government once again discouraged reports on the virus. The article Doctor Who Blew Whistle over Coronavirus Has Died, tells the story of Chinese ophthalmologist Dr. Li Wenliang – the “whistleblower” – who spread the news of the new coronavirus during the early stages of the outbreak. After sharing about a new flu-like disease that was similar to SARS, he was accused of spreading false rumors and warned by the local public security bureau for “disrupting social order.” Dr. Li Wenliang passed away on February 7 after battling the virus at the frontlines in Wuhan. Grief and anger flooded social media as people mourned the death of the whistleblower and accused the local authorities of trying to conceal the truth of the virus. This tragic event unmasked the deception of the Chinese government and contributed to the rise in doubt towards the government. 

Not only has the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus raised serious concerns of a global pandemic worldwide, but it has also exposed deep-rooted sinophobia, manifesting through malicious questioning of Chinese cultural habits and the failures of their leaders. Covid-19 isn’t just a misfortune filled with loss and a reminder of the deadliness of unknown viruses – it’s also a misfortune of racism and the enduring division between races.

Writing Process

Reflection:

Even though this assignment was very open-ended, I found it quite challenging to write a complete and thorough essay. The research aspect was relatively easy compared to the writing process, where I had to combine all the sources to support my main points. I was challenged to write based on evidence and not my own opinions. I had a lot of ideas but struggled to articulate it because this was the first time we wrote a paper in this style. Regardless, I think I was able to effectively communicate the significance and sources of racism by drawing examples from current and past events.