Racism Against Asian Americans: The Other Virus

Video & Text by Stefan Sykes

As Coronavirus spreads across the country, so does another virus – racism. Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise. From verbal harassment to physical attacks, Asian Americans have found themselves not only worrying about their health but their safety, also.

It’s easy to blame the President’s words, most notably his use of the phrase “Chinese virus”, but the media may also be at fault. Through careless imagery and language, the media has inadvertently perpetuated the narrative that Asian Americans, by default, are carriers of the Coronavirus and therefore to blame for the pandemic.