Opinion #2: Is Racism Spreading Faster Than The Coronavirus Itself?

Coronavirus is spreading fast, but is ignorance and racism spreading even faster?

Coronavirus is a virus that is found in animals and it came from a seafood and meat market in Wuhan, China, in December. It is a global issue that is erupting daily and the international community did not act quickly enough in their window of opportunity to stop it. 

The issue should not be taken lightly, and people need to take caution to avoid the infectious disease, but is it right to single out a person just for their looks or cultural differences? 

While constantly following news and social media, it is evident that nasty comments, looks, and fights in public spaces are happening against anyone that has East Asian roots due to where the virus stems from. 

This is disheartening because it is creating a separation in our society. 

Multiple videos are going viral of people physically attacking individuals with masks on subways or streets just because of their cultural looks. This virus is causing hate crime everywhere and this stigma around Chinese people needs to stop. 

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine called an Uber and as the Uber pulled up, the person she was with refused to get in because the driver was East Asian. My friend proceeded to get in the car, while the person she was with did not. 

When the ride continued, the driver looked back and said, “Thank you for not canceling the ride, I promise I’m not sick”. 

The poor man is just trying to make a living and here he is struggling due to this stigma formed around his culture. 

Discrimination isn’t doing anyone any good, so why create more issues?

Yes, the virus has sparked panic for many people. It has infected more than 75,000 people and killed over 2,100 worldwide, but it has caused far fewer deaths than the flu, according to CNN News. Only 14 people have been diagnosed with the illness in the United States and so far none of them have died. 

People in this generation feed off of false rumors and information. Individuals will see things on the internet or rely on word of mouth instead of looking up information from a reliable source before spreading it. It is important to do research and form your own opinion instead of following the opinions of people around you. 

I will not deny that profiling is a common issue in today’s society, and it is nothing new since the virus started, but now it has created more upheaval than necessary. 

This is piece is not to demine the severity of this virus or say that we shouldn’t be cautious about our surroundings in the United States, but in no means is it right to be physically ATTACKING another person due to their cultural background. 

The bottom line is, you can’t generalize an entire race with the people that are sick. No one should have to live in fear because of the way they look.