How COVID-19 has affected Asians

Not only has the coronavirus brought a slew of at home concerns and health issues, it has also triggered the onslaught of racism towards Asians. With China being the origin of COVID-19, it has sparked an increased amount of racist actions. While stereotypes perpetuated in mainstream media and everyday school settings have been constants, they have risen to an all-time high during the pandemic.
It is safe to say that coronavirus has impacted every aspect of our lives, including the very fabric of our society and the increased tensions towards Asians. COVID-19 has not only planted a seed of doubt in everyone’s minds that whispers, “Do they have covid?” but it has also dug a deeper hole for racism to be pitted against asians.
A student (‘23) states that when the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in Camden County, two of her classmates told her their parents encouraged them to stop talking to Koreans.
“They asked me if I had covid since I was a Korean, which was one of my first experiences with racism relating to the virus,” she explains.
This is not an isolated event. For Jaden Vo (‘23), he also faced racism-rife insults.
“I was sitting at my desk, and someone told me to go back to China since ‘I brought the virus,’” elaborates Vo.
This is the hard truth that many people have discovered during the pandemic. If someone is Asian, that does not automatically mean they have the virus. The origin of COVID-19 does not determine the status of someone’s health.
“Many students also called it the Chinese virus, and people at stores would noticeably distance themselves from me and…cough aggressively,” adds Kristen Eng (‘21).
Racism stemming from coronavirus has infiltrated everyday situations, and Darren Zhou (‘22) includes how his grandparents felt uncomfortable on the subway, and his parents advised them to minimize going out to public places.
“There is a…greater pressure on Asians,” explains Zhou.
The idea that COVID-19 is the fault of millions of Asians is incredibly harmful and misleading. These insults are normalized, and we must try our best to be kind to one another. After all, we have all been affected by covid, so why can’t we unite ourselves?