Virus Of Hate: Tracking A Rise in Anti-Asian Harassment

The World Health Organization officially gave COVID-19 its name in February. Before anyone knew what to call it, some U.S. politicians and journalists dubbed it “the Chinese virus” or “Wuhan Coronavirus,” referring to the city that saw the first cases.

Those early labels fit into a long-ignored history of anti-Asian racism in the United States, which may be why Asian American business owners in Connecticut and New York reported drastic drops in revenue well before any local outbreaks. Now, many Asian and Pacific Americans fear anyone who may look Chinese is a possible target of racism.

In early March, an Asian student got punched in the jaw in Midtown Manhattan. She told a local WABC reporter she wanted to remain anonymous as she recalled being attacked by a woman on the street:

“She said ‘where is your f****** mask, you f****** coronavirus b****,” she remembers, “I don’t know why she did that to me. Right after that she just punched my chin. I was really shocked.”

It’s one of several incidents since the coronavirus that prompted investigations of bias attacks. The NYPD arrested two anti-Asian hate crime suspects that same month. One, who police say shouted expletives and pushed a father. Another they say yelled anti-Asian comments and kicked a man.

Two days later, a reporter at a White House press briefing asked President Donald Trump about the rise in attacks: “Why do you keep calling this the ‘Chinese virus’? There are reports of dozens of incidents of bias against Chinese Americans in this country. Your own aide, Secretary Azar, says he does not use this term because ethnicity does not cause the virus. Why do you keep using this?”

Read the rest of this story at WSHU’s website.