The increasing number of people dying from the Wuhan coronavirus has been used by some people to trigger xenophobia among people worried about their health. Experts have since been criticizing the increasing reports of racism and anti-Chinese sentiments in some countries.
French Newspaper Hits the Wrong Buttons
During the weekend, a French newspaper had to apologize after it used the headline "New Yellow Peril?" in one of its headlines while talking about the new coronavirus, CNN reported. However, the apology came only after readers rallied to call out the paper for using offensive language at such a time.
In the past, the term mentioned by the French newspaper was used in Western nations to target East Asian nationals. Chinese immigrants to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century experienced the extremities of the said term.
For many health and diplomatic experts, it is never right to spread racism and trigger xenophobia at a time when nations should unite to help contain the virus and assist those in recovery.
Outbursts in New Zealand Amid Coronavirus Fears
In New Zealand, some Kiwis of Asian descent and Chinese-Kiwis have expressed disappointment over the racial abuse they have been experiencing since the coronavirus started spreading in other countries.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Singaporean Kiwi Dollice Chua was just among the many others who were stereotyped due to the novel virus. Chua has been a resident of New Zealand for over two decades and yet she experienced racism.
Chua revealed that she went out wearing a mask so she can purchase a wedding card. However, at the Auckland NorthWest Shopping Mall, a middle-aged woman looked at her with "dagger eyes" while she was proceeding to the toilet area.
Aside from getting stared at while moving around town as she deserves, the said woman accused Chua that "Asians are the ones who brought this virus."
While viruses have been known around the world to bring about talks of conspiracy theories and are also infamous starting points of false information, experts noted that it should not be used as a reason to racially isolate China or the outbreak's epicenter, Wuhan.
Asian Students at ASU Ostracized Following Campus Patient Confirmation
Some Asian students attending Arizona State University told Business Insider on Thursday that they experienced different forms of racial abuse ever since it was confirmed that one of the U.S. cases of the novel virus was at the said university.
A freshman who lives in a dorm inside the ASU campus said she noticed the shocking change in the treatment of Asian students in the university after the coronavirus outbreak kicked in.
"I'm paranoid in coughing," she told the outlet, noting that each time she would cough while in class, the other students stare at her. She added that while there was always a wall dividing the big number of Chinese international students and the rest of the students, xenophobia stemming from the coronavirus made the wall wider.
Social Media on Fire in Japan
In Japan, some people have been using social media to further racially isolate China, The Hill reported. The hashtag #ChineseDon'tComeToJapan was among the most trending hashtags in the country on Twitter.
The same is true in Indonesia, where one of the most infamous hashtags, #TolakSementaraTurisChina, trended and received thousands of retweets. The hashtag in English means "temporarily ban Chinese tourists."
Canada's Asian-Canadian Community in a Bind
Toronto councilor Kristyn Tam-Wong on Wednesday reiterated that there should be no xenophobic triggers or racial discrimination despite the the increasing number of coronavirus cases worldwide.
According to the Edmonton Journal, one of the latest issues that overturned the Canadian social media masses was CTV investigative reporter Peter Akman's tweet earlier this week wherein he received a haircut from an Asian barber.
"Hopefully all I got today is a haircut," he said in his tweet. It is worth noting that the said barber was wearing a mask in the photo. Akman has since apologized for his tweet that has also been removed from his profile.
Despite calm over Akman's comments, some Chinese-Canadians and Asian-Canadians in the country said they still fear increasing xenophobia and the possibility that finger-pointing will be more apparent in the coming days or until the virus is controlled.
