As an Asian American born in the US to
parents who immigrated to America over 60 and 70 years ago respectively, we are
Americans. Unless you are a Native American Indian or Native Hawaiian, the
rest of us are descendants of immigrants which is why America has been known as
the melting pot creating a blend of different cultures and ethnicities that
makes us unique with no race in our country name. Hate crimes and racism against ANY race or ethnicity, more recently an increase in the Mexicans and the Jewish community is unacceptable and should
never be tolerated.
With the current environment around
COVID-19, there has been an increase in racial hate crimes, including but not
limited to verbal and physical abuse and harassment against Asian Americans
solely based on their looks and that is ignorance and what ultimately fueled and continues to fuel this pandemic.
Instead of applauding those who were
proactive and took precautionary measures early on to wear masks in crowded
public places like subways and grocery stores for their own protection as well
as yours, they were being verbally abused just because they are Asian. Creating an environment that discourages
people from wearing masks because they do not feel safe doing so is ignorance.
If you think about it, it is the
norm in Japan to wear face masks at any time, when they have a cold or even during
allergy season and is a staple in their society. That is a very probable reason that despite
the closer proximity to China, the first country to have reported the virus, Japan had one of the lowest per capita number of infections of developed
countries during the first wave of infections. Singapore and Taiwan, more
examples of countries in much closer proximity to China had also minimized their
cases during that first wave and they are Asians.
Assuming that because a person is not
Asian descent that they did/do not have the virus, that you did/do not have the virus
is ignorance.
A spring breaker's publicly stated comments that it was more important to party than take
necessary precautions to social distance is ignorance, not Asian.
A woman who walked
into a Pennsylvania grocery store and coughed all over the produce costing the
store over $35,000 in groceries in a time of food insecurity for many is sick
but not Asian.
COVID-19 unlike racists, do not
discriminate and let’s not so easily forget the Native American and Native
Hawaiian population greatly suffered in the past from European borne
diseases.
Ignoring safety restrictions and regulations in the midst of a global health crisis by crowding beaches and protesting sites WITHOUT social distancing is not only ignorant but does not help the cause and is no better than being a drunk driver. It is important to practice responsibility to prove that we can be trusted to do the right thing to lift those restrictions because if having the open beaches on the first warm weekend was a test, those ignoring social distancing failed miserably.
We are the United States of America, not the Divided States of America and for those who keep concentrating on oneself where “I” is in Ignorance, vs “We the People” the basis of our constitution to promote unity and general welfare, in this case working together, social distancing, taking necessary precautions, washing your hands, and staying home, then you are the ones who do not belong here. Americans are better than that. We need to be better than that.
