COVID-19 Racism and Xenophobia

Photo taken from CNN

While many of my social media “friends” don’t know me well or have never even met me, most of you know by my posts how against human injustices I am. A few times I’ve posted about the racism against Asians around the world and lately, I’ve posted about xenophobia against foreigners in China.

The past week, there have been extreme instances of this happening here in Guangzhou. I’ve really struggled on how to post what’s been happening, as I am not living in my home country. I am living, as a guest, in China. It’s not that I think what’s happening here is not important, that I haven’t posted it. I am appalled at what’s going on. But I’ve also had to consider the state of my mental health and the reactions I may get, as well as repercussions as a guest in China. As such, the situation here has caused my mental health to become fragile, and while some of you might think I’m being selfish, I also think of the mental health and reactions of those who might be reading this.

As news about the COVID-19 outbreak spread around the globe, there have been countless reports of verbal and physical attacks against Asians (a man in Texas even tried to murder an Asian family). This, as an Asian American, has a negative effect on me personally. I also experienced this racism during my visit home to Minnesota in early February. As this was happening, there was discrimination against people of Wuhan within China. Chinese media was reporting of all these incidents happening and a campaign of “I am not a virus” was spread globally. This sentiment was shared from Wuhan residents, from Asians in western countries, from Italians.

Since the beginning, I have urged people to not blame the people of any country, as a whole, for what their government has or has not done. I stand by that. There are travesties taking place in Guangzhou right now that anger me and hurt me, but I still do not blame Chinese people. I blame the ignorant individuals who are displaying such degrading acts of racism and a government that is allowing it. On March 17, I posted a video update to let people know outside of China that things here were getting back to “normal”. And they were, slowly but surely. Less than a month later, it has become a high-stress situation for many, but especially for one particular group of people – black people and Africans.

The end of March, China shut down entrance to any foreigners, even those with valid visas, from entering the country. These measures were put in place to prevent imported infections. ANYONE coming in since March 8 is put into mandatory strict quarantine for 14 days. Some people are unhappy about it, but people abide. Around 85-90% of imported infections are from Chinese nationals returning to China, not foreigners, as they are not even allowed to enter the country.

Despite everyone, including foreigners, abiding by the rules and completing their quarantine with negative test results, a clear amount of xenophobia has become apparent. Restaurants, gyms, hotels and other businesses are refusing foreigners of all colors. The local commissions shut down some businesses that have a regular foreign clientele. Locals are jumping away from foreigners in public. Some white people were experiencing discrimination for the first time in their lives. It’s become very uneasy, unpredictable, and sad. While some people say to me, “you’re okay, you have an Asian face”, this doesn’t make me feel any better. As a person who fights against injustices of discrimination, I do not accept people treating my friends or anyone badly based on their appearance. And it also does not exonerate me from experiencing it. I carry a US passport and I do not speak the language. While I may have a bit more “freedom”, it doesn’t mean I am exempt or that I feel “better” about being an Asian-looking foreigner.

On April 2, a news report was published that a Nigerian man in Guangzhou, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in quarantine, tried to leave quarantine. When a nurse tried to stop him, he beat her and bit her face. By all means, this man should be punished and deported. He broke the rules and assaulted a person. There have been few other reports of foreigners not abiding by the rules. These foreigners should also be appropriately punished. We are guests in China, and those who do not follow the rules (which are quite simple, but they are opaque) should be appropriately punished. However, because of these reports, the reaction of some local Guangzhou authorities and media channels has been outrageous, causing xenophobia and racism against all foreigners, and especially Africans.

Some background - Guangzhou has the largest African community in China. There is an area here that many people call “Little Africa” and even “Chocolate City” (you can Google this term). A few years ago, there were tens of thousands of Africans living in this area. Unfortunately, racism against Africans is nothing new in China. Throughout the years, there have been many reports of mistreatment. In the late 1990s, thousands of Africans started coming to Guangzhou due to the economic boom, the ability to start export businesses, and the vast numbers of wholesale markets, where they could buy goods for cheap and sell them in their African countries. Visa regulations and macro-economic changes in 2013-2016 started to make it more difficult for many Africans to come to Guangzhou, or obtain residency, and the African community shrank considerably since then.

Currently – Guangzhou’s Xiaobei neighborhood is still home to the most West Africans in China. Because of the reports in Chinese media of foreigners, specifically those from African countries, have been frequent regarding positive COVID-19 tests and misbehavior, the xenophobia and racism has greatly intensified. On Monday, April 6, I received notification that several restaurants were not allowed to serve foreigners, “especially blacks”. A Chinese platform published a cartoon that depicted foreigners being organized into trash/recycling bins, drawing a white boy with blonde hair and a black man (this was eventually deleted the next day). Africans and black people were reporting that authorities were knocking on their doors to mandate 14-day quarantine and testing regardless if they had been in China during the entire outbreak.

On Wednesday, April 8, many Africans were suddenly displaced. It is estimated that around 200 Africans were approached by their landlords, building management and residence commissions to be evicted from their homes, even though they are in China legally with legal rental contracts. Many were tested and told they would receive the results the next day and never heard back. African men have been taken away from their Chinese wives and children. Pregnant African women have been put out and forced to sleep on the street. Hotels are rejecting them. Hospitals are rejecting them. These orders are not coming from the central government, however the central government is also not speaking up and remain complacent.

The news about this has been shared on Chinese social media as well as on Western media platforms. However, Chinese news media is not acknowledging this is happening. In fact, many platforms are publishing articles saying no discrimination is taking place – everyone must follow the same rules and regulations and everyone is receiving equal treatment. This is not true. Some schools and buildings are ONLY testing and placing into quarantine people from African countries or who are simply black. The excuses I’ve heard are that Africans are in danger of spreading the virus and causing a second outbreak. However, only five Africans have tested positive. And it is irrational to say that by forcing them to be homeless and congregate together, it will prevent the spread. If anything, this action will exacerbate it even more.

Many foreigners and locals have come together and are doing what we can to donate money, masks, food, water etc. to the Africans who have been evicted from their homes. As of today, April 12, I’ve received word that most are now in hotels in quarantine.

Some African embassies are said to have had a meeting with Guangzhou government officials on Friday, April 10, however no results from this meeting have been made public.

The hardest point to stomach during these trivial and sad times when everyone should be uniting to fight the outbreak, is that many (not all) Chinese people are denying that this is racism. While I don’t personally know of a single Chinese person who supports these incidents or denies that what is happening is wrong, I do read the comments in response to articles and posts. I see infuriating comments like, “Chinese people in western countries are experiencing worse”, “why do you cry? Chinese people are getting killed”, “foreigners are breaking the rules and must be punished”, “Foreigners act superior and want special treatment. No more”, etc.

A few foreigners have violated the rules and regulations, but so have a few Chinese nationals. They all should be punished for doing so. It infuriates me that foreigners are being lumped together, just as it infuriates me that some people in western countries are lumping together Asians and assuming that if they are Asian, they must be infected with coronavirus.

Two wrongs do not make a right. For any Chinese people to justify how foreigners are being treated in China as being okay because Chinese people are being treated poorly outside China is disgusting behavior. There are hundreds of thousands of Chinese living in African countries. If they evicted all Chinese people from their homes, using COVID-19 as an excuse, it would cause outrage. The hypocrisy is undeniable and tragic. For anyone outside of China to think all Asians should be punished just because of where a virus originated is abhorrent. These incidents are appalling and hurting totally innocent people. It is causing undue stress during what is already a very stressful health emergency.

I can’t stay quiet about this; I’ve seen people post about how, when this all ends, there will be more love and acceptance in the world. I’ve seen my American friends post this, and I’ve seen some of my Chinese friends post this. However, RIGHT NOW, this is the reality. While racism, xenophobia, discrimination and bigotry have a finite history, it has escalated for specific groups of people and there are many other groups of people who are completely unaware, or in denial, that it’s happening because it’s not happening to them. It MUST be acknowledged by everyone if we want to actually become a loving and accepting society.

What I don't want to happen from writing this is for people to say, “China sucks, they’re so racist” or for anyone to say, “Foreigners are entitled, they hate Asians”. I don’t want to hear, “Well, Africans did this or that” or “Chinese did this or that”. That is exactly what is working against all of us working together to just end the spread of COVID-19.

I am not ignorant about how China is ruled. I knew full well what I was getting myself into, as I believe most foreigners do. We moved here for better opportunities and most of us found that. Before the outbreak, the mass majority of us were enjoying our lives here. People who would see my posts would comment how happy they were for me, how amazing China looks. That shouldn’t change. I have had an amazing life here for six and a half years. I've known how the country is ruled and I chose to live here anyway. However, when things are good, we tend to take things for granted and become ignorant. Despite what’s happening now, I do not hate Chinese people. I do hate that the government is turning a blind eye right now and certain organizations are making up their own rules on how to treat certain people.

No matter where you live, where you’re from, what color you are, what your ethnicity you identify with, there will always be INDIVIDUALS who are racist or bigoted. What needs to take place is empathy, understanding and education. Do not be complacent. If you hear someone say things like “superior foreigner”, “Africans are spreading the virus”, “dirty Chinese”, “disgusting Asians”, SPEAK UP and STOP it from being a part of any conversation. Imagine for one second, your child growing up with hate in their heart or experiencing hate because of appearance or origin or ignorance.

If people or governments have fucked up, punish the individuals who deserve it, not an entire race as a whole. We are all human beings. We are all suffering from COVID-19. Many outside China are oblivious to the additional stress that is being placed on foreigners, especially Africans, in China. Many who are not Asian are oblivious to the racism taking place against many Asians. Most people find social distancing stressful enough in itself, as well as not knowing when the outbreak will end. Many people think that this is all bringing us closer together. Unfortunately this is not the case.

Why does it stress me out, if it doesn’t affect me directly that badly? Well, it does affect me greatly. Because it affects humans and it affects people I care about. I’ve had my fair share of racism, discrimination, assault, and degradation throughout my life. If anyone is living in fear, degradation or inferiority, it is just wrong. I just don’t know what can be done about it. And that’s the most disheartening and maddening thing of all.