Racism issues are something we all try to tackle in our society, but some people just don’t understand the sensitivity of the issue and sometimes make it even worst!
With the current global issue surrounding the Wuhan virus, Asians all across the globe have become an easier target for these xenophobics. Racism is also a global disease!
According to an anaesthetist Dr Nadia Alam, her son was cornered in school to “test” if he was infected with the coronavirus just because he is half-Chinese. The kids in the school made him cry after chasing and scaring him.
Today my son was cornered at school by kids who wanted to “test” him for #Coronavirus just because he is half-Chinese. They chased him. Scared him. And made him cry.
I was the same age when I was bullied for being Pakistani.
It’s 2020. I thought things had changed by now… ?
— Dr. Nadia Alam (@DocSchmadia) January 30, 2020
Dr Nadia Alam, who is a Pakistani, thought things in today’s society would be different now as she remembers how she used to be bullied for being a Pakistani.
She shared on her Twitter that although her son is fine, she still informed the principal regarding the matter and found out that several other Chinese students were experiencing the same thing as well.
The principal agreed to help resolve the issue and therefore went from class to class to address racism, compassion and talked about coronavirus.
The issue didn’t just happen to Dr Nadia as several other individuals on social media have also been sharing how they’ve been dealing with people asking them if they eat bats or jokingly staying away from them just because they are of Chinese descent.
Today a patient made jokes about not shaking my hand because of #coronavirus. In front of my team.
I have not left Australia. This is not sensible public health precautions. This is #racism. https://t.co/y8Odj68ovL
— Rhea Liang (@LiangRhea) January 30, 2020
Fellow Asians, brace yourselves for racist, fear-mongering garbáge as news and misinformation of coronavirus fly across the timeline. “Yellow Peril” has been a thing in Canada — and other Western countries — and yes; people have asked me if I eat bats. https://t.co/C0SYHosqp5
— Evy Kwong 鄺文詠 (@EVYSTADIUM) January 28, 2020
A master’s student at the University of Manchester, Sam Phan wrote in the Guardian: “This week, my ethnicity has made me feel like I was part of a threatening and diseased mass. To see me as someone who carries the virus just because of my race is, well, just racist.”
We hope every Malaysians can keep calm from posting or doing anything that would make others feel uncomfortable or threatened. As Malaysians, we should all unite and care for one another especially when the country is facing a difficult time.