This is not a hypothetical concern. According to @StopAAPIHate, over 6,600 anti-AAPI incidents have been reported since the pandemic started.
Many are related to blaming AAPIs for #covid19. Speculating on culpability could provoke more acts of harm against our community. /2
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I interviewed
@RepJudyChu: “So many are concerned that after a year of AAPIs being blamed for coronavirus, this could further hatred & discrimination... We need to get to the truth & we need to be careful in our messaging so as to not further stoke the flames of xenophobia.” /3Show this thread -
Dr
@AuforGA points to past instances in the US of linking Asian immigrants to “infiltration, infection and contagion. “Seeing us as the ‘yellow peril,’ blaming Asian communities for smallpox, tuberculosis, & now coronavirus — this is a new chapter in what is an old story." /4Show this thread -
None of this is to say that a scientific investigation shouldn’t proceed. It should--and we must gather evidence objectively. No one should jump to conclusions or cherry-pick data to fit a pre-determined conclusion for partisan political aims. /5
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Words matter. If people are speculating about negative actions of the Chinese government, they should say that rather than use blanket terminology to criticize “China” or “the Chinese.” Questioning government authorities should not be equated with hatred of Chinese people. /6
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And please, everyone needs to stop using the language of “China virus.”
@WHO urges against naming diseases for geographic origins. This is not about policing speech but about reducing associations that have led to people who look a certain way being beaten and killed. /7Show this thread -
We need the help of the media, politicians, and everyone. Together, we can assert that while we need to understand the origins of coronavirus, it’s critical to proceed in a way that recognizes the sensitivities and prevents further worsening of anti-Asian racism & hate. /END
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If only it were possible to get people to distinguish between individuals who do bad things and other members of the ethnic categories to which they belong.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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