By: Dina Badawi
The trains going to Union Station were delayed by an hour. There was a tense, impatient buzz in the air as already stressed commuters were forced to wait, then pile on to the first available train in a race to get to work. The actual train ride was generally very quiet, though no one seemed to be too happy about being squished between strangers. It wasn’t until one East Asian man walked into the train at Mimico station, that someone made a comment along the lines of “this is definitely not an ideal situation with the Coronavirus going around and all.” A few people laughed, some went quiet, and while I couldn’t fully read the man’s expression from my position squished between three tall men, I did almost catch him dropping his head in what seemed like shame.
Another time in February, while walking on Church Street, I overheard someone recalling to a friend that as they got into an elevator, an Asian woman walked in too. The storyteller said as she entered, they turned to face the opposite direction from her so that they “don’t catch anything”, and she apologized to them. My heart sank. This person was inconsiderate to the woman’s emotions, and they were associating an entire race with a virus. Knowing that she apologized broke my heart because she recognized what was happening and felt sorry that others felt unsafe around her, which is completely unfair. That this person could tell that story out loud while laughing about it made my blood boil, and their friend’s amused laughter only showed that neither of them thought what they did was wrong. To do something shameful is one thing, but to talk about it openly shows no shame, but rather distasteful pride.
Overhearing these interactions made my realize how common it is for things like this to happen and I personally sympathized with the Asian community as I, a Muslim woman, know exactly what it means for your whole community to be blamed for something you have nothing to do with.
COVID-19 is a global pandemic, and people are understandably scared. No one wants to get sick. So what should you do? Wash your hands, take your Vitamin C, and take care of yourself and others. What should you not do? Avoid anyone who looks Asian, stop going to that one pizza place that has that one Asian person working there, or get out of the elevator when someone Asian comes in. That is the difference between taking precautions and being racist. Much like many events that target a specific race- such as 9/11, where fear of the Muslim community exploded- people take advantage of the situation to channel their racism. This becomes an issue, as minorities feel attacked and unwelcomed around the world.
These racist acts have been felt by businesses run by Asians and on social media. However, many I spoke to noted these racial attacks are felt most by “those who are immigrants and/or international students.” I spoke with three anonymous interior design students who have all witnessed people being harassed for the way they look, whether it be someone making rude comments while an Asian person walks by, or giving weird glares to those who choose to wear a mask. My Asian-Canadian friends have told me stories of people avoiding sitting next to certain people on public transportation.
As the coronavirus spreads to many countries, the focus is still unjustly on those of Asian descent. CBC Canada reported that there are many xenophobic acts occuring in the wake of COVID-19, one of which featured a Toronto boy who was bullied, chased, and cornered at school in order for other students to “test” him for the virus. These instances are not exclusive to Toronto. Take Jonathan Mok’s story from London, UK, who, according to CNN, was “punched, kicked, and sustained facial injuries” in what was described as a “racially aggravated attack.”
In addition to personal cases, businesses such as those in Markham’s Pacific Mall, a location famous for Asian markets, bubble tea stores, Chinese restaurants, and retailers, are losing money because people are afraid to go there. According to York Region, a local Toronto news website, some Chinese retailers, like Thornhil’s Golden Chopsticks, are especially feeling the pressure. York Region reported Golden Chopsticks sales have dropped 75% due to coronavirus fears.
This is just one of the many examples of business owners being racially profiled for their appearances. There is also the infamous tweet from Peter Akman, where he made a crude joke about his barber.
There is no possible way this should be acceptable. #cdnmedia pic.twitter.com/vcQliVrYmL
— Alexander Quon (@AlexanderQuon) January 26, 2020
One Ryerson University student who wished to be kept anonymous says meme culture online contributes to the hatefulness he feels in real life interactions. Social media, he says, has become a platform on which people with racist opinions feel supported. “Such opinions include racism, and stereotyping on what foods Asian people eat, question[ing] how hygienic they are, and how they should be avoided,” he says.
I urge each of you to stay safe by washing your hands constantly and to avoid touching your face. However, it is just as important to make sure that we stop this issue before it gets any bigger. So, don’t forget to keep smiling at people, don’t be rude to others, and don’t discriminate. We are all human, we are probably all worried, but this gives no one the right to be racist in any way.