Distressed by the rise in xenophobia and racism during the coronavirus pandemic, a coalition of Asian American groups based in California have created a reporting webpage for victims of virus-related hate crimes.
The Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University Asian American Studies Department are asking anyone who’s been harassed, intimidated or otherwise discriminated against for their race to share their stories on the website.
“First and foremost, we want community members to know they are not alone; they can speak out and help stop the spread of bigotry,” said Cynthia Choi, the co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “Secondly, the collected data will allow us to assess the extent and magnitude of these incidents and to develop strategic interventions.”
In the wake of the pandemic, which is believed to have started in Wuhan, China, some have started referring to the new coronavirus as “the Chinese virus.” In a White House press briefing Wednesday, President Trump refused to stop using the term despite evidence it has led to bigotry against Asian Americans and has been discouraged by the World Health Organization.
Trump’s remarks are inflaming an already tense situation, said Russell Jeung, chairman and professor in the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University.
“Statements by elected officials, such as President Trump labeling COVID-19 as the ‘Chinese virus,’ fuel xenophobia,” Jeung said. “In our research on news articles, we see that following inflammatory comments there’s an increase of racist incidents against Asian Americans. Clearly, with such political framing, Asians of different ethnicities are being racially profiled as a foreign threat.”
According to the groups behind the website, reports of racism and even violence against Asian Americans have increased as the coronavirus has prompted panicked shopping and shelter-in-place orders across the region. In one case, said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, an Asian American child in the San Fernando Valley was accused of having the virus and beaten up.
Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, stressed that “COVID-19 is a public health issue, not a racial one.”
He said the president’s terming of the virus “only encourages hate crimes and incidents against Asian Americans at a time when communities should be working together to get through this crisis.
“I encourage victims to confidentially input their encounters on the new reporting site, so we can monitor the situation and provide support to those impacted,” Ting said.
Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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March 20, 2020 at 10:21AM
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Coronavirus: Asian American groups compile hate crime reports as Trump persists in ‘Chinese virus’ attacks - San Francisco Chronicle
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