Coronavirus scare spurs surge in anti-Chinese sentiment

SCREEN CAPTURE / FOX NEWS

US citizens traveling from China are escorted off their flight to a quarantine area.

The coronavirus outbreak is unleashing a new wave of "yellow peril" hysteria against Chinese Americans and other Asians.

"If you look at social media and some of the news, it's fear of the 'Yellow Peril' all over again," says Russell Jeung, chairman of Asian-American Studies at San Francisco State University. 'Coughing while Asian' is like 'driving while black,' something you get stereotyped for."

We're not trying to make light of the virus. Coronavirus is real. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently labeled it a global public health emergency. 

The virus started in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, overwhelmed local officials in China's Hubei province, as victims suddenly developed pneumonia without clear causes and for which vaccines were not proving effective. It led to the Chinese government quarantining the entire province of 55 million. In Wuhan, the streets are deserted and business is at a standstill.

On Monday, the death toll in China is approaching 600, with more than 20,000 people infected.  There are a dozen known cases in the US.

Two cases of the virus have been reported in Toronto. Mayor John Tory was among the first North American officials to caution against the rise of anti-Chinese fears.

Tory said the city supports the Chinese Canadian community by releasing accurate information as often as necessary. And "we stand up as we are all doing here today to stop misleading or damaging or stigmatizing comments or actions that are directed toward any members of our community," he said.

Dr. Eileen de Villa of Toronto's Public Health emphasized that risk of contracting the virus was low and that misinformation was "creating unnecessary stigma."

"I am deeply concerned and find it disappointing that this is happening," de Villa said in the statement. "Discrimination is not acceptable. It is not helpful, and spreading misinformation does not offer anyone protection."

The US has instituted a ban. on all travelers from China except for US citizens. Citizens returning from China must undergo a 2-week quarantine at military bases in California. New Zealand, Philippines, Iraq, Indonesia and Australia have followed the US example.

On social media, attacks and harassment against Asians in New York City was blamed on the fear of the virus. 

Youtube star Michelle Phan had enough upon seeing the racist tweets against Asians. One of the offensive tweets asked why Chinese eat bats and other creatures spreading disease.

“Why do you (white) settlers give out smallpox infected blankets to Native Americans, wiping out 95% of their population?” Phan said in response.

Later in the back-and-forth exchange, Phan wrote: “Why are some of you telling me to go back to eating bats?” Phan tweeted in response. “I’m American you ignorant f—s.”

Ride-sharing drivers have turned down passengers who look Asian and vice-versa, passengers have refused rides with Asian drivers. 

Caitlin Pascua, an Uber driver of Asian American descent in the Los Angeles area, told Bloomberg News that her business has declined since the outbreak and lower ratings and fewer tips from customers.

The rising fear on top of the current climate of xenophobia spurred by anti-Chinese rhetoric coming out of the US-China trade wars is fueling racist sentiment.

“With this new virus, something was triggered that is always latently there, under the surface, which is this fear of the other and the idea that bad things come from elsewhere,” says Roger Keil, a professor in the environmental studies department at York University, who studied the impact of SARS on the city of Toronto.