Racism Under the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Contracting COVID-19 doesn’t mean someone has less value than anyone else

On January 11, 2020, China reported its first death from COVID-19. China reports several cases in Wuhan, where health authorities believe it originated from, however, the source is unknown. In late January, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency and in late March, the United States (U.S.) became the leading country in COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 has exasperated the discrimination against people of colour and racial inequity. Research data shows that African Americans and Canadians are more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people, while Asian Americans and Canadians are facing an increase in violent attacks and unwarranted blame for the spread of the virus.[1]

Unpacking Racism

Race is a group of people treated as distinct in a society based on superficial physical differences that are made significant by a given society. The term is a socially and politically constructed category created to justify exploitation and disenfranchisement. Examples include the Indian Act: "Indians are not allowed to vote in municipal, provincial or federal elections"[2]; Chinese, Japanese, East Indian and South Asian Canadians were also denied the right to vote until the late 1940s.[3]

Racism is a set of ideas that implies the superiority of one social group over another based on perceived biological or cultural characteristics. It is also the power to put these beliefs into practice in a way that controls, excludes, or exploits members of minority groups and the power to transform prejudicial attitudes and discrimination into structures of oppression that function independently from the intention of individual actors. Racism, therefore, involves not only different treatments but different treatment in colour conscious context of power. These contexts often limit opportunities or privileges.

Individual Racism

Black Lives Matters Protest

Individual racism refers to an individual's racism assumptions, beliefs or behaviours and is "a form of racism discrimination that stems from conscious and unconscious, personal prejudice."[4] Individual racism is connected to the broader socio-economic histories and processes, and emerge from a society's fundamental beliefs.

Systemic Racism

Systemic racism often supports and reinforces individual racism. It is a form of racism that is institutionalized and legalized. It leads to issues such as discrimination in criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power, and education, among other issues.[5]

In North America, many choose to ignore the systemic racism against black communities and Indigenous communities. Movements like the Black Lives Matters campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards African Americans. Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi founded the organization in response to the killings of African Americans by police. In the United States, both the police and the Coronavirus attack African Americans disproportionately.

Racialized Interactions with Health Care Systems Under COVID-19 in North America

African Americans/Canadians

United States

African Americans suffer higher rates of mistreatments in U.S. hospitals, clinics and physician offices. Earlier in April, an analysis by Associated Press found that 42% of COVID-19 related deaths in the U.S. are African Americans.[6] Another analysis shows that Black Americans are dying of COVID-19 at a rate that's three times higher than white people.[7] In order words, statistics have shown how little black lives matter in American Healthcare.

Canada

Coronavirus and people identifying as Black in the Toronto Area

In Canada, the health of Canada's black communities has also long been a concern ,and more African Americans are living in Toronto neighbourhoods that have the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections. [8] Indicating that there are health inequities due to anti-black systemic racism. It is essential to recognize that Canada has not collected race-based data about which groups have been impacted by COVID-19 .[9] Toronto Public health announced on April 22 that it would begin to collect this information so it can address health inequities.[10] Using this data and new data, "a strong association was found between high coronavirus rates and low income, conditions of work, visible minority status and low levels of education. There was an even stronger association between neighbourhoods with a high number of coronavirus cases and those with a higher population of black people." [8] This demonstrates how race and ethnicity impact health outcomes in an intersectional way.

Wearing Masks

Despite being hardest hit by COVID-19, many African American males "feel wearing a mask is a bigger threat than the Coronavirus."[11] There are instances where African American male wearing masks were harassed, they "have been dragged out of stores, [they] have been ordered by police and store guards to pull their masks down or take their masks off."[11] As a result, many African American individuals are choosing not to wear a mask at all, which puts them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection.

Asian Americans/Canadians

Racist graffiti on Chinatown statue

Canada

Reports show that "anti-Asian hate crimes including physical and verbal assaults and vandalism have escalated along with the pandemic."[12] A recent study shows that "East Asians Canadians face a disproportionate mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic" as a result of targeted racist attacks, violence and discrimination.[13] The Vancouver Police Department has reported a significant uptake in the number of hate crimes that have been reported to the department, many targeting Asian individuals and communities.[14] For example, major landmarks across the city, including the lions' statue in historic Chinatown, Vancouver, were vandalized with graffiti.[15] A memorial bench paying tribute to a deceased Chinese Canadian couple was defaced with racist comments against China.[16] The media also reported several acts of violence and aggression against Asians in Vancouver, including the story of a Chinese Canadian woman who was verbally threatened and spat on while she was walking down the street.[17] There was also coverage on a white male violently assaulting a woman after she tried to defend racist comments towards 2 Asian women from the white male on the bus.[18] A 92-year-old Asian man with dementia was the subject of a racist insult and as a result, was shoved and hit his head.[19] The pandemic has created shifts in the political, social and cultural environment that have created a space of permission for racist sentiments to be expressed outwardly and acted upon.

People who are sick with coronavirus have done nothing wrong, so let’s not treat them differently.

United States

Action taken by the United States President Donald Trump has encouraged anti-Asian racism during this pandemic. One way that he has done this is by referring to COVID-19 as the "Chinese Virus" repeatedly over social media and in public statements.[1] A Washington Post photographer even caught a close up of his notes back in March for his speech with his coronavirus task force, where he crossed out the word 'corona' and replaced it with 'Chinese'.[20] Trump does not find his actions racist and only calls it the 'Chinese' Virus because it originated from Wuhan, China.[20]

Wearing Masks

Western countries often see Asian individuals wearing masks as contaminated.[12] Rather than exemplifying a commitment to the public good, along with their white counterparts, an abundance of pictures of Asian individuals wearing masks may have accelerated the circulation of derogatory "Yellow Peril" stereotypes. Yellow peril is a racial construct used extensively in western countries against Asians whom white people viewed as a threat to western civilization.[12][21] Asians, mainly Chinese, are seen as carriers of the infection. COVID-19 has exasperated the yellow peril discourse and anti-Asian racism.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Liew, Jamie (May 13, 2020). "Canada's pandemic plans must guard against the rise of racism". Policy Options. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Indian Act" (PDF). Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ↑ Courtney, John C. (March 18, 2007). "Right to Vote in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  4. ↑ Henry, Frances; Rees, Tim; Tator, Carol (2010). The colour of democracy: racism in Canadian society. Toronto: Nelson Education. p. 329.
  5. ↑ Harmon, Amy; Mandavilli, Apoorva; Maheshwari, Sapna; Kantor, Jodi (June 13, 2020). "From Cosmetics to NASCAR, Calls for Racial Justice Are Spreading". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ Lyster, Lauren (April 8, 2020). "42% of those killed by COVID-19 in U.S. are black, analysis of available data shows". KTLA5. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  7. ↑ Pilkington, Ed (May 20, 2020). "Black Americans dying of Covid-19 at three times the rate of white people". The Guardian. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bowden, Olivia; Cain, Patrick (June 2, 2020). "Black neighbourhoods in Toronto are hit hardest by COVID-19 - and it's 'anchored in racism': experts". Global News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ Bowden, Olivia (May 2, 2020). "Canada's lack of race-based COVID-19 data hurting Black Canadians". Global News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  10. ↑ Bingley, Matthew (April 22, 2020). "Coronavirus: City of Toronto to start gathering race-based data connected to COVID-19". Global News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Mcfarling, Usha Lee (June 3, 2020). "'Which death do they choose?': Many Black men fear wearing a mask more than the coronavirus". Stat. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 The Conversation (June 6, 2020). "Unmasking the racial politics of the coronavirus pandemic". The Conversation. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ Wu, Cary; Wilkes, Rima; Qian, Yue; Kennedy, Eric B. (June 16, 2020). "Acute discrimination and East Asian-white mental health gap during COVID-19 in Canada". SSRN: 1–10.
  14. ↑ CBC News (July 17, 2020). "Vancouver police launch task force to address spike in hate crime". CBC News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. ↑ Takeuchi, Craig (May 21, 2020). "Vancouver's Chinatown lions defaced with anti-Asian COVID-19 graffiti as Chinese Canadian community fundraiser arises". Straight. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  16. ↑ Mojtahedi, Negar (May 5, 2020). "Vancouver woman finds racist graffiti on mother's memorial bench". Global News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  17. ↑ Karim, Nafeesa (May 22, 2020). "'He spit in my face': Victim of racist attack recounts disturbing spitting incident". CTV News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Suspect's racist comments sparked attack on Vancouver bus, Transit Police say". CBC News. May 12, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  19. ↑ Mangione, Kendra (April 22, 2020). "Elderly man with dementia attacked in racially motivated incident caught on camera: Vancouver police". CTV News. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Smith, Allan (March 19, 2020). "Photo of Trump remarks shows 'corona' crossed out and replaced with 'Chinese' virus". NBC News. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  21. ↑ Larsson, Paula (March 31, 2020). "Anti-Asian racism during coronavirus: How the language of disease produces hate and violence". The Conversation. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
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