‘Coughing while Asian’: living in fear as racism feeds off coronavirus panic

‘Coughing while Asian’: living in fear as racism feeds off coronavirus panic

Asian American history scholars point out there is a long history of anti-Asian discrimination in America that gives precedent to racist attacks against Asian Americans because of coronavirus. “Close from the very beginning, Chinese immigrants were seen as inferior, filthy and diseased,” said Claire Jean Kim, a professor of political science and Asian American studies at the University of California at Irvine. … “What is being accomplished by using this kind of language?” Kim said. “We’re being misled about what causes pandemics and how to possibly prevent them or reduce their severity in the future. That’s the kind of conversation that we need to be having.”