16 April 2020, NIICE Commentary 4117
Kavita Singh
The whole world has come to a standstill with the new Coronavirus or COVID-19 ravaging the world, and thus, creating a deadlock around the globe. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. As of April 16th, the total number of people infected mounted to 1,954,724 with confirmed deaths of 126,140. Since its outbreak, the panic has sent the world stock markets tumbling and has seen an economic droop in the global share market as well. Seven European countries and one Asian country are the worst hit by COVID-19. Recently, the United States has replaced China with the highest COVID-19 cases by end of March. The major concern of the Americans was community spread and delay in testing. Lack of testing kits and the shortage of ventilators have, thus, cumulated the deaths. In the US, total number of the reported cases till now is 604,070 with a mortality of 25,971 civilians.
In conjunction with the advancing predicament of the disease, the country has recently seen obnoxious developments of racial discrimination. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that there is a visible rise in hate crimes over the past few months in the US against Chinese and Asian Americans. While most Americans are struggling to stay home, operate virtual work and are concerned about paying bills, Asian Americans are doing all of that along with the fear of being bullied, harassed or assaulted amidst COVID-19 global outbreak.
Recently, a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old were stabbed at a Texas Sam’s Club because the alleged perpetrator thought that the family was Chinese and spreading the disease. Again a 44-year-old man was charged with exasperated harassment after allegedly harassing and pushing a 47-year-old Asian man in Queens who was walking with his son to a bus stop. This tendency also includes minors as alleged perpetrators. Just this following week, teens attacked a 51-year-old woman on a New York City bus, by throwing “anti-Asian statements” against her and accusing her of spreading the virus. And, also in New York City, a 13-year-old allegedly killed a 59-year-old man for the same racist motive. Thus, it is highly evident that these racial slurs are an outcome of the encouraged xenophobia.
The increase in the hate crimes has been inflamed after Trump stated the COVID-19, in the meeting, as the ‘Chinese virus’ which further escalated the antagonism, fear and suspicion among the civilians against the Chinese communities. Though, he received backlash from the public, the masses elsewhere started singing the anthem of racist monologues.
Jeremy Lin, however, tweeted against Trump, “he should be instead supporting vulnerable people, including those that will be affected by the racism you’re empowering”. Author Celeste Ng noted on Twitter that “Asians worldwide are facing actual harassment because of people who insist on calling the illness the Chinese virus”. Along with receiving resentment from people, Trump has acquired support from his allies who have defended Trump for giving the virus a racist name. “China is to blame because the culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that … that’s why China has been a source of a lot of these viruses,” John Cornyn, a Republican senator from Texas, told the reporter when asked if the name of the virus was inappropriate.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment has hit a record high in the US with more people tabulating their unemployed status. It also marks the end of a decade of expansion of one of the world’s largest economies. The failure of the US to contain the community spread of the virus is now surrounded by various conspiracy theories like Genetic Detective Theory. These theories are insinuated the abomination towards the Chinese and other Asian communities in the United States. Many state and non state actors have overtly accused China of keeping crucial information in secret during the early days of the outbreak.
A visible shift in the world order due to the fallout of COVID-19 can be contemplated. The US and China, the world largest economies, due to the sudden outbreak of the deadly virus have shuddered their positions in the world economic order. It will, however, change the outlook how one sees the ploy of the “Super Power” rivalry. The current scenario in the US has proved the inefficiency of the government to provide basic health facilities. Not only the US, but, most of the developed nations are also short of ventilators and testing kits. China, after successfully containing the COVID-19, is trying to win hearts around the world for its mistake by providing masks, medical supplies and medical team. Thus, it will pave a new approach in the area of diplomacy in world politics. The need of the hour is to work together with cooperation, responsibility and strong coordination among the states in order to eradicate the pandemic rather than continuing the blame game and spreading hate against certain communities or groups.
