Sadly the racial disparity is nothing new in this world. The social structure of racism is based on political governance, patriarchal culture, unconscious biases, and false one-sided narrow assumptions. Racism creates inequality, oppression, and marginalization in our community.
It’s surprising to note that even in this midst of chaos when the entire world is suffering from the effects of Covid-19, social stigmas like racism continue to occur around the world. Racism is prevalent even amidst a Pandemic. The worst thing is that various individuals are suffering from both issues at the same time. In the moments of need when we should be helping each other out, we are out there putting up barriers of discrimination against our brothers and sisters. What has our society come to?
It’s time we wake up from our narrow prejudices and aid those in need. It’s time to unlearn a lot of things.
Racism prevalent amidst the pandemic
According to various studies and researches, racism during the pandemic has taken a toll on the people immensely. Though it’s difficult to predict the actual factor of the cause, many analyses pinpoint certain causes. These causes include the perception of the post-colonial views of superior authority, fear of transmutable infection, discriminatory statements by public figures, the spirit of revenge for those who have experienced abuse in the past. This is concluding to the speculations of the increase in racism during the Pandemic.
What does the UN say about racism?
Since the spread of Covid-19, an elevation in the rate of racial disparity has been accumulated. The rise of this variant affects the people of colour and the non-citizens of a country. Although it is well known that racial discrimination permeates an imbalance within the individual, yet we continue to thrive on this social injustice. The UN, on various occasions, has tried to implement policies to help the victims and future generations of these minority groups. One of such principles issued by them is the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Bill of Human Rights. This pertains to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Irrespective of these illusions, we are still where we were 100 years of age. This brings us to the fact that we should not let the UN’s efforts go in vain, instead help them achieve their goal and accept individuals from different communities for who they are and what they are.
What about South and East Asian Hate?
Racism in the Pandemic has caused much hate and inclinations towards East Asian and South Asian people. The media have reported various cases, but yet in academics, it remains unknown. As covid emerged from Wuhan, China, the hate against asians, specifically chinese-asians was on a rise. In Australia, a dispute between an Australian descent woman openly giving out verbal abuse to the Asian Telstra workers at Miranda in Sydney is a live example. They are threatening the existence of these individuals in a foreign country. Reports have proven that many more pieces involve Asian hate in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Jordan, the Philippines, and some African countries.
What is happening in China?
As COVID-19 has set off the enemy of Asian prejudice in different spots throughout the planet, strangely, it was being accounted for that the converse is going on in China as the nation experienced new rushes of COVID-19 cases. In the wake of announcing control of the pandemic, the Chinese government has progressively stressed the danger of imported cases. China’s National Health Commission detailed that there had not been many locally sent instances of COVID-19. Following these declarations in China, there have been a few reports of racial oppression, non-residents and minorities. As organizations resumed in the country, racial oppression of non-residents and ethnic minorities accepting a financial measurement was known. This is because some Chinese shops and eateries purportedly prohibited non-Chinese individuals from utilizing their administrations.
An Australian lady was assaulted in China after endeavouring to penetrate this enemy of outsider maltreatment. In Guangzhou, China, there have been reports of abuse against individuals of African appearance. Chinese occupants of African appearance were being expelled from their homes via property managers and kept from entering public facilities, depending on an allegation that they were hatching COVID-19.
What should we do?
Rise in hate against Asians is sadly not a new issue. But it shouldn’t be this way in the 21st century. This hate is mainly based on age-old prejudices which are continuously being populised by film and television.
We, as a part of society should participate in awareness campaigns and volunteering programs. We can share the leads on social media and follow south-asian and east-asian content creators who continually create content around the same lines.
Discriminqtion begins at home. So we should try to counter any racist tendencies at home and should try to educate others.
Read books, watch documentaries, follow social media campaigns and use your voice to end hatred in this world. Afterall, it doesn’t take much to be kind.