The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has understandably left people worrying about the present and fearing what is yet to come. One of the many consequences of the rapid and deadly spread of the coronavirus is a rise in discrimination and noxious actions toward Asians because the virus originated in Wuhan, China. From shunning to glares, from verbal taunts and nasty notes to physical attacks—this is the new reality for many Asian Americans across the country.
Minnesota Asian Americans are also experiencing discrimination
Local incidents mirror what is happening nationally. In its March 28 news article, titled “Asian Americans in Minnesota face insults, hostility during virus outbreak,” the StarTribune cited examples of disturbing behavior: confrontations in grocery stores and parking lots, and written notes telling people to “take the virus back to China” or threatening violence: “Go back to your country or I kill you, Chinese!”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz referenced the same trend when he tweeted on March 18: “As our Asian American community faces heightened discrimination due to COVID-19, my message is clear: Viruses don’t discriminate, and neither should we.”
Minnesota Public Radio recently reported on its website that a Minnesota Department of Health hotline set up for answering questions about the new virus has been used by callers to complain about Asian Americans.
Older Asian Americans are of particular concern. Xue Yang, a staff person at Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, recently noted “Older adults might not be able to defend themselves or stand up to racism. Having older Asian parents, I always worry about what can happen to them because they don’t speak English that well and if they do experience anything, they wouldn’t know the first steps to report a hate crime.”
What you can do
Perhaps you’ve not been aware of the trend toward stigmatizing Asians because of COVID-19 or have not personally witnessed any examples. But you can help stop the trend:
- Take a moment to make sure you have accurate information about how the virus spreads. Good sources of information: Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Share the information with others. Stress that viruses do not target specific racial or ethnic groups and that discrimination will not fight Coronavirus.
- Print this poster available from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and post it for others to see (or post in your home office as a reminder for yourself).
The Minnesota Department of Health provides materials and resources about coronavirus in multiple languages, including Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese.
For Minnesotans who have experienced discrimination because of COVID-19
You can contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights online or by phone at 651-539-1133 or 1-800-657-3704. Translation and/or interpretation is available.
