Naming racism during COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to spread, reports are coming to the fore on the unacceptable physical and verbal harassment experienced by Asian Americans. When one group in our community suffers, we all do.
Prior to Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s order to close physical operations, 40% of Asian-American businesses and restaurants reportedly saw a decrease in visits due to false information and anti-Asian rhetoric. While SARS-CoV-2, the official name for the virus that causes COVID-19, doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, naming this new coronavirus after its country of origin is inappropriate and offensive.