Racist attacks are mounting, but in L.A., Taiwanese Americans are among the first to help

CNN
Date: May 29, 2020
Opinion by Abraham Wen-Shang Chu

(CNN)History has shown that attempting to scapegoat one race, creed or gender for any reason always has a bad outcome. What starts as name-calling often evolves into discrimination, exclusion, and then injury and death.

Abraham Wen-Shang Chu

Unfortunately, this is what the Asian community is experiencing today during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month, Emily Lui, associate director of employer relations at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, wrote for CNN that while "most Americans are staying home, trying to navigate virtual work and worrying about paying bills, Asian Americans are doing all of that while also fearing for our safety." PBS's News Hour reported that the pandemic "has Americans across the country fearful for their personal health and well-being, but for Asian Americans, the virus has stirred up another threat: a wave of verbal and physical attacks.

CBS News offered an example: A 16-year-old in California who "was physically attacked this week by bullies in his high school who accused him of having the coronavirus — simply because he is Asian American." In San Francisco, an Asian-American woman told The New York Times she was spat at by a middle-aged man while walking to the gym. Human Rights Watch has compiled reports of Asian Americans having slurs hurled at them. The New York Daily News reported that a stranger approached an Asian man on the subway, accused him of being "infected," and tried to drag him off the train.    [FULL  STORY]