Calling It The “Chinese Virus” Isn’t Racist
Over the past several months, the world has watched in fear as COVID-19 has evolved into a full-blown, global pandemic. Millions are in lockdown, hundreds of thousands of people are infected, and tens of thousands, unfortunately, have already died, with many more in critical condition.
And with all this happening, with all the lives and economies that hang in the balance, for some reason, a different narrative has simultaneously persisted. If you’ve been online in the past few weeks, you’ll already be familiar with the fiery debate over whether saying “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese virus” is, in fact, racist.
I wish I were joking, but sadly, wasting time arguing over what the politically correct term should be for a disease that’s killing countless people and crashing global markets is just so 2020.
Bait and Switch
Referring to COVID-19’s Chinese origins wasn’t always considered racist, however, and in November and December, outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and many more used “Wuhan coronavirus” and “Chinese virus” freely. And why wouldn’t they? Other illnesses like Zika, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, and Hong Kong flu are all similarly named after the locations where they were first diagnosed.
Back in November and December, news outlets used “Wuhan coronavirus” and “Chinese virus” freely.
By late February, though, the narrative had changed. Mentioning the virus’s Chinese origins had suddenly become bigoted. And in a matter of days, it appeared that the mainstream media and progressive politicians had conveniently forgotten that they and their colleagues had ever used the terms themselves.
“Viruses don’t have nationalities” Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omhar tweeted indignantly after California Rep. Kevin McCarthy referenced the “Chinese coronavirus.”
Senator Kamala Harris, in response to the same post, went even further in her condemnation and called McCarthy’s language not only racist, but also “dangerous.”
Yes, Racism is Bad. But “Chinese Coronavirus” Isn’t Racist.
As the virus has spread and tensions have risen, it’s true that a heartbreaking number of videos have surfaced online of attackers targeting victims of Asian descent. Those instances are vile and deserve to be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law. That is something we can all agree on. We can also all agree that Chinese people, as a race, aren’t responsible for the virus and that assuming the Chinese person you see walking down the street has coronavirus is not only prejudiced but also plainly idiotic.
We can all agree that Chinese people, as a race, aren’t responsible for the virus.
However, we should be wary of letting violent bigots dictate our language. It’s just a fact that the sickness did originate in China, and alluding to that is no more racist than saying “Ebola” or “German measles.”
Don’t Be a Pawn...
Additionally, there has been a concerted effort by the Chinese government to abdicate responsibility for not only creating the virus, but for also failing to act quickly enough to contain it. This campaign has included pushing the theory that COVID-19 was actually brought to China by the U.S. military, and officials have also been more than glad to embrace the “Wuhan virus is racism” narrative to help distance themselves from the pandemic.
Make no mistake, Chinese culture is not politically correct. In fact, the Chinese term “baizuo” exists specifically to mock overly sensitive, Western progressives. And while the Chinese state is unlikely to be genuinely offended by the term “Chinese coronavirus,” they’re definitely not above exploiting liberal outrage over it as long as it suits their agenda.
And interestingly enough, although just a few months ago, in the throes of the Hong Kong protests, the mainstream media was happy to condemn the Communist Party of China’s shoddy human rights record and penchant for hiding the truth, it seems that all the Western media needed to embrace the Chinese state was to have them be in direct conflict with President Trump.
It’s just a fact that the sickness did originate in China, and alluding to that is no more racist than saying “Ebola” or “German measles.”
CNN is one of the worst offenders, and although they covered COVID-19’s Chinese roots for months, you’d now have difficulty differentiating their coverage of the situation from that of Chinese state-run propaganda.
Let’s Focus on the Bigger Picture, Shall We?
The effects of coronavirus will likely be unlike anything our generation has seen before, and racism or xenophobia are the last things we need right now. Now more than ever, our communities need solidarity and support. Whether it’s through social distancing, financial aid, or volunteering, we are all literally dependent on one other at the moment.
At the same time, however, it does no service to anyone, including the people in China, who have been disproportionately harmed by the virus, to forget where it came from, or the identity of the people who allowed it to spread before taking action.
Yes, COVID-19 originated in China, and the Chinese government should have taken action sooner to stop its spread.
No, acknowledging this does not make me a racist.