People of color are always, and will always remain as victims in most, or all outbreaks, epidemics, and many other health-related issues. That doesn’t even cover what they would have to go through socially and economically, but that’s just how it usually is.
COVID-19 has been taking people’s lives from left to right, but one thing this virus has negatively contributed to is xenophobia against people of color. Ever since it started in Wuhan, China, people have been negatively treating Asians around the world especially in the United States.
However, all that hate went in different directions because a few weeks ago it’s been reported that workers that are African are being mistreated and thrown out from their homes in China. Sadly, the mistreatment towards black and brown folk didn’t stop there.
Just a few weeks ago, a number of Asian Americans made racist Tik Tok videos against black people, and apparently, some of them apologized for it for being insensitive. However, making one Tik Tok video or any video, in general, are usually very well-thought-out. Not only does it show the prominent anti-blackness within the Asian community, but it also sheds light on how privileged Asians are compared to other people of color.
TRIGGER WARNING: Racist, anti-black
Anti-blackness, or just colorism, is not talked about enough in popular media and in most platforms, especially within the Asian communities. Asians have a long history of colorism and it is sadly still alive today. Due to colonialism, many Asians today have the mindset of looking down on darker skin and favors white and pale skin due to being taught that darker skin color is the sign of “immorality, criminality,” and many other negative stereotypes.
One of the few examples that colorism contributes to is skin whitening. The skin whitening or bleaching industries are thriving in many South and Southeast Asian countries. Even when there’s proof of the products being unsafe, it’s still a very common practice within Asian communities.
How are Asians more privileged than other people of color? Statistically, it’s been shown that Asian Americans, other than white people, have it better than others. In this pandemic alone, many states have reported that many of their black communities are dying more than other groups. In New York City, this virus is two times more deadly towards black and brown people than any other group in their population. Now, they seem to also be a victim of racism through the Internet at such a despairing time.
Asians are also usually described as the “model minority” which is defined as the minority group that can achieve a higher level of success than other groups. This “myth” implies that we are more well-off than other minorities socioeconomically and that implication can be very harmful.
So, what am I actually addressing here? We as a community need to hold Asians accountable for our long history of colorism and anti-blackness, and what we can do as a community to support other minorities with the privileges we possess.
The first thing people need to do is to accept and be aware of the long, ugly history of anti-blackness and colorism within the Asian community. There is no denying that we were all taught to think such a way. I still remember my family members telling me to not go outside often when the sun is out because I’d turn “dark.” This can easily insinuate many Asians at a young age to not be dark-skinned because it was just looked down upon by our societies.
Secondly, once Asians can finally accept our ugly past, let’s continue to educate our ignorant companions. When you know someone is being ignorant like saying the n-word, then it’s your job to educate them. Yes, ignorance is bliss and it might not be your problem but imagine this happening to you especially during this time. Get your family and friends accountable because if you don’t do anything, then you’re also part of the problem.
Lastly, is to stand in solidarity and support our black and brown communities. We already know that they’ll face far more worst challenges than Asians typically would endure due to structural inequalities. It’s our job to be their best allies against all systems and institutions that oppress these minorities.
Despite the fact that we all have our own different privileges, in the end, we’re all fighting the same people. It all just starts with you. Use all the energy you have by donating to food banks and support underprivileged communities near you instead of trying to be “funny” on Tik Tok by being racist for clout. Racism was never funny or cool.
This commentary piece is written for AJRL475Z Opinion/Column Writing class of Spring 2020.
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