(ThyBlackMan.com) We all know the coronavirus started in China. Many of us have watched the information surrounding this virus unfold in the news, and social media. Getting proper information is always better than walking around with fear that shows itself in the form of discrimination and racism. There comes a point when a people can be faced with the very same empty racism and loaded hatred they live with. This is arguably the situation for black people and other POCs in the U.S. There are Asians in this country that have not been to China, they haven’t left the country, and some have been to any part of Asia. During this challenging time, it is important to be mindful of how we treat other groups. It would be unfortunate to perpetuate the very behavior we are still fighting against. If this is the path we’re on what makes us any better than the white people, and other POCs, that mistreat us?
You might be asking yourself why you should care. You may have had incidents whereby the person that mistreated you, talked about you in the nail shop, profiled you in the convenience store, or treated you in a racist manner in a restaurant was indeed Asian. In those moments 
you knew the issues was simple…you’re black. What did you ever do to them? With that being said there are black people in this country that have never has any of the above mentioned experiences…they are just seizing the opportunity to be the oppressor. Whether they realize it or not they have become the racist white person in the situation, and what did the Asian person do to deserve the hate treatment? There are Asian men and women being beaten in the street as the person beating them screams about coronavirus.
Think about it…how long ago was it that our people were getting beaten in the streets and blamed for America’s latest problems. Wait, that still happens to black people in this country right now. For many whites we are the cause for most of the violence in America. Many black people are not violent, but we are profiled as such.
Look, there are Asians that have nothing to do with this virus…they are Americans like you and I. The stereotypes against Asians are just as wrong as the stereotypes against black people. The coronavirus is not an excuse to spew the hatred, and or anger, you may have against Asians for their treatment of black people as you understand or have experience it.
Understanding that every Asian you see, most Asians, are not attached to the coronavirus is one way not to add to the hatred of this country. We, as black people, know the evil of this country all to well. We live with it and have done so since the birth of this country. We know people that will say Asians as a community, in this country, have been silent as we have suffered. The thing is we can’t afford, as a people, to lose our humanity no matter how much it is denied. Just as white people have no right to mistreat us no matter what they think of us…we must remember that when dealing with Asians. It’s time to make sure we do our part in killing the Xenophobia in America.
Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James
May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.
