Where Is the Border Between Blatant Racism and Safety Precautions in the Wake of the Coronavirus?

In the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, some countries are evacuating their citizens from China. At the same time, people calling on their governments to ban Chinese travelers from entering their borders as a way to prevent the contagious disease from spreading in their countries.

Reactions to the virus have sparked a debate over where the line falls between racist sentiment and legitimate precautions.  

While several countries have started evacuating their citizens from Wuhan and other neighboring cities, many people across the world demanded that their governments stop all travel from China, saying that their calls aim to protect as many people as possible and that they "aren't xenophobic and never wish to make Chinese travelers feel unwanted."

Yet, British, American, Australian and Canadian news outlets reported many incidents of people of Chinese descent being subjected to racist comments, including in their workplaces. 

The internet was flooded with photos of restaurants and coffee shops with signs stating that they "don't serve Chinese people" over fear of the novel 2019 coronavirus. Some people online have been also blaming Chinese people for the virus, claiming that their animal-dependent diet is responsible for the new outbreak.

Last week, a Danish newspaper refused to apologize to China after it published a corona-related cartoon that was perceived as insulting, where stars on the Chinese flag were replaced with germ symbols.

Additionally, a French daily used the term "the Yellow Alert" on its front page last January facing furious backlash for what was perceived as a racist headline.

While the coronavirus appears to be highly contagious, it is not thought to be as deadly as other respiratory illnesses, including the flu. For this reason the global reaction of extreme precautionary measures is being described as exaggerated and stemming mostly out of fear and worry.

But as the coronavirus continues to be mysterious and unfamiliar, it's becoming harder for people to see the line between treating Chinese nationals and people with Chinese heritage with respect and empathy, and between wanting to remain safe and taking the needed measures to protect themselves from the virus by limiting travel to and from a region stricken with an epidemic disease. 

Re #coronavirus

Critiquing the Chinese Government for threatening our government for placing restrictions on travel to contain the disease ✅

Threatening people of Chinese descent & blaming them for the disease ❌

You can criticise another country without being racist.

— Sam McDonald (@SamNZLabour) February 3, 2020