Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) tweeted yesterday that he was in close contact with someone who was later hospitalized for the coronavirus. The only problem, the congressman called it the 'Wuhan Virus' instead of COVID-19 or the more commonly known name, coronavirus.
1. I am announcing that I, along with 3 of my senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained co… https://t.co/SMyXrJJuPQ— Paul Gosar (@Paul Gosar) 1583716112.0
Calling the coronavirus the "Wuhan Virus" is not only blatantly racist but completely against what the World Health Organization instructed. In a tweet, they said that they picked the name COVID-19 to avoid stigmatization of the disease.
DO - talk about the new #coronavirus disease (#COVID19) DON'T - attach locations or ethnicity to the disease, this… https://t.co/cOzt2BybHy— World Health Organization (WHO) (@World Health Organization (WHO)) 1583187520.0
As Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pointed out, this disease is not bound to one single location, it quickly became global and spread. It would be dumb to call it by any other location that it popped up in. So it is strikingly odd to call it what congressman Gosar called it.
Dear @DrPaulGosar: I will pray for you, your staff & the person hospitalized. Also, calling #COVIDー19 the Wuhan Vi… https://t.co/LrEYwhyi2W— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1583718811.0
The reality is, racism and xenophobia have been spreading with the spread of COVID-19. According to CNN, racist assaults against Asian Americans are spreading as well.
The NYPD and the Hate Crime Task Force encourage the victim to report this incident to the police for a full invest… https://t.co/QMfExUcUNV— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPD Hate Crimes) 1580870172.0
With attacks like this happening and being documented it becomes even more dangerous for a congressman in a seat of power and privilege to use misnomers like "Wuhan Virus." It perpetuates the belief that it is the fault of Asian people that this virus is spreading and gives a platform to the attacks happening in our country.
CNN also reported that Chinese restaurants in New York are suffering from the racism attached to the spread of the coronavirus.
"On a normal day, we'd have around 100 tables a day," said David Zheng, an employee at New Shanghai Deluxe restaurant in New York's Chinatown.
But now, "for a full day of business, we'd get only 20 to 30 tables."
Owner Rose Wu says New Shanghai Deluxe has served the city for 19 years. Now it's suffering from a 70% to 80% loss of business.
When you attach a location or race to this disease, that is racism.
When people take action against people because of xenophobic fear of their race, because they believe it is innately connected to a rapidly spreading disease, that is racism. When Chinese women are attacked for wearing a mask, that is racist. Simple and plain.
This highlights the tendency society has to stereotype populations of people to place the blame and alienate those populations. Like the Ebola Virus, Zika Virus, and West Nile before it, COVID-19 is becoming a scapegoat for racism against Asian people.
And if you don't believe that, you aren't really looking at the facts.
Photo by 
