The Virus of Misinformation

Sean Tran / Spring 2020

As I have been navigating through this new normal I have begun to bear witness to the uglier side of human nature. During the early stages of this quarantine, I had gone out to buy some groceries and essentials when I came across an emotionally heavy scene. At the front of the grocery store, there was a convergence of people and from a distance I could hear the screaming and yelling. In the midst of the crowd there was a middle-aged man attacking an Asian couple, throwing out xenophobic and racist remarks. I had always been taught to avoid trouble and people have already gotten a hold of the authorities so I continued on with my day. However I kept thinking back on the events that had transpired and for the first time in a while, I was fearful to be in my own skin. I have become very paranoid during this whole pandemic and it is quite possibly a shared sentiment among the Asian community.

I kept a keen eye on the news that happened after that day and noticed that acts of violence and harassment began emerging from all sorts of areas and communities. This observation of a greater surge in discriminatory attacks targeting Asians, not only in America, but throughout the world, transformed my fear into anger at the system that has the potential to sway the opinions of many with misinformation. These sentiments are derived from where? The media. The issue that lies here is that the public relies on the media to learn about the situations around the world, to further their knowledge with current events. This gives a lot of power to the media and their word can irreparably solidify one’s opinion on a certain topic. What does this mean? This means that the journalism profession has a huge responsibility to bear when informing the public because should there be a case of misinformation or political incorrectness, it could affect the lives of many.

Before we discuss the coronavirus and its effect on the Asian American population, we must first consider the definition of what it means to be an American. This discussion has long before been explored by Ronald Takaki, an American academic who has outlined a multicultural America in his book “A Different Mirror.” Are Americans just residents of the United States? Do they have to have been a part of America’s long history to be considered American? Some of the longest lasting values that America was founded on were the principles of equality and freedom. As such America has become a melting pot of a plethora of different cultures, creating the master narrative that America has come to be as a result of the culturally diverse ethnic groups that may not have gotten the credit they deserve in history.

Discriminatory attacks on Asian Americans are not a recent development. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Asians have repeatedly been a target both domestically and politically. In 1875 Congress had passed the Page Act which prohibited the entry of Chinese women and in 1882 Congress had passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which was the first law that barred immigrants on the basis of nationality. These acts were passed in order to help reserve what is left of the availability of jobs in America as the immigration of Chinese laborers began dominating the jobs in America. Some would say these legislative acts are discriminatory, some would even say they are racist. Are the minds of the ones behind the signing of these acts racist then? Returning back to Takaki, the Chinese laborers at the time were seen “As “strangers” coming from a “different shore,” they were stereotyped as “heathen” and unassimilable.” (Takaki 14). Racism has been a deep-rooted issue that America still faces today. In an interview with Reverend William Barber II, he discusses how “pandemics exploit the fissures in the society... and that America had a whole lot of open wounds as it related to systemic racism and poverty...” (Goodman). It is interesting to see how these ever persistent roots of our history continue to plague our society, revealing the systemic inequality that exists within America. We have applauded ourselves for the particular stories of Brown v. Board and even Martin Luther King Jr. that we have said we have marched towards social justice. As we try to flimsily cover our dark history, we begin to forget and when we forget we evade the systemic issues our countries still face. How many people remember what happened in Los Angeles 1871? Before the Page Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Chinese community in the Los Angeles area suffered from attacks from The Los Angeles Star that ran an editorial that condemned Chinese immigration and labeled the Chinese people as “inferior” and “immoral” (Wallace). What erupted from this slanderous writing were a series of high-tension events that eventually led to attacks against the Chinese. In a shootout between two rival Chinese groups, an officer and unfortunately a civilian was caught in the crossfire. A mob of Los Angeles rioters quickly formed and proceeded to Chinatown LA and in the savagery of one night, ten percent of the Chinese population had been killed. There were twenty-five indictments but only ten stood trial. The charges on the eight rioters who were convicted of manslaughter were overturned and never retried. It was a tragedy, both sides suffered losses but one of them may have arguably sustained a greater loss. The incoming years the press made no effort to recall that night and from thereon anti-Chinese sentiment grew.

This fear of the other— this attack o n the other has been seen historically over and over again and even now we can see history repeating itself. Media platforms have a lot to do with how the information is translated to the public and in a particular French local newspaper Le Courier Picar, they described the re-emergence of the “Yellow Peril”. Despite receiving much backlash for their inappropriate statement, by referring back to the color-metaphor that painted the East Asians as a danger creates a negative connotation that could ultimately affect their lives. As Yeung had put it, “In the US, government propaganda and pop culture at the time spread wildly racist and inaccurate images of Chinese people as unclean, uncivilized, immoral, and a threat to society” (Yeung). Now the nickname “yellow peril” has gained new meaning. It was no longer a name given to those who were taking jobs but rather to those who were presumed to be carriers of the virus.

With the emergence of the coronavirus, there has been a negative impact on the livelihood of the Chinese people and the general Asian population as well. Throughout history Asians have been labeled under the pretense of being the model minority, which in itself proves to be a double-edged sword that burdens the Chinese Americans with certain pressures and expectations. The brand model minority showcases Chinese Americans as stereotypically intelligent in their study habits and attentiveness but all of that would be quickly tossed out of the window when the media finds the smallest fault to prey on. It is seen from time to time the positive light that the media portrays Asian Americans in, particularly how “... the model minority story has come to be repeated ad nauseam on TV and in the print media and has entered folkways as conventional wisdom.” (Bob). There have been a handful of incidents of Asian students being targeted in public schools just like it has in Portland, Oregon where even the board of the Portland Public Schools had to make a statement to students of Asian backgrounds to be wary of being targets of attacks (Jaquiss). The core systemic issues of the higher echelon and the pandemic have seem to give permission for the ignorant masses to attack Asian individuals unjustifiably. From the couple that was assaulted on a Philadelphia subway train (Tanenbaum) to the student in London ganged up on by four men for just being Asian (Woodyatt), the social scare has brought about racial violence that has taken its place not only in the United States but internationally as well.

An obstacle that prevents us, as a society, from solving this problem stems from the misinformation of Asians in media and social media alike. We have lived in a connected world for decades now, from letters and papers to online media sites and instant messaging. Information travels quicker than the blink of an eye and can be as easily accessible to any with simply the click of a button. As we have gone over in class, some sources may learn to have a left, neutral, or right bias in the news that they cover. Different verbiage may incite different responses and as such it is to our interest to be informed of the news sources we read and watch from and to know what their bias may be.

One source of misinformation is our very own President of the United States, President Donald Trump. Known for his colorful non-sequitur language, Trump has made many statements and claims about the coronavirus that does not necessarily check out. As the President of the United States, he has a lot of power and influence. With his power and influence, his words can sway the lives of millions... however what happens when power is accompanied by ignorance? American novelist James Baldwin had put it eloquently that “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” As an avid tweeter,

Trump has sent out a handful of controversial statements and whether or not it was received well by some, it may find its way to someone who would blindly take it as fact. He had sent out a tweet on March 16, 2020 classifying the
coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus” (Trump).

By labeling it as such, he is pinpointing the virus to a specific geographic location which would be associated with its people. Not only is it inaccurate but it has caused negative sentiments toward Asian Americans as they may be seen as the source of the coronavirus. Trump at a future press conference continues to refer to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus” justifying that considering “it comes from China” that it was correct to call it as such (Stevens). With my experience at the grocery store alongside many other incidents happening around the world, it was fair to say that xenophobia has had a resurgence in the past couple of months. There was a shift from the fear of a pandemic to a fear of the other. The blame of the virus was being projected onto a group of people which becomes a dangerous idea as Asians could be a target of xenophobic attacks.

Another machine that prevents the public from being informed correctly is the spread of not only misinformation, but conspiratorial ideas as well. Many of these conspiracies have plagued a wide range of different types of information including but not limited to how the virus originated, how to cure the virus, and whether it was all a hoax for political gain. The constant push for accurate knowledge is important particularly in these times and myths such as “only Chinese people have the coronavirus” could only fuel the naïve as the ignorant will continue to latch onto the ignorance. COVID-19 may have started in China but as a virus anyone is susceptible and therefore a potential victim of the pandemic (Tang). The neoliberalism classification of Trump’s policies and statements aligns with the responses of his followers. In an article by The Guardian by George Mobiot, he clarifies how “When political debate no longer speaks to us, people become responsive instead to slogans, symbols and sensation. To the admirers of Trump, for example, facts and arguments appear irrelevant.” (Mobiot). For his supporters, to whom do they pin this pandemic on? The hysteria would almost certainly seem conspiratorial as the negative connotations set off by President Donald Trump gives leeway to blame the Chinese people. To do our part, it is important to be informed with undeniable facts from trusted sources and organizations who have poured resources into the recovery of the world.

The greatest issue is leaning entirely on the news and media for reliable information. This is not necessarily a bad practice however above all it is important to use common sense. A better practice would be to find information from reputable news brands and to always question whether their information is credible or not. Triangulating information from multiple news stations and cross-checking the data would produce information that would be more reliable as opposed to taking in all the information from one source and seeing it as fact. By avoiding these bent and twisted stories that the media has re-shaped to meet certain political agendas, people would be able to see the world in a clearer lense. Be informed. Learn where each news station lies on the United States political spectrum and see how it could create bias in their deliverance of information. Being able to absorb all the facts that the media has to offer and formulate a personal opinion and view from the ideas presented may help with the growing mistreatment of Asian Americans.

Misinformation affects everyone, not just the Asian population. Particularly in these trying times, it is essential to get information from the right places in order to be safe and healthy. A credible source to be informed by is the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading specialized agency that is concerned with public health. The news is a good way to be informed of what is happening in the world but in terms of learning about the capabilities and the intricacies of the virus, it should be done through WHO. We can do our part by being informed by the right sources. It is only then when we are doing our part and putting social distancing into practice can we recover from this pandemic.

The people should be concerned about this problem because as citizens of America, we should bolster one another to make the responsible choices so that we can return to what remains of our old lives. The country has done what they can by enacting a quarantine to help us stay home and to stay safe but ultimately it is up to its citizens to flatten the curve. A handful of solutions have been offered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and on their website they have outlined these solutions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They have offered insight on how the virus spreads, how to prevent it, and what to do should someone suspect they have been infected. There are a multitude of sources, why not get our information from the leading national public health institute?

As Ronald Sundstrom has said: “The harms, however, of xenophobia can be independently understood and condemned, and highlighting them is what is needed to keep these harms from being swallowed up by nationalized narratives of racism, particularly in the United States” (Ronald). The coronavirus brought much unwanted bias and racism to Chinese and other Asian communities as people are giving in to their fears with misinformation. It is important to correct misinterpretations and to replace ignorance by educating the public with indisputably credible information. We need to remind ourselves that we are all humans of the same race— the human race and that we should stand alongside each other to combat the common enemy that is not only COVID-19 but the embedded racism of our system today.

Works Cited

Goodman, Amy. “Stay Alive, Stay at Home, Organize.” DemocracyNow. interview by Amy Goodman, 20 May, 2020.

“How to Protect Yourself & Others.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Apr. 2020.

Jaquiss, Nigel. “Portland School District Says Asian Students Were Racially ‘Targeted’ Amid Coronavirus Scare.” Willamette Week.

Monbiot, George. “Neoliberalism – the Ideology at the Root of All Our Problems.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Apr. 2016.

Ronald R. Sundstrom, and David Haekwon Kim. “Xenophobia and Racism.” Critical Philosophy of Race, vol. 2, no. 1, 2014, pp. 20–45. JSTOR. Accessed 21 May. 2020.

Stevens, Matt. “How Asian-American Leaders Are Grappling With Xenophobia Amid Coronavirus.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2020.

Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1993. Print.

Tanenbaum, Michael. “Video Allegedly Shows Group Assaulting Couple on Philly Subway Platform.” PhillyVoice, 6 Mar. 2020,

Tang, Abby, et al. “Pathologists Debunk 13 Coronavirus Myths.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 3 Apr. 2020.

Trump, Donald (realDonaldTrump). “The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” 16 March 2020, 3:51 PM. Tweet.

Wallace, Kelly. Forgotten Los Angeles History: The Chinese Massacre of 1871, 19 May 2017.

Woodyatt, Amy. “London Police Seek Four Men after 'Racist' Coronavirus Attack on East Asian Student.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Mar. 2020.

Yeung, Jessie. “As the Coronavirus Spreads, Fear Is Fueling Racism and Xenophobia.” CNN, Cable News Network, 31 Jan. 2020.