#RacismIsAVirus

Hapa Mag - April 6, 202

By Alex Chester

As I write this I am in self-quarantine, sitting in my apartment, while my husband watches “Married at First Sight.” It’s easy to feel helpless right now; it’s easy to feel useless. I watch the news, and I am angry and frustrated. People in this country— from your neighborhood racist right up to top government officials— have started calling COVID-19 (the disease caused by the novel coronavirus) the “Chinese Virus” or “Kung Flu.”

For weeks, my bestie and a few others have been talking about what could be done to stop the racist name-calling and bring action and attention to the mounting violence against our fellow Asian American brothers and sisters. We’ve all been privy to the huge influence of social media, even with something as simple as getting angry and creating a hashtag to bring about change and social justice. So my BFF Diane Phelan came up with this campaign. #RacismIsAVirus (Shout out to Ariel Estrada for the naming of the hashtag.)

You might have seen this on your social media by now. Friends from the Broadway community to the Hollywood film industry have been posting with this hashtag, and it’s been so empowering to see my fellow Asian Americans stand up to xenophobia. 

What motivated you to start #RacisimIsAVirus? What was the process like? 

I was motivated to start the campaign while in conversations with other Asian American and Hapa friends (shout out to Viveca Chow, Ariel Estrada, and you, Alex, for the inspiration) about the escalating violence and acts of racism against Asians in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and 45’s use of the terms “Chinese Virus” and “Kung Flu.” I was inspired by seeing pictures of other Asian folks in the news standing up in groups to protest, and I imagined how powerful it would be to flood social media with Asian American faces pushing back against the xenophobia. Our race and culture has long been associated with being the polite, quiet, model minority. And while stoicism bears much honor within our parents’ cultures, it is time for us to speak up. I have been so inspired by everyone who has spoken up and posted. Their words give me strength and hope that change is coming because we are all ready for change. It’s powerful to feel how anger can be channeled into action, something many of us are feeling the positive effects of for the first time.

As a mixed-Asian American yourself, why do you think the Hapa community should get involved? 

I have long felt that being mixed-race is an incredible gift, one that allows me access to different perspectives. During this time, I have carried a bit of guilt over not presenting Asian enough to be on the receiving end of the aggressions that I witnessed other friends and brethren experiencing. What I realized however, is that this strange invisibility has given me the leverage of extra emotional energy that I can channel into the fight against racism. Hapas everywhere have different relationships to their Asian sides, but it should be a no-brainer to speak up and support our Asian American communities. We are better as a nation and a world when there is dignity and equality for all races.

Now that this campaign has caught fire and you have the attention of the Broadway community, where would you like it to go? What do you see as the next steps in the evolution of this campaign? 

The Asian American Broadway community has been amazing, using its visibility to get this message out. They are incredible people that inspire me with their courage and hearts. What is of utmost importance is that this campaign reaches past our own circles on social media and impacts those who most need to see this message. I was enormously lifted and changed by the #MeToo movement. That campaign forever changed the way women walk through the world and how men receive us. My story was heard, and women’s stories everywhere were heard, believed, and understood. When I walk down the street now, I can hold my head up with pride as a woman and not yield to a man. Men are often much more understanding now as well, and it took all of us women getting angry and telling our stories. I have the same dream for Asian American people in this country, to show everyone where our boundaries are and that we won't tolerate being treated as second-class citizens in any capacity.

#RacismIsaVirus is a campaign created to empower Asian Americans and allies to rise up and stand together against the violence and xenophobia directed toward Asians and Asian American communities in the wake of the coronavirus so that all citizens of our country can live in dignity and peace.

By using our voices to actively partake in the conversation about our otherness, we show and tell America that we do belong because we say so.

All donations and proceeds from the campaign will go to benefit Asian Americans Advancing Justice. We are honored to highlight them not only for the incredible work they are doing but because their mission of “Fighting for civil rights and empowering Asian Americans to create a more just America for all,” so closely mirrors the values that we at #RacismIsAVirus hold dear.