While cases of coronavirus rise in the U.S., something else is rising more rapidly, racism. We’ve read the stories, heard the whispers, and witnessed it first hand. We’ve heard stories of people leaving restaurants where Asians were eating. And in a moms’ Facebook group, we also witnessed someone saying they don’t want to travel to the Caribbean “because there are too many Chinese people there.” These types of incidents are ignorant, to say the least, but it’s also dangerous. Attacks on Asians are becoming more common. And let’s categorize these correctly, they are hate crimes. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) states:

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have seen a surge of discriminatory rhetoric and violent attacks against Asian Americans across the country. Often the attackers have been inspired by debunked conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus and how it spreads.” 

NPR adds “We asked our listeners whether they had experienced this kind of coronavirus-related racism and xenophobia firsthand. And judging by the volume of emails, comments and tweets we got in response, the harassment has been intense for Asian Americans across the country — regardless of ethnicity, location or age.”

A common theme across our responses. Public transit has been really hostile. Roger Chiang, who works in San Francisco, recalled a white woman glaring at him on the train to work, covering her nose and mouth. When he told her in a joking tone that he didn’t have the coronavirus, she replied that she “wasn’t racist — she just didn’t want to get sick.”

CAPAC cites some specific cases:

In New York, a woman on the subway was attacked by someone calling her a “diseased b****” because she wore a face mask. In Indiana, two Hmong guests checking in at a hotel were told that Asians were not welcome. And in California, a 16-year-old high school student was sent to the emergency room after being attacked by bullies who accused him of having the coronavirus simply because of his ethnicity.

And it’s not just happening in the U.S., this a global issue.

Rep. Adam Schiff says:

“Coronavirus misinformation is rampant, and has led to discrimination against Asian-American communities and businesses. Listen to advice from experts. Racism and xenophobia are destructive and only further endanger our public health.”

Racism is also impacting businesses where Asian people work. CBS’s Weijia Jiang explores that above.