U.S.
Asian People Are Being Harassed, Attacked, and Blamed for Causing the Coronavirus Pandemic
Published
10 months agoon
By
Cory Ray
- Reports of racism both in the United States and internationally have skyrocketed, with many Asian people reporting discrimination and violent hate crimes from those blaming them for the coronavirus pandemic.
- The FBI has described a Texas stabbing of four people, including an Asian family with two young children, as a hate crime.
- Police in Australia arrested a 17-year-old girl Monday after a viral video showed her berating and spitting on two Asian women in public.
- Many have been quick to criticize U.S. President Donald Trump for his use of the term “Chinese” virus, which they say furthers the association between the coronavirus and Asian people.
Man Stabs Asian American Family in Hate Crime
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning that hate crimes against Asian American people will likely grow as the United States continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.
“…hate crime incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease… endangering Asian American communities,” a FBI report obtained by ABC News said. “The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the U.S. public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations.”
The report also classifies a March 14 stabbing at a Sam’s Club in Midland, Texas as a hate crime. That night, Bawi Cung, his wife, and their three children were shopping for groceries when the 19-year-old alleged male assailant stabbed Cung.
The man then ran off before coming back and stabbing two of Cung’s young children, a two-year-old and a six-year-old. Store employee Zach Owen then intervened and was stabbed, as well.
Meanwhile, off-duty Customs & Border Protection agent Bernie Ramirez was also and the store and heard the incident while shopping. He then stepped in, drew his gun on the 19-year-old stabber, and held that man down until police arrived.
The victims were then rushed to hospital. Reportedly, two of them were in critical condition, but besides scars, all have since recovered. Both Cung and one of his sons received stab wounds along the face, with his son’s wound stretching from behind his ear to his eye. Owen faced deep cuts on his hands and one of his legs.
Following the incident, Midland police launched an investigation. A couple of days later, the FBI took over that investigation and classified it as a hate crime.
Girl Spits on Asian Women in Australia
The Midland Stabbing is not the only incidence of coronavirus-related violence that has occurred at Asian people’s expense.
In Australia, a viral video shows two girls berating two Asian women on the street.
“I got a knife in my bag, you wanna fuck around?” one of the girls says in the video. “You fucking, you Asian dog. Yeah, yeah, get the fuck out of here now!”
The girl continues to shout at the women, and at one point kicks at them. Bystanders then rush to help. The girl jumps around the women and bystanders, holding her fists up as if she is about to punch one of them.
The girl then opts to spit instead. Reportedly, some of that spit got in one of the women’s eyes. The two victims went to the police, and Monday, police announced that they’d arrested both the girls harassing them.
The 17-year-old girl who spit is being charged with three counts of common assault, use offensive language in/near a public place, and two counts of attempts to stalk/intimidate/intend fear of harm.
The other teenage girl was reportedly released without being charged.
Other Asian People Report Various Forms of Racism
While both those stories are examples of violent harassment where police caught the alleged criminals, the reality for many more Asian people is they will continue to see various forms of racism while the pandemic is active.
Besides Texas, there have also been reports of surges of hate crimes in Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.
“I was shopping at the Smith store for necessities, and as soon as I walk in an aisle a whole family covered their nose all of a sudden,” one Las Vegas man told CBS Las Vegas. “My son, who was living in L.A., he’s home now, but he was told to go home. We have a member whose mother was told not to touch her groceries because she doesn’t want her germs.”
In a op-ed for the LA Times published Tuesday morning, several Asian American columnists write:
“Coughing is now a doubly serious concern for Asian Americans. Like everyone else, we’re afraid of contracting the coronavirus. As a racial group, we have an additional fear: being profiled as disease-carriers and being maliciously coughed at.”
During the early days of the outbreak, many Asian-American restaurant owners reported major downturns in customers visiting their shops. In fact, many people online have “joked” about not going to Chinese restaurants in order to avoid the coronavirus.
Though many restaurants across the country are not shut down on government orders, in February, the owner of a 100-year-old historic restaurant in New York City reported a 40% drop in business. He also said that one Monday in February was the slowest Monday he’d seen in five years.
Other restaurant owners have also reported similar drops in business.
Outside of the U.S., in Canada, one doctor said her half-Chinese son was targeted by other children in school
“Today my son was cornered at school by kids who wanted to “test” him for #Coronavirus just because he is half-Chinese,” she said on Twitter in January before many schools closed. “They chased him. Scared him. And made him cry. I was the same age when I was bullied for being Pakistani. It’s 2020. I thought things had changed by now…”
Today my son was cornered at school by kids who wanted to “test” him for #Coronavirus just because he is half-Chinese. They chased him. Scared him. And made him cry.
— Dr. Nadia Alam (@DocSchmadia) January 30, 2020
I was the same age when I was bullied for being Pakistani.
It’s 2020. I thought things had changed by now… 💔
Trump Insists to Call the Coronavirus the “Chinese” Virus
As Asian-Americans have faced increased levels of discrimination, President Donald Trump has remained adamant about about associating COVID-19 with China, repeatedly calling it the “Chinese” virus.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020
I will be having a news conference today to discuss very important news from the FDA concerning the Chinese Virus!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China – against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
My friend (always there when I’ve needed him!), Senator @RandPaul, was just tested “positive” from the Chinese Virus. That is not good! He is strong and will get better. Just spoke to him and he was in good spirits.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020
A reporter for The Washington Post also captured an image of one of Trump’s speeches where he crossed out “Corona” and wrote “Chinese” in its place.

Trump’s resolve to call the coronavirus the “China” virus has resulted in reporters asking him if he believes the term is racist and why he uses it.
“Cause it comes from China,” he told a reporter in mid-March. “It’s not racist at all, no. Not at all. It comes from China, that’s why. It comes from China.”
Despite this criticism, Trump has tweeted support for Asian-Americans, saying last week, “It is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world.”
“They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER!”
….is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020
Nonetheless, critics say rhetoric like “China” virus is bound to fuel discrimination against Aisan people.
“Donald Trump has put the lives of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants at risk,” Senator Kamala Harris said when tweeting about the Midland stabbing.
An Asian American father and his 2-year-old and 6-year-old were stabbed because the perpetrator thought they were Chinese and had coronavirus.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 31, 2020
Donald Trump has put the lives of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants at risk.https://t.co/XD3dnFjVtK
See what others are saying: (News West 9) (ABC News) (10 Daily Australia)
U.S.
Amanda Gorman Wows the Nation With “The Hill We Climb”
Published
2 hours agoon
January 21, 2021
- Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet, impressed the nation when she read “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s inauguration, making her the youngest inaugural poet in the nation’s history.
- Gorman’s said the Jan. 6 attack on the nation’s Capitol inspired her to focus on a message of hope, community, and healing in her poem.
- Big names like Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Barack Obama, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have all praised her work.
Amanda Gorman Becomes Youngest Inaugural Poet
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman wowed the nation on Wednesday as she spoke of healing, unity, hope, and what it means to be American while reading her poem, “The Hill We Climb.”
At 22-years-old Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in the nation’s history. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she was the youth poet laureate of Los Angeles in 2014 at the age of 16. She then became the first national youth poet laureate in 2017.
Now, her books are topping Amazon’s Best Sellers list and they are not even scheduled to be released until the fall.
I AM ON THE FLOOR MY BOOKS ARE #1 & #2 ON AMAZON AFTER 1 DAY! Thank you so much to everyone for supporting me and my words. As Yeats put it: "For words alone are certain good: Sing, then"
— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) January 20, 2021
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden became a fan of Gorman after watching her give a reading at the Library of Congress. She then suggested that Gorman be a part of the ceremony.
“Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped That even as we tired, we tried,” Gorman recited during inauguration. “That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat but because we will never again sow division.”
Like President Biden, Gorman has struggled with a speech impediment and has been open about her experience overcoming it. She actually used poetry as a tool to correct it. First, she used it as a way of expressing herself without having to speak. Then she used it to bring her poems to life.
“Once I arrived at the point in my life in high school, where I said, ‘you know what? Writing my poems on the page isn’t enough for me,” she told CBS News. “I have to give them breath, and life, I have to perform them as I am.’ That was the moment that I was able to grow past my speech impediment.”
What Inspired “The Hill We Climb”
Gorman said the inaugural committee gave her freedom and flexibility when it came to choosing what to write about. She was well on her way before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Those events then influenced her writing.
“It energized me even more to believe that much more firmly in a message of hope, community and healing. I felt like that was the type of poem that I needed to write and it was the type of poem that the country and the world needed to hear,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
That message came across clearly and the insurrection was depicted in part of “The Hill We Climb.”
“It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit. It’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy and this effort very nearly succeeded,” she said. “But while democracy can be periodically delayed it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust. For while we have our eyes on the future history has its eyes on us.”
Nation Impressed by Gorman
“Wow…Wow, I just, wow you’re awesome,” Cooper said when closing his interview with her. “I am so transfixed.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda also cheered Gorman on. “The Hill We Climb” notably references a line of scripture that appears in a “Hamilton” song. Gorman also said she used to sing the song “Aaron Burr, Sir” to help her say her R sounds and correct her speech impediment.
YES @TheAmandaGorman!!! -LMM
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 20, 2021
“I have never been prouder to see another young woman rise!” Oprah Winfrey wrote. “Brava Brava Amanda Gorman! Maya Angelou is cheering—and so am I.”
I have never been prouder to see another young woman rise! Brava Brava, @TheAmandaGorman! Maya Angelou is cheering—and so am I. pic.twitter.com/I5HLE0qbPs
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) January 20, 2021
Winfrey also gave Gorman a ring with a caged bird on it—a reference to the famous Angelou poem— which Gorman wore during the inauguration.
Your words will lead us through. Thank you for that beautiful expression of our grace, and our potential, and the wrongs that we can always right.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 20, 2021
Actor Mark Ruffalo joined the onslaught of praise, saying that her words will lead the nation.
Former President Barack Obama echoed that idea as well, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Gorman promised to run for president one day.
On a day for the history books, @TheAmandaGorman delivered a poem that more than met the moment. Young people like her are proof that "there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it; if only we're brave enough to be it." pic.twitter.com/mbywtvjtEH
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2021
Wasn't @TheAmandaGorman’s poem just stunning? She's promised to run for president in 2036 and I for one can't wait. pic.twitter.com/rahEClc6k2
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 20, 2021
See what others are saying: (CBS News) (New York Times) (Los Angeles Times)
U.S.
SAT Drops Subject Tests and Optional Essay Section
Published
2 days agoon
January 19, 2021By
Cory Ray
- The College Board will discontinue SAT subject tests effective immediately and will scrap the optional essay section in June.
- The organization cited the coronavirus pandemic as part of the reason for accelerating these changes.
- Regarding subject tests, the College Board said the other half of the decision rested on the fact that Advanced Placement tests are now more accessible to low-income students and students of color, making subject tests unnecessary.
- It also said it plans to launch a digital version of the SAT in the near future, despite failing to implement such a plan last year after a previous announcement.
College Board Ends Subject Tests and Optional Essay
College Board announced Tuesday that it will scrap the SAT’s optional essay section, as well as subject tests.
Officials at the organization cited the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the reason for these changes, saying is has “accelerated a process already underway at the College Board to simplify our work and reduce demands on students.”
The decision was also made in part because Advanced Placement tests, which College Board also administers, are now available to more low-income students and students of color. Thus, College Board has said this makes SAT subject tests unnecessary.
While subject tests will be phased out for international students, they have been discontinued effective immediately in the U.S.
Regarding the optional essay, College Board said high school students are now able to express their writing skills in a variety of ways, a factor which has made the essay section less necessary.
With several exceptions, it will be discontinued in June.
The Board Will Implement an Online SAT Test
In its announcement, College Board also said it plans to launch a revised version of the SAT that’s aimed at making it “more flexible” and “streamlined” for students to take the test online.
In April 2020, College Board announced it would be launching a digital SAT test in the fall if schools didn’t reopen. The College Board then backtracked on its plans for a digital test in June, before many schools even decided they would remain closed.
According to College Board, technological challenges led to the decision to postpone that plan.
For now, no other details about the current plan have been released, though more are expected to be revealed in April.
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (NPR) (The New York Times)
U.S.
Biden To Block Trump’s Order Lifting COVID-19 Travel Ban
Published
2 days agoon
January 19, 2021
- President Trump issued an executive order Monday lifting a ban on travelers from the Schengen area of Europe, the U.K., Ireland, and Brazil.
- Trump said the policy will no longer be needed starting Jan. 26, when the CDC will start requiring all passengers from abroad to present proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding a flight.
- The move was cheered by the travel industry; however, incoming White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki warned that Biden’s administration does not intend to lift the travel restrictions.
Trump Order End To COVID-19 Travel Ban
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday ending his administration’s ban on travelers from the Schengen area of Europe, the U.K., Ireland, and Brazil.
That ban was put in place last spring in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. In his announcement, however, Trump said the policy will no longer be needed starting Jan. 26, when new rules from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention go into effect.
Starting that day, the CDC will require all passengers from abroad to present proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding a flight.
The recommendation to lift the ban reportedly came from Alex Azar, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. According to Trump’s proclamation, “the Secretary reports high confidence that these jurisdictions will cooperate with the United States in the implementation of CDC’s January 12, 2021, order and that tests administered there will yield accurate results.”
It’s worth noting that the ban will stay in place for travelers from Iran and China. Still, Trump’s announcement was generally cheered by members of the travel industry who have been pushing to lift the ban and require preflight testing instead.
Biden To Block Trump’s Order
Soon after the news broke, the incoming White House press secretary for President-elect Joe Biden, Jennifer Psaki, warned that Biden would block Trump’s order.
“With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” she wrote on Twitter.
“On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” she added.
On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) January 19, 2021
With that, it seems unlikely that Trump’s order will actually take effect.
It’s also worth noting that this is one of many executive orders Trump has issued just before inauguration day.

Some of these orders could soon be overturned once Biden takes office Wednesday. Biden is also expected to roll out his own wave of executive orders in his first 10 days as president.
See what others are saying: (The Wall Street Journal) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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