'Even before disease shows up on the scene, xenophobia exists'
But, Schoch-Spana says, there is another, more positive pattern of human behavior she has noticed recently that falls in line with previous outbreaks: defenders, and people actively working against racism. Social media has also helped people to share their experiences and raise awareness of what is happening, an important component in combating racism and xenophobia.
“If you look across outbreaks over history, you have people really rising to the occasion,” she says. During past outbreaks, for example the influenza pandemic of 1918, people stepped up to volunteer to transport the ill to local hospitals or deliver food to sick families. “There’s also, actually, a more frequent impulse to stand together in a community to deal with a potential infectious disease.”shortly after the incident occurred on Wednesday. It has received 31.3 thousand likes and 6.
Schoch-Spana advises that everyone, individuals, political leaders, businesses or others, self-asses whether their actions in response to the coronavirus outbreak come from a place of prejudice. “Even before disease shows up on the scene, xenophobia exists,” she says. “It’s a pre-existing condition…but people need to understand that in pandemics, we are all vulnerable and we need each other.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Coronavirus is spreading. And so is anti-Chinese sentiment and xenophobiaAnti-Chinese sentiment and xenophobia are adding hatred to the hysteria of coronavirus.
Read more »
As the coronavirus spreads, fear is fueling racism and xenophobiaThe international panic over the Wuhan coronavirus has taken another, more familiar form -- the re-emergence of old racist tropes that portray Asians, their food, and their customs as unsafe and unwelcome.
Read more »
US futures point to mixed openThe pre-market moves come as market participants try to assess the potential economic impact of China's fast-spreading coronavirus.
Read more »
Factbox: What do we know about the new coronavirus?A new coronavirus that has killed 213 people in China is spreading to other coun...
Read more »
Chinese city of Wuhan says it should have acted sooner to contain virusWuhan, the epicenter of a coronavirus that has quickly spread beyond China'...
Read more »
U.S. stocks retreat on virus fearsConcerns over how the spreading coronavirus outbreak will impact growth in the U...
Read more »