This was my experience at the early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. One day, I was moving something from my house to my friend’s house. I carried a huge suitcase since there were a lot of things that needed to be moved. The suitcase I used was huge, and it was the one I brought from China. I did not remove the tag that the airport staff put on it when I was using it to move my things. Thus, everyone who saw me with this suitcase believed that I just came from China, the ground zero of the pandemic. From their eyes. I could see that I was considered the walking “virus” who would infect them immediately. I felt extremely insulted by seeing what they had done. No one sat or stood close to me on the bus station. While they were walking away from me, the only thing they left was the worry-filled eyes. My identity as Chinese played an important role in this. Without any evidence that I just came from China, they began to show their attitude of exclusion. Personally speaking, it was not fair and I did not receive any reasonable justice since what people were looking at me was wrong. Besides, during my short trip with a suitcase, not a few of them, but many of them whom I encountered used an inappropriate way to judge me. Thus, I believed it was an experience of systemic injustice.
As above mentioned, many people were not willing to judge me appropriately since I am Chinese. They did that due to my identity as an “outsider”. The concept of “otherness” is common in every society, as de Beauvoir says, “no group ever sets itself up as the One without at once setting up the Other…against itself” (de Beauvoir, 1). Personally speaking, it is the concept of “otherness” that facilitates the creation of systemic injustice in society.
I am not alone since many Asians around the world are experiencing systemic injustice (especially when they are considered Chinese who spread the virus to the world). This news story with photos clearly illustrates how the Chinese are mistreated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52714804
Another link is the news that illustrates how the Chinese community fight against discrimination against them in the United States. Their slogan is “fight the virus, not the people”.
Link:https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-18/fear-and-stigma-around-coronavirus-deliver-harm-and-control
I am sorry you experienced this! I have seen increased amounts of anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes in the news; it seems like the virus has brought out the worst in some people. It is very despicable. I wish in times like these we were able to come together and support everyone during this difficult and uncertain time. Thank you for sharing.