STOP BEING RACIST! International Students Respond to Covid-19
BY ZETA ATOIGUE ‘23, APIA major, WOOJIN YOON ‘23 Staff Writer, Copy Editor
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n March 19, 2020 the W&M community received an email informing students that they would have to evacuate immediately after spring break. Just before the shut down, Zeta Atoigue and Woojin Yoon interviewed Chinese international students and premed students regarding the Covid-19 scenario.
ZETA ATOIGUE: How have you been affected by this emotionally, physically, or mentally? MIN XIAO: These kinds of stories and news always made me feel sorrow for her, for all Chinese people, and sometimes for all human beings.
[The both of us had no experience when it came to dealing with the Coronavirus since it had not hit the states yet. But reading their responses made us scared and worried. We didn’t know what would happen if the virus spread to
the U.S., and now that it has, it’s strange to comprehend that we’ll be in the same position the interviewees were weeks ago.]
I could also see some good news in social media, which affected my emotions positively. For example, many doctors and nurses from different provinces petitioned to work in hospitals in Wuhan, which was very dangerous to themselves. Besides, two temporary hospitals in Wuhan were only built in a week. How incredible it was! ...But I also felt contradictory. We all know that we should not let the virus defeat us, but it’s just too hard to prevent unnecessary sacrifice; and even though we know some sacrifice is needed, none of us want our own parents and friends to be the heroes… . LISA XU : I have been affected by this emotionally. Even though I am not experiencing it myself, my family, my relatives, my friends, and other Chinese people are experiencing it right now. Facial masks are in short right now, so it is nearly impossible for everyone to get a mask; people in Wuhan cannot get daily necessities (i.e. food and medicine). 12 Art & Hatsuye
There has been a rise in anti-Asian sentiments since the coronavirus outbreak began. In response to this, the Asian American Student Initiative (AASI) launched a week-long initiative educating the student body on the recent growing racism and xenophobia in the United States. Artwork by Kathy Qin (‘23).
