When Hanna, Jana and I decided to start TAC, this blog post was one of the first ideas that came to my mind. To really understand my perspective on this pandemic, we’ll need to take it back to March 2020.
It was nearing the end of my first year at Queen’s when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. I distinctly recall sitting in my dorm room while skipping economics class and waiting for the announcement that school is cancelled. At this point, all I knew about the virus was that it meant a longer summer break; little did I know it meant so much more.
As the days went on and the waiting game prolonged, more information on the virus surfaced and all of a sudden the world was talking about a city called Wuhan, China. Those two syllables flooded news headlines and became small talk replacement for the weather. I remember walking through campus and hearing some guys joke about wearing a mask because “there was a Chinese kid in my meeting”. I gave these guys the benefit of the doubt and brushed their hilarious joke off. During my last few days on campus, I felt an abnormal number of eyes on me and thinking that it was just in my head, I brushed it off again; I should have known that this gut feeling wasn’t one some brushing could solve.
Shortly after Queen’s cancelled in-person classes, I hopped on a plane back home to Vancouver BC. My mom pulled up to YVR with 2 masks on and literally sprayed me from head to toe with hand sanitizer. I spent the following weeks doing online school, watching Netflix and going on an absurd number of walks. One of my favorite things to do with my mom used to be grocery shopping together, but one trip to Loblaws ruined it all.
One day, my mom and I drove to our local Loblaws to pick up some food. We wore our masks, kept our distance and followed the giant arrows on the floor. We literally did everything right; but not according to a woman we’ll call Barbera. As Barbera closed the freezer door and secured her edamame beans, my mom and I waited for her to be a good distance away and then made our way to the freezer. I guess we only kept 5ft and 11 inches between us because then she proceeded to literally yell at us about not socially distancing and insinuating that we couldn’t understand the rules. Now I totally understand that the pandemic put a lot of stress on everyone. But I have a feeling that she wouldn’t have reacted that way if my mom and I weren’t Chinese.
Whenever I go grocery shopping now, I make sure to stay AS FAR AS POSSIBLE from any breathing organism. That day at the grocery store made me realize how cruel people can be just because you’re different. The rise in anti-asian racism and violence really saddens me. When I saw the news about Xiao Zhen Xie, a 75-year-old woman who was punched by a white man in San Francisco, all I could imagine was my grandmother in her shoes.
To anyone who has been a victim of anti-asian racism in any way, shape, or form, unfortunately you are not alone. Though it can be scary, now is the time for change and to challenge the status quo. If this post resonates with you, please comment and share your thoughts below or contact us at theasianconversation@gmail.com. If you are an ally and looking to learn, feel free to check out these resources. Stay healthy and safe conversationers <3.
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