Andrew Yang Opens Up About Coronavirus Racism Against Asian Americans

February 11, 2020

Andrew Yang has addressed the racism towards Asians and Asian Americans amid the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak during his campaign event.

The 45-year-old 2020 presidential candidate spoke at an event in Nashua, New Hampshire about the novel coronavirus fears and the anti-Asian sentiments surrounding it, according to NBC News.

“We should treat the coronavirus like the public health emergency that it is or has a potential to be,” Yang said. “Is it an emergency right now in the United States of America? No, but we have to keep it that way. We have to try and contain it.”

He also said that it is appropriate to not only put a travel restriction from China but also to put people who have traveled from the country into quarantine.

Yang then touched on the issue of racism brought on by the novel coronavirus fears.

“I’ve seen reports that people are responding negatively to Asians and Asian Americans because they make an association that you might be sick, you might be carrying this virus,” he said.

“I see that as a very very unfortunate but human impulse or reaction. It’s just human nature. You look around and say like I just have heard all these headlines about the coronavirus I see someone of Asian descent and then I just make that association,” Yang continued.

“The best way we can combat that sentiment is to make sure we actually contain the disease itself and make sure that coronavirus is not a serious threat and then we will have this in the rearview mirror the same way that SARS was like this very very big deal for a particular period of time but then after it passed most of us forgot about it.”

Asians around the world have encountered some racism amid the virus outbreak.

An Asian American eye doctor recently tried to calm fears by laying down facts about the 2019-nCoV.

Feature Image Screenshot via NBC News

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