McDonald’s China Issues Apology For Discriminating Against Black People
By Ryan General
April 13, 2020
An African man was reportedly asked to leave a McDonald’s outlet in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
The incident comes amid the growing number of reports of racial profiling and discrimination against Black people in the city. The recent incident involved a man trying to buy himself a meal at McDonald’s at Citic Plaza. But instead of being accommodated, an employee handed him a note that barred him from entering.
The note read: “We’ve been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant. For the sake of your health consciously notify the local police for medical isolation, please understand the inconvenience caused. police TEL:110”
In a statement to Shanghaiist, McDonald’s China confirmed the incident and offered an apology. It also noted that it had ordered the outlet to “stop immediately such actions” and conduct training programs on “Diversity and Inclusion.”
“A mandatory training for all McDonald’s China employees and crew members is also in progress to ensure those values will be implemented and such an occurrence will be prevented from happening again,” the statement read.
“Currently, all customers are welcome to all our restaurants after body temperature check-up with health QR code issued by the local government.”
According to Shanghaiist, this is not an isolated case as many Africans have complained of being turned away from restaurants, convenience stores and other retail shops over the past few weeks.
Just last week, a city-wide crackdown against members of the African community was carried out in Guangzhou. Many of them were thrown out of their apartments by landlords and hotel rooms. They were reportedly tested for COVID-19 repeatedly without being given results and then publicly shunned and discriminated against.
Even after they tested negative for COVID-19 or completed the 14-day isolation periods imposed on them, these individuals remain evicted from their homes and hotels, which they had already paid for.
These reports of discrimination against Africans have sparked widespread anger across the African continent.
African ambassadors in China recently called upon the country’s top foreign minister to address what they call discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou, reports Reuters. They noted that such “stigmatization and discrimination” is creating a false impression that Africans are spreading the novel coronavirus in China.
“The Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing immediately demands the cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans,” the note sent to State Councilor Wang Yi read.
Feature Image via @BlackLivityCN
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