
What are some of the first things that come to your mind when you see an Asian person wearing a mask? Wearing a mask is actually common courtesy in manyAsian countries, similar to coughing or sneezing into your elbow. In Japan, I would see commuters wearing masks on any given day all year round.
There is an invisible threat spreading across the globe, and from my perspective, the first visible sign was people’s reactions to me. At the end of January 2020, I wore a mask during my commute from San Francisco to Boston and many people on that flight gave me dirty looks. That is when I realized I needed to respond to this stigma.
You might know that Chinese businesses have been suffering (due to some people’s belief they contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 virus), but do you know
the severity to which Asian-looking people are being attacked? Across the country, Asian-passing people are being harassed for either wearing masks or notwearing masks. While minding your germs, please also mind your thoughts, because the silent plague is Hate.