As coronavirus tensions continue around the world and certain world leaders fail to represent their countries appropriately in the wake of the crisis, it's high time to remind everyone that good practices like physical distancing and hand washing do not go hand-in-hand with blatant anti-Asian rhetoric.
Enter Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O, who is here to set the record straight about the less-than-PC terms used for COVID-19. Wearing a shirt that says "Phenomenally Asian," O posted a video yesterday (March 23) with a caption urging her followers to "cut out the hate" and "spread the love" in the midst of this ongoing crisis — while reminding everyone to stop being so damn racist.
She specifically called attention to President Donald Trump's repeated use of the term "Chinese virus," citing its roots in xenophobic, ignorant ways of thinking.
"As a member of the Asian American community," she wrote in the post, "I stand behind Asians around the world who are experiencing racism in the wake of the coronavirus, and hatred and violence are only encouraged when people in positions of power refer to it as the 'Chinese Virus.' Let's call it what it is, a global pandemic, and let's unify in support of our phenomenal Asian community when others in leadership are unwilling to do so. Be kind, wash your hands and stay strong."
Karen O is half-Korean and Busan-born. Her family moved to New Jersey when she was a child.
See her full post below.
Enter Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O, who is here to set the record straight about the less-than-PC terms used for COVID-19. Wearing a shirt that says "Phenomenally Asian," O posted a video yesterday (March 23) with a caption urging her followers to "cut out the hate" and "spread the love" in the midst of this ongoing crisis — while reminding everyone to stop being so damn racist.
She specifically called attention to President Donald Trump's repeated use of the term "Chinese virus," citing its roots in xenophobic, ignorant ways of thinking.
"As a member of the Asian American community," she wrote in the post, "I stand behind Asians around the world who are experiencing racism in the wake of the coronavirus, and hatred and violence are only encouraged when people in positions of power refer to it as the 'Chinese Virus.' Let's call it what it is, a global pandemic, and let's unify in support of our phenomenal Asian community when others in leadership are unwilling to do so. Be kind, wash your hands and stay strong."
Karen O is half-Korean and Busan-born. Her family moved to New Jersey when she was a child.
See her full post below.
