CREW requests HHS records on coronavirus related racism
The Trump administration’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has highlighted their failure to prioritize the health and safety of all Americans, especially Asian Americans. From President Trump’s delays in declaring coronavirus (COVID-19) a national public health emergency to calling the disease the “Chinese Virus” over its scientific name, Trump has continued to jeopardize the health of millions of Americans while also inflaming anti-Asian discrimination.
Since the start of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, reports have highlighted an increase in incidents of bias and racism directed towards people of East Asian descent throughout the United States. Due to the virus’s Chinese origins, Asian Americans have been accused of spreading the disease; Asian-owned businesses have lost business at a disproportionate rate; and some individuals have even faced physical attacks in public. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has had to publicly state that “being Chinese or Asian-American does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19.”
CREW requested Department of Health and Human Services documents that record complaints related to acts of racism arising from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
It is of urgent public concern to know how this virus is affecting marginalized populations’ mental health and physical safety. If part of Donald Trump and his administration’s response to the coronavirus is making the US a more hostile and unsafe place for some Americans, then the public needs to know the full extent to which their neighbors and community members are being disproportionately harmed by the administration’s response.