COVID-19 has majorly impacted the world, in more ways than one. Countries as a whole have went to shelters in place, and the global economy has taken a major hit. Even though many workers have began returning to work, things do not look promising yet. Personally, I am not sure that things will ever fully return to normal. After learning more about the impacts that COVID-19 currently has on Chinese individuals and restaurants, many of my concerns were amplified. I was therefore motivated to look further into the change in China’s international perception as a result.
In San Francisco, California, many reports have shown the negative impacts that COVID-19 has had on their Asian population. Studies have shown that people of Asian descent, Chinese Americans included, have been “shunned, verbally abused, named-called, coughed and spat on, even physically assaulted” (USA Today). Hate crimes and harassment related to the pandemic unfortunately span far beyond the borders of California and even the United States. However, it is important to reflect on the actual issue at hand; COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, is not a result of actions taken by Chinese Americans nor the entire Chinese population.
Similarly, statistics reported on business shutdowns as a result of the pandemic show the effect that it has had on Chinese restaurants. According to a CNN Business article written by Chauncey Alcorn, “59% of independent Chinese restaurants across America have completely stopped taking debit and credit card transactions” as stated by data subscription service Womply (CNN Business). This indicates that operations are currently ceased. It was therefore stated that without the help of targeted government intervention, many Chinese restaurants will not be able to survive.
After discovering the harsh reality that Chinese Americans are now living in daily, I was interested in looking at the broader evolving perception of China as a whole. Internationally, there are many different factors that influence how others may view Chinese nationals and dependents. Some of these factors may include, but are not limited to, political motive, economic interest, and environmental impact. Instead of focusing briefly on several varying opinions and perceptions, I decided to look deeper into the specific ways in which the United States’ mindset has been altered.
The current pandemic has brought to light many negative perspectives that some Americans may possess. Major news channels have been reporting on several different theories, while social media is continually exposing information that they believe to be true. By publicly declaring information to be fact before having access to all of the particulars, conflicting viewpoints are now rampant. Economically, sources show that Americans now view the United States as “the world’s leading economic power” (Pew Research). With this in mind, it can be expected that negative perceptions will continue to therefore shift internationally traded commodities to more domestically made products. Unfortunately, this will ultimately impact China’s workforce, economy, and unemployment rates.
While it is hard to look past the realities associated with our current situation, I have gained an increase in understanding and awareness for the difficulties that both Chinese Americans and China face daily. In the upcoming weeks, it will be important for the United States to open up our own economy and keep in mind the harsh realities that others will still be facing.