COVID-19 and our stand against racism

YWCA’s across the country take a simultaneous “Stand Against Racism” every year during the third week in April. COVID-19 and the resulting public health and economic crises make our 2020 Stand Against Racism particularly complex, as well as critically important.

While we pray for the sick and dying, as well as support all health care workers on the front lines, we must examine two of the distressing racial justice setbacks of the current crisis. These setbacks are the increase in acts of bias against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and the racial health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Civil rights and human rights organizations have reported an increase in hate speech and hate incidents aimed specifically at those of Chinese decent, as well as AAPI communities. Subways have been a hot spot for hate crimes, including physical assaults against AAPI persons on New York subways and a particularly awful racist rant against an AAPI woman on a Los Angeles subway. AAPI schoolaged students are also reporting an increase in bias attacks, according to information from around the country assembled by YWCA USA.

It is natural to look to other pandemics to draw parallels, particularly in the experience of the LGBTQ+ communities during the HIV AIDS pandemic. Violence against this community spiked with the outbreak of AIDS, while the pandemic went far beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Undoing hateful associations and innuendo is nearly impossible — hate speech and hate crimes continue to plague LGBTQ+ persons today.

COVID-19 is also exposing profound and longstanding health disparities that cut across racial lines. According to a Reuters report, African Americans are dying of the coronavirus at a faster rate than any other demographic group in the country. This is widely attributed to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease, which are far more prevalent among African Americans. The concentration of these pre-existing conditions among one racial group is also widely attributed to generations of disparities in social and economic factors that impact public and individual health.

International and domestic governmental and non-governmental organizations have long studied and shaped public policy around the of health: those qualities of ones working, living, social and community conditions that influence health outcomes. These determinants typically include: access to health care and insurance; education; employment and working conditions; food insecurity and food deserts; housing; social supports or exclusion; transportation; gender; race; and disability, among others. The longstanding clustering of these factors among African Americans creates heightened risk for COVID-19 and has the potential to further marginalize these communities going forward.

Let’s take this moment to stand against the current hate and bias against AAPI communities and double down against all forms of discrimination. Let’s turn this crisis into an opportunity to evaluate and address the social determinants of health in our communities and our policies. Let’s prioritize health equity in a new way and address the systemic factors that create racial health disparities.

Please take a Stand Against Racism by joining me and Professor Gautam Mukunda on our social media platforms and at ywcagreenwich.org starting April 24 as we discuss the importance of civic engagement today. We will also showcase the individuals, organizations and public institutions in this community who have pledged to Stand Against Racism in 2020, including local students who will receive our annual Racial Justice Scholarship Awards. Take care and stay well.