A Chinese-Canadian woman was attacked by a stranger on the latest experience to Costco just because she is Asian and was wearing a face mask.
Chen He narrated on Facebook that she was at the Costco in Brossard, Quebec, on Mar. 13, while a female whose face was covered came after her and partner. She added the couple was cursing at her and calling them out for being Asian.
The netizen covered three pictures of the attacker, who seems to be searching at her angrily and raising her fingers to attack. Others have attempted to stop the woman from attacking the Chinese-Canadian.
Asians shouldn't be the face of COVID-19, netizens agree
"This is so ridiculous," she said. "She also covered her mouth, why can't we cover our mouths?" she questioned. Chen said Asians in masks should not be the "face" of the coronavirus. "She is a racist," she added.
The attacker's mouth is covered along with her entire face, except her eyes. The brows were hidden at the back of a black scarf.
The brunette of unknown age is seen staring threateningly, heading mid-charge. In the next photo, the attacker has lunged forward along with her arm out, acting to be bodily attacking Chen and her partner.
A third photo shows two men stepping forward to restrain her, keeping her arms back.
The woman has yet to be identified, according to DailyMail. Chen's post has long gone viral on Facebook and Reddit, with commenters quick to condemn the stranger's behavior.
One commenter felt sorry for Chen for experiencing that assault. The netizen added people are "so ignorant."
"I wish I was there to let her know her behavior is not okay," one wrote.
Another netizen expressed her shock that the brunette tried to get physical with the Asian-Canadian woman.
"What is this world becoming?" another chimed in. 'Seriously, would [we] expect this [woman change] from a child but not from an adult," one added.
Another commented that ignorance and bigotry spread faster than this virus.
People with Chinese roots fear for their safety
As the coronavirus upends American and Canadian life, Asians face a double threat. Not only are they grappling like everyone else with how to avoid the virus, but they're also additionally contending with growing racism in the form of verbal and physical attacks. Other Asians - with families from Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, and different places - are facing threats, too.
Penn Today reported Asian-Americans had experienced discrimination in Northern America is not unusual, whether during initial years of immigration in the 19th century or Japanese internment.
Josephine Park, director of the Asian-American Studies Program of the University of Pennsylvania, said competition with China is a primary factor in the anti-Asian racism the world is seeing today.
Claire Jean Kim, a professor of political science and Asian-American studies at the University of California, also told The Guardian that Chinese immigrants were seen as inferior, filthy and diseased.
Kim said the Chinese immigrants were seen as a threat to the white working-class when the natives migrated to America in 1870. That situation led to racist attacks and segregation among the Chinese and Americans.
As the coronavirus and its effects appear long-lasting, advocates in the Asian-American network emphasize the significance of speaking up and calling out any racist remarks when the surroundings are safe.
"We have to acknowledge everyone's humanity at this time because the virus doesn't know race or color," Rosalind Chou, an associate professor of sociology at Georgia State University, said.
