“No Chinese Allowed” Signs Pop Up Amid Coronavirus Hysteria

The Coronavirus has been confirmed in over 25 countries globally, according to the CDC, including Thailand, Germany, and the United States, and it’s the cause for widespread fear about contracting the deadly illness. Coronavirus is thought to have started on mainland China and has been declared a “global health emergency” after 20,000 people living in China have been diagnosed with the disease with a 2.1% death rate.

Since Coronavirus became an international topic of discussion two weeks ago, there has been a surge of xenophobia and racism against Chinese people. The United States currently has a ban on tourists who have recently been in China and videos have spread of white people covering their mouths in public while around Asian people to ‘protect’ themselves from the virus.

Now, people internationally are sharing that some businesses are placing “no Chinese allowed” signs on their doors and restricting access to people who appear to be from China — a clear example of racism. The following signs appeared in South Korea:

According to Market Watch, online petitions have also popped up in places like Canada and the U.S. asking their school districts to prevent students who recently went to China from coming to their classes for up to 17 days.

Chinese people who don’t live in China have also shared stories about microaggressions and straight-up racist actions they’ve experienced since coronavirus became a widespread concern.

While of course, it’s good to take preventative measures when it comes to global health risks, being racist isn’t going to help you stay protected from coronavirus.