Editor:
Re: I wear a face mask mainly out of solidarity, NOW letters
Thank you, Janet Routledge, for wearing a mask out of solidarity. Racism is not new in Canada, it has just been swept under the carpet.
Now, in light of COVID-19, racism - specifically anti-Asian racism - has surfaced to the top.
In many Asian countries, mask-wearing is common practice. People wear it because of air pollution or for other health reasons - this does not mean they are ill with something.
It may be debatable whether wearing a mask protects the person wearing it, but wearing a mask has been shown to protect others and prevent the spread of infection. Since people can be asymptomatic while they have COVID-19, we should assume everyone can be infectious.
Don’t we all want to reduce the chance of getting COVID-19 and see it disappear? If yes, why are Asians being harassed, discriminated against, and hurt for wearing a mask to prevent the spread of it and flatten the curve?
That is racism.
We all have a choice to take actions and change the world. By doing nothing we also become the problem.
Consider wearing a mask for solidarity and infection prevention, stand up to injustice when we see it, and educate people on racism. Racism is a systemic disease that spreads like wildfire with no vaccine for it, until people acknowledge its existence and do their part to stop it.
Emmeline Chang, Burnaby
