Coronavirus is not an excuse to be racist or xenophobic, NZHRC graphic, Give Nothing to Racism

This digital image, one of a suite of graphics designed by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission as part of its ‘Give Nothing to Racism’ campaign, was uploaded to the NZHRC’s Facebook page on 3 February 2020. Created in response to a spike in reports of Covid-19 related racial abuse received by the Commission, the image was posted along with the following message:

"We're disappointed to hear reports of racial abuse, as a result of Coronavirus. Anxiety and fear should never be a reason to vilify any group. We caution all New Zealanders – do not let your fears turn into racism.

"We must #GiveNothingToRacism. Resist judging and typecasting people based on their ethnicity, nationality or physical appearance. Keep calm, listen to the facts, and adhere to the precautionary measures recommended by the Ministry of Health."

At the time of the post, most reported victims of Covid-19 were located in China. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared the virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020. New Zealand did not record its first case of the virus until late February 2020. Globally, however, the spread of Covid-19 (then known as Coronavirus) triggered a rise in racial and xenophobic abuse targeting marginalised peoples and in Aoteoroa New Zealand this resulted in individuals of ethnic Chinese and East Asian heritages becoming local targets of racial discrimination and abuse, paralleling developments in neighbouring and allied countries such as Australia. As of May 2020 the NZHRC had formally received 59 enquires and complaints involving experiences of racism towards individuals who had identified themselves as being of ethnic Chinese or other Asian heritages—in spite of significant restrictions on social interaction during the Alert Level 4 lockdown and Alert Level 3 period. Reported examples of this behaviour have included racial abuse on the streets, racist and xenophobic online commentary, instances of unfair treatment in various social settings, racist graffiti vandalism and physical assaults on members of Chinese and other Asian communities.

As of 13 May 2020, this post had received 4.2k ‘likes’, 3.3k shares and drawn 520 comments on Facebook. On Twitter, it appeared on Feb 3 and 13 respectively. On Feb 3, it received 240 ‘likes’, 112 retweets and 7 comments; on Feb 13, it appeared with the abbreviated message, ‘Do not let your fears turn into racism. We must #GiveNothingToRacism’, receiving 23 retweets and 41 ‘likes’.

What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 is a type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that can make people and animals sick. Covid-19 can pass from person to person by droplets, and can manifest with a cough, fever, and respiratory issues. Some people with Covid-19 may not get sick, but can still pass the virus to another person. It can take up to 14 days from the time a person has been around someone with Covid-19 to when they get sick. Key guidance has been to cough into a tissue or elbow, wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, not touch the face, clean surfaces, keep a two-metre social distance; and self-isolate if unwell, if recently in contact with someone with Covid-19, or recently returned from overseas.

Timeline
The first case of Covid-19 was reported in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organisation first reported the disease on 31 December 2019, and described Covid-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, making it the first pandemic to be caused by a coronavirus. The first New Zealand case was reported on 28 February 2020.

The New Zealand government instituted a four-level alert system on Saturday 21 March 2020 when it immediately went to alert level 2 (where the disease is contained but risks are growing); then quickly to alert level 3 on Monday 23 March (where the disease is increasingly difficult to contain); and finally to alert level 4 on Wednesday 25 March at 11.59pm (where there is sustained transmission). Alert level 4 eliminates contact as much as possible. Essential services were maintained, but non-essential businesses and institutions were closed, and everyone was directed to stay at home until Covid-19 was under control. New Zealand’s borders were closed for entry to almost all travellers.

The stakes are high, with lives and livelihoods suffering both here and across the world. In the first three months of 2020, more than a million people around the world fell sick, with at least 50,000 dying. By mid-2020, 13 million had contracted Covid-19, with over half a million people dying. Many countries have instituted lockdown measures, with businesses closed, and citizens ordered to stay home. In the worst hit areas, hospital systems have been overwhelmed. It is the biggest challenge faced by the world since the Second World War (1939-45).

Selected References

Email correspondence, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (initiated by Curator Asian New Zealand Histories, Dr Grace Gassin) and New Zealand Human Rights Commission, dated 28 April 2020.

Laine Moger, ‘Coronavirus outbreak: Kiwis urged not to let fear turn to racism,’ 1 February 2020, https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119206572/coronavirus-outbreak-kiwis-urged-not-to-let-fear-turn-to-racism [accessed 15 May 2020].

Human Rights Watch, ‘Covid-19 Fueling anti-Asian racism and xenophobia worldwide, 12 May 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide [accessed 15 May 2020].

Meng Foon, ‘Meng Foon: Covid-19 coronavirus no excuse for racism,’ first published in New Zealand Herald, 1 May 2020, https://www.hrc.co.nz/news/meng-foon-covid-19-coronavirus-fear-no-excuse-racism/ [accessed 15 May 2020].

New Zealand Human Rights Commission, Facebook post, 3 February 2020, https://www.facebook.com/NZHumanRightsCommission/posts/10157274610288843 [accessed 15 May 2020].

World Health Organisation, ‘WHO Timeline - Covid-19,’ https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19 [accessed 15 May 2020].

Australian Human Rights Commission, ‘Racism underlines Covid-19 response,’ 8 April 2020 https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/racism-undermines-covid-19-response [accessed 15 May 2020].

Australian Human Rights Commission, ‘Where’s all the data on Covid-19 racism?’ 9 May 2020, https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/opinions/wheres-all-data-covid-19-racism [accessed 15 May 2020].