Initially, I had hoped that the spread of the coronavirus would never reach this far. Upon first hearing of the virus in China, I sympathized with those who were affected, but like many other ignorant Americans, I didn’t believe the virus would spread to its extent. However, unlike many members of society, I continually supported China’s victims, rather than mocking them with rude, unnecessary, and often racist remarks. However, this virus has spread, becoming a global pandemic rather than merely a countrywide disease. As the virus spread, my thoughts and sympathies reached out to the rest of the world. As schools, businesses and many public services close in the wake of this pandemic, I’m hoping humanity can stay strong and power through. The body content of your post goes here. As an Asian-American in these trying times, I am filled with a bundle of confused feelings and muddled emotions. Although this virus has had an obvious impact on my personal life, with everything being shifted to a home-based system, I’ve been thinking more about the virus’s effect on the community as a whole. Especially being someone of Asian descent, I’ve paid careful attention to the way this has affected Asian communities. As the coronavirus has spread, crimes against members of Asian communities have spread as well. When news of this virus first surfaced, hate crimes began immediately, starting from racist and hateful comments, and then stemming into physical violence. Abuse against Asians is rising rapidly as cases of the coronavirus continue to climb, and although citizens have been banding together to counter the virus, I think that this is proof of the virus bringing out both the best and worst of humanity. On one hand is the spike in hate crimes, combined with the insensitivity of certain groups, are examples of humanity’s flaws. Almost every day, while scrolling through the news, I see reports of discrimination and violence toward Asian-Americans throughout the nation. These horrific reports used to startle and anger me, and although the anger is stronger than ever, I’ve been so desensitized to these reports of violence that I am no longer surprised when a new report surfaces. Additionally, this virus brings out the insensitivity of certain groups, from those who constantly hoard supplies and food, to the inconsiderate “spring break partiers” in Florida, who ignored pleas to stop. Due to their insensitivity, along with that of certain government officials who choose to refer to the virus using a more colloquial term, people are inherently inclined to take on a racist and xenophobic mindset. Even though the use of the term “China Virus” or “Wuhan Virus” may be accurate, since the virus did stem from Wuhan, China, these terms promote an undeniably anti-Chinese mindset that will not only deteriorate the US-China relationship politically but also promote discrimination and division between the citizens of the US, whether or not they are of Asian descent. This Anti-China “red scare” mindset adopted by the government often encourages violent and xenophobic behavior, as the Western world has much to gain if China falls. The underlying xenophobia of the public has made itself prevalent throughout the months of the virus’ spread, and this xenophobia angers me like no other. However, on the other hand, on the news every day, there are reports of ordinary civilians creating fundraisers, organizing donation drives, or ordering food for healthcare workers who risk their lives during their professions. These members of society somehow find it within themselves to not only do their part in social distancing but also organize events to give back to society, supporting those who need it most. Celebrities such as Elton John are also hosting events to keep America entertained, such as at-home concerts given by artists. Certain celebrities are also joining forces to promote and host positive virtual events, such as weekly storytimes for younger children, thus easing the burden of parents who are forced to homeschool. Additionally, teachers, who have been forced to adapt their curriculums to that of an online school, continue to educate the future generation despite these unusual circumstances. And of course, the healthcare workers who continually go into work every day, treating the sick and preventing the spread of the disease, are truly the backbone of today’s society, and the effects of their actions reverberate throughout the world. Despite the virus having revealed the worst of society, the actions and perseverance of these people truly highlight the best as well, convincing the world that humanity will re-emerge stronger than ever.
Date: Wed, 3/11 Day 1 of coronavirus break. Honestly, quarantine isn’t too bad so far. We woke up at 11, which is a lot later than normal school days, so we’re far more refreshed than usual. Since it’s still the beginning, our teachers are probably navigating this new setup, so the workload is relatively light. It’s early evening right now, and we’ve just about finished our school homework. It’s still light outside, so we even have time to go for a walk or go outside for a bit. Honestly, if today were a school day, I wouldn’t even be halfway through my homework. If this continues, quarantine will be really enjoyable! We might even be able to pick up some new hobbies because we have so much free time. Date: Wed, 3/12 Oops, we just missed our piano lesson! Because our school was canceled, our parents assumed that our music school would be on a “break” as well, even though this clearly isn’t the case. However, since our family is a bit concerned about this virus, we contacted our piano teacher and scheduled a few online lessons through FaceTime, starting tomorrow. Honestly, we’re a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of these lessons; technical errors could get in the way. We’ll see though, hopefully everything will work out well. In terms of homework workload, today was a relatively light day again, although this light workload probably won’t last too long. However, although we're writing about our experiences with this break, we know that not everyone is having such an easy time being home. Our hearts go out to everyone who's struggling to adapt to this new situation. Date: Thur, 3/12 A: My art teacher has been assigning consistent homework on Google Classroom, the platform that most of our teachers use. However, in these two days of quarantine, she’s already assigned four assignments, one of which is a sustained observation still life drawing. Even though this still life assignment is relatively appropriate for an art class, the rest are just writing assignments, which seem a bit unnecessary. Since I also have her for photography, I’m receiving double the workload. Honestly, these assignments are more work than we do in class, and I’m not sure how to feel. As for my other teachers, they’re either beginning to create videos of themselves teaching the material, or providing online resources for us to teach ourselves. Also, today was our first online piano lesson, and I think it was relatively successful, even though it took a while to figure out the best setup for optimal communication. But honestly, in the grand scheme of things in this time, I know that these problems are considered super privileged. A post has been going around on Instagram, documenting a nurse's experience on the front lines. The conditions they work through must be unimaginable, and I honestly have so much respect and admiration for the healthcare workers that risk their lives every day. Date: Fri, 3/13 A: Today, I got up relatively “early” (honestly, not that early, since it was already 8:30) to finish an assignment that was due at 9 am. When I got on Google Classroom to turn it in (around 8:57), a notification that said “Phew, just in time!” popped up. I honestly really appreciated this hidden easter egg. It’s later in the day, and there’s not much to say; basically, we just went about our daily routine. Get up, eat breakfast, do homework, FaceTime friends, write blog posts, practice piano, draw/make art, etc. To be honest, I can already feel the boredom setting in, I’m already deprived of the outside world (kidding, maybe that was a tad overdramatic). As a weekly reflection, I'd say that quarantine isn't so bad for us right now. We're so incredibly lucky to have access to essential resources such as fresh food and water, and incredibly fortunate that our parents are able to work from home. This may sound cliche, but I truly am grateful for the healthcare workers who are keeping our country running. In the coming week, D and I hope to brainstorm ideas to support them.
The iconic steps of the Met are deserted as New Yorkers practice social distancing. For our blog, we chose to write from different perspectives when we each had something to share. However, other entries will be combined rather than written from separate POVs, as we have similar viewpoints. Date: Tues, 3/10. The school announced that school would be canceled for two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. Our county had been hit especially hard, with the number of cases matching or sometimes even surpassing those of NYC. Students and parents throughout our town had expected schools to close because counties near us had already begun to cancel school. However, despite our city being the “hotspot” of coronavirus in the region, our school had stubbornly remained open. A: The news broke during class toward the end of the 5th period. Just a few minutes prior, my physics teacher had initiated a class discussion about school closures due to the coronavirus. I heard contradicting opinions from my classmates, with some saying that they understood why school was still open. Others firmly believed a break would solve the problem (or maybe they just wanted to stay home for a while). I honestly was divided on the matter. On one hand, our district is known for having many students that are relatively underprivileged, so the superintendent likely chose to leave school open for those students that depended on the district’s resources. On the other hand, because our city is the hotspot of the coronavirus in New York, this puts the students at a fair risk of contracting the disease. Even if it may not pose a large risk to the young, there’s a possibility that a student may spread it to someone who is more vulnerable. However, as the announcement surfaced, I was excited at the thought of being able to work from home, and especially the thought of being able to sleep in later. Despite having understood the opposing side just moments ago, I was excited at the prospect of having a much-needed “break” from school. The whole school was abuzz with this news, and the energy radiating from the students was contagious. The last few periods of the day flew by, and quarantine soon began. D:I found out during the very last few minutes of the 5th period. At the time, I was in extra help, finishing up an essay when my friend got a call from her parents telling her about the news. She excitedly whispered to me, “School’s off for two weeks!” Shocked and in disbelief, I replied, “What?” Although many students dream of the day where school is canceled for weeks, I was just in denial that this was actually happening. I started to speak again, but before the words left my mouth, my friend and I heard a chorus of cheers and whoops in the hallway. We glanced at each other curiously: had those students also received the news? As soon as the bell rang we were off, dashing to our separate classes in hopes of seeing someone else’s reaction as we told them the news. I arrived at my next class and instantly heard the whispers from people around me about school being off. Once the late bell rang, my teacher immediately stood up and began to address the situation: “As you guys probably all know now, school will be canceled until March 27th, effective tomorrow.” A few people in my class cheered, but I also saw one or two worried faces. When the class calmed down, my teacher explained that the reason school hadn’t been canceled earlier was because there were many students that relied on the school’s meal program or had parents that weren’t home during the school day. He also informed us that students most likely would be given online homework and would need to attend online classes. My reaction was both relief and confusion: on one hand, I would be able to sleep in and not have as much stress as a regular school day, but on the other hand, I had a feeling that online school would be very confusing and hard to navigate.