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Darvish speaks of anti-Asian discrimination in U.S. amid outbreak

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where not only President Donald Trump but members of his administration have repeatedly made a point of blaming China for America's current health crisis.

Despots know their base. It doesn't take much to trigger simple-minded bigots. A mere mention of an 'other', someone not from their demographic, just a dog whistle, can set them off. Creating 'enemies' (real or imagined) for their followers to fear and vent their anger and frustrations on is one more tactic authoritarians have used throughout history to divide and conquer.

9 ( +19 / -10 )

My heart bleeds.

-12 ( +14 / -26 )

People trying to hide that fact by fluffing it up with a name like covid-19 are part of the problem.

People who prefer to stoke the fires of fear and bigotry, than accept scientific research and evidence are the actual problem.

The virus doesn't discriminate. Why should anyone else?

you should be directing your anger and hate towards the CCP unless you like communism of that flavour.

Irrational hatred seems to spread in times of crisis. Yes, the Chinese government have acted despicably to begin with. But it's the hallmark of an authoritarian regime. Nothing to do with communism.

15 ( +22 / -7 )

Naming these pandemics after locations is not new. The Spanish flu of 1918 killed about 40 million (although it did not really start in Spain), the Asian flu was in 1957, the Hong Kong flu of 1968 killed about a million. Now calling this bug after it's point of origin is racist.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

As spokesmen for the Asian community in the US I get it, but I hardly doubt that either Darvish or Tanaka have experienced any true racism in the US, because of who they are and what they do!

Take away their "stardom" and money, and then let's hear what they have to say!

They talking like this, bugs the hell out of me just as much as some Caucasian here in Japan talking about racism here, and trying to make it seem as though THEY are the mouth piece for all Caucasians in Japan.

America is not the only "racist" country in the world, but it sure does get more of the press than anywhere else!

9 ( +18 / -9 )

Hate to say it.... but it is mainly the uneducated and narrow minded people that react to issues and act in a racist way. The USA does not have a total monopoly on just plain Dumb and Ignorant people... everywhere you go they exist. Darvish is frustrated because the President of the USA, a Dumb and Ignorant person himself, it stirring up the pot against Asians overall. You'd think, the leader of a Nation like the USA, would do his best to keep racist remarks and ideas out of his agenda. Sadly.... he's an idiot and uses Race for political gain with little thought of the consequences.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Here we go, political and sensitivity correctness again. NO thank you. Speak your mind is best for all sides. IMO what most folks should be voicing there actions is not the people or where each person is from but at their government for not standing up to do more. If one particular country has done wrong to the world, then it is only right that the world put pressure on that government to make things right for everyone. Starting with taking responsibility and owning up to their mistake, then apologize and place a plan on how to make things right. Taking it out on people is never a solution but diplomatically is a start.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Darvish can always return to Japan if not happy in the US-guess he wants to stick it out though...

1 ( +10 / -9 )

"There was a little racial discrimination before this against Asians in America and of course against blacks as well, but since Trump called it the 'Chinese Virus' I feel it's increased," said Darvish, whose YouTube channel has some 478,000 subscribers.

Ridiculous

Nowhere else on the planet do so many different races get along and work together so well. Maybe Darvish has been cooped up to much and is relying on YouTube news. Meanwhile in NY city Asian white black doctors & nurses are all working together to save lives. Looks like Kyodo news has jumped the shark into MSM mediocrity (maybe they’ve always been) by picking up the “torch of division for clicks and ratings”, just like ALL of the corporate news in the US.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

The people most likely to avoid Asians in the US right now and move as far away as possible is, other Asians.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

just like ALL of the corporate news in the US.

From now on I'll just rely on Colonel Lang's Sic Semper Tyrannis, 8Chan and Breitbart to tell me how to think.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Here are some reports of the incidents, in which Asians were attacked in connection to corona virus concern.

Quote from BuzzNews.com (TEXAS)

*A man who allegedly tried to kill an Asian American family of three because he believed they were spreading the coronavirus at a Sam's Club in Texas could face hate crime charges, the FBI told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday.*

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/man-attempted-murder-asian-american-family

Quote from Daily News (NEW YORK):

A 23-year-old woman was the first to be ambushed on 34th St. near Fifth Ave. when a stranger, described as a black woman in her 20s, began screaming at her at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

*“Where’s your coronavirus mask, you Asian b---h!” the woman screamed before socking the victim in the face and running off, cops said.*

The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a jaw injury, authorities said.

Less than 10 hours later, a black teenager kicked an Asian man in the back in East Harlem, police said. The victim, 59, was walking on Madison Ave. near E. 103rd St. when the youth jumped him at 7:50 p.m. on Monday.

*“F--k you, Chinese coronavirus!” the teen allegedly screamed as said as the victim fell onto the concrete sidewalk. The teen ran off, cops said.*

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-asian-woman-assaulted-midtown-coronavirus-fears-20200311-aiyrgf3rl5b7jclbx4r2iipana-story.html

Quote from CBS News (California)

*A 16-year-old boy in California's San Fernando Valley was physically attacked this week by bullies in his high school who accused him of having the coronavirus — simply because he is Asian American. *

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-bullies-attack-asian-teen-los-angeles-accusing-him-of-having-coronavirus/

Quote from Time (LONDON):

*Jonathan Mok, a 23-year-olZd from Singapore, detailed on social media how he was allegedly attacked while walking down Oxford Street in central London on Feb. 24. He told the BBC that a group of four men told him “we don’t want your coronavirus in our country” as they punched and kicked him, and also said he may need an operation on a broken bone near his right eye as a consequence of the attack.*

https://time.com/5797836/coronavirus-racism-stereotypes-attacks/

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Funny it is called china virus but it's Japanese that feel so concerned.

If you know Japan, you know which country and people is most blamed after NK.

Darker times coming and indeed it is a pity to see so many still uneducated people.

I would not like to be in a country where firearms sure will be used.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I live in US. My hobby is hiking. I like solo hiking. But currently I refrain from my favorite hobby because my wife keeps begging me not to go due to a fear of rising racial attacks against Asians in US. She is afraid that I become alone in the mountain and get attacked.

News about attacks against Asians, some of them were life threatening, due to corona virus have been circulating among all Asian communities here. We are all aware of the facts.

I have lived here for decades and this is really the first time I consciously avoid certain situations because of fear of racial attacks.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I hardly doubt that either Darvish or Tanaka have experienced any true racism in the US

Mostly agree but you can't unsee Yuri Gurriel pulling back his eyes towards Darvish and calling him a "chinito" during the Dodgers-Astros World Series. But Gurriel is Cuban so I guess that doesn't count? Darvish took the high road with that and handled it professionally so I wouldn't call him a whiner.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

You know he’s watching too much CNN. I personally haven’t experience any discrimination about the Chinese virus and I’m Chinese but everyone has their story to tell. And calling it the Chinese virus is not racist!

5 ( +11 / -6 )

Yubaru (and anyone who thumbed up him/her):

https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-darvish-asians-insult-20171029-story.html

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19353394/jeremy-lin-brooklyn-nets-says-heard-racist-remarks-more-frequently-college-nba

https://nypost.com/2017/10/03/i-became-a-priest-after-being-fired-for-racist-jeremy-lin-headline/

Might want to do some research before posting.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Nowhere else on the planet do so many different races get along and work together so well.

No doubt the perspective of someone from the majority demographic.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Nowhere else on the planet do so many different races get along and work together so well. 

Says who? Sounds like you are parroting the ‘only in America’ propaganda put out by the MSM, Hollywood and swamp politicians.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Nowhere else on the planet do so many different races get along and work together so well. 

Toronto, Vancouver, Sao Paolo, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur... I could go on.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Wasn't it not so long ago that blacks were vilified because of ebola? I worry that Asians are now the new Muslims.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Toronto, Vancouver, Sao Paolo, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur... I could go on.

Yes, please go on until you reach/find one, combine them if you like, with a population of 330+ million.

Fear is the mind killer. The corporate news knows this. Expect more from the masters of fear and division.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Yes, please go on until you reach/find one, combine them if you like, with a population of 330+ million.

Why would I do that, when the comment I was refuting was that nowhere else on the planet do so many different races get along and work together so well? Why would I shift the goal posts on something I was refuting? Why would I do that FizzBit? Why?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@fizzbitsThe corporate news knows this. Expect more from the masters of fear and division.

What do Colonel Lang sic semper tyarannus , Breitbart and the posters at 8chan say. Curious what they might be doing to lessen people's fears and get them to work toward unification.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

techallToday 08:06 am JST

Naming these pandemics after locations is not new. The Spanish flu of 1918 killed about 40 million (although it did not really start in Spain), the Asian flu was in 1957, the Hong Kong flu of 1968 killed about a million. Now calling this bug after it's point of origin is racist.

A couple of points.

Firstly the dates of the referenced diseases - 1918, 1957, 1968 - 100+ years ago, 60+ years ago, 50+years ago respectively.

Now we are in the year 2020. H1N1, H2N2, H3N2 labels don't carry baggage. Enough said.

2ndly, there is no doubt that the use of a place of origin name for a disease stigmatizes that place whether intentionally or not, esp so in this world of lightning speed media, SMS and otherwise. Many people perhaps don't see it as discriminatory, but the fact does remain that any number of people will use it to support their own bigoted agenda.

There is strong evidence - not 100%, but highly plausible and widely accepted - that the "Spanish flu" originated amongst US soldiers barracked in Kansas in 1918 who later were sent to France as combatants.

How would modern day Kansans feel if they beloved state was the name of the deadliest pandemic seen in the world?

Makes no sense.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

SaikoPhyscoToday 08:26 am JSTHate to say it.... but it is mainly the uneducated and narrow minded people that react to issues and act in a racist way. The USA does not have a total monopoly on just plain Dumb and Ignorant people... everywhere you go they exist. Darvish is frustrated because the President of the USA, a Dumb and Ignorant person himself, it stirring up the pot against Asians overall. You'd think, the leader of a Nation like the USA, would do his best to keep racist remarks and ideas out of his agenda. Sadly.... he's an idiot and uses Race for political gain with little thought of the consequences.

Darvish and the other Asiatic people have a right to be concerned. During WW2 there was hatred toward Japanese-Americans. After 9/11 there was a plenty of stupid talk against ethnic Middle Eastern people and Islam. And the WH is occupied by a quisling uncouth fascist who definitely is a racist. Note his 'Muslim ban', his actions against Latino -as, his dumb 'Pocahontas' remarks and even his 'jokes' last year on Oriental Asian languages.

Quote from Daily News (NEW YORK):

A 23-year-old woman was the first to be ambushed on 34th St. near Fifth Ave. when a stranger, described as a black woman in her 20s, began screaming at her at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Where’s your coronavirus mask, you Asian b---h!” the woman screamed before socking the victim in the face and running off, cops said.

The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a jaw injury, authorities said.

Less than 10 hours later, a black teenager kicked an Asian man in the back in East Harlem, police said. The victim, 59, was walking on Madison Ave. near E. 103rd St. when the youth jumped him at 7:50 p.m. on Monday.

F--k you, Chinese coronavirus!” the teen allegedly screamed as said as the victim fell onto the concrete sidewalk. The teen ran off, cops said.

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in the US and you might think after their past racial history these young twerps would know better. Not all racists are white or the racial majority. Racism is stupid and it can cut both ways. And taking frustrations out on a smaller ethnic demographic is even more stupid.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Starpunk

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in the US and you might think after their past racial history these young twerps would know better. Not all racists are white or the racial majority. Racism is stupid and it can cut both ways. And taking frustrations out on a smaller ethnic demographic is even more stupid.

Based on how the US identifies races, that is incorrect! Latinos are the largest. African-Americans, however, are the most influential!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

YubaruToday As spokesmen for the Asian community in the US I get it, but I hardly doubt that either Darvish or Tanaka have experienced any true racism in the US, because of who they are and what they do!

Take away their "stardom" and money, and then let's hear what they have to say!

  

Kind of hard for a "nobody" or someone with no "stardom" to find a tall enough podium from which to stand and garner enough ears for their message to be heard. Generally, "normal" people are the victims, and sadly, only after their are victims are their voices heard. Darvish and Tanaka may not have experienced "true racism" (whatever the hell that means), but they have a spotlight on them whereas others do not, and for them to use it in this way is not a misuse of their "stardom".

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Starpunk

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in the US and you might think after their past racial history these young twerps would know better. Not all racists are white or the racial majority. Racism is stupid and it can cut both ways. And taking frustrations out on a smaller ethnic demographic is even more stupid.

First, don't make it seem as if these attacks only came from black Americans. The white lady that pulled a gun out on an Asian woman because she coughed. The Latin Male that stabbed the Asian family because of corona. These crimes are increasing.

As for our past racial history in the US, it is still also the current history.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/29/china-coronavirus-anti-foreigner-feeling-imported-cases

When the chips are down, people everywhere look for scapegoats. It’s crude, rude, and offensive when instead of solidarity, people double down on investing the other with all their fear and loathing. Human nature, maybe. But we have better angels than that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

JJ JetplaneToday 01:59 pm JST@Starpunk

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in the US and you might think after their past racial history these young twerps would know better. Not all racists are white or the racial majority. Racism is stupid and it can cut both ways. And taking frustrations out on a smaller ethnic demographic is even more stupid.

First, don't make it seem as if these attacks only came from black Americans. The white lady that pulled a gun out on an Asian woman because she coughed. The Latin Male that stabbed the Asian family because of corona. These crimes are increasing.

As for our past racial history in the US, it is still also the current history.

I know these racist incidents aren't all from Blacks. Anti-Asian hatred comes from other races too. There are plenty of White racist scum as well, and they too are using the virus as an excuse to bash ethnic East Asians. There are people of every race and color who use crises like this as an excuse for hate crimes. Prejudice is prejudice - whether it's white, black or green. And there's NO justifying any of it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Influenza A viruses are further classified into subtypes, while influenza B viruses are further classified into two lineages: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria. Both influenza A and B viruses can be further classified into specific clades and sub-clades (which are sometimes called groups and sub-groups).

So I guess Yamagata and Victoria should be stigmatized by this

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@techall It's got nothing to do with naming and all to do with intent and how Trump is choosing to create a scapegoat/enemy to direct hate towards. Words are not interpreted at face value. If that were true, sarcasm wouldn't exist. Get it genius?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

This is Trump's America at its finest.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

@techall

So I guess Yamagata and Victoria should be stigmatized by this

Donnie can't have a Twitter war with COVID-19. tRump is using trigger words to redirect US citizen's disapproval of his performance in this matter at China which means all Asians to ignorant people. Donnie's business scams have always ruined people's lives. Now his lies are costing people their lives on a global scale.

It is a red herring!

It is all a distraction!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Hatred is ugly in any form whether it be racism, religious or political.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

As a haafu he should know about racism.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The problem I see is that with many Asians, they are quick to point out that they are the victim of racism, but in their own communities, practice and in many cases, even promote racism. Extreme exclusion and protectionism, stealing others ideas and intellectual property is not seen as being dishonest, but instead a kind of sharing. Intellectual theft at universities was widely known also; just buy your way in. If the game is not played on an equal playing field with reciprocity, then I dont see how any claim of racism can ever be taken seriously. Ive noticed that during this whole pandemic, China has not been held responsible at all; instead the knee jerk reaction "blame Trump" has been all the rage, when Trumps lack of initial response is only secondary to the real problem. Who was patient zero, and who knew about it...and why was it covered up? Did they know about this virus, and were there people infected in villages in China?

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Seems I was mistaken, I thought all along that the name of the virus was sars-cov-2

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@thelongtermer Stereotype much? Do all Irish people just eat potatoes? Oh my... you likely have seen and experienced it from your vast sample of how many interactions/cases... 5? 10? 20? 100? That sample size definitely qualifies for a grossly misapplied statement. What Asians are you talking about? You know Asians aren't the same right? Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, etc. Yes, some Asians, like all people, can be racist, but that doesn't mean all. So you are saying China was to blame, why blame Trump? It is Trump's lack of understanding to serious issues that is the problem. It is Trump's lack of response that is problem. So if a meteor crashes into large US city, and Trump sits on his hands with no plan and not mobilization of resources to provide medical care and emergency support... you are saying we blame the meteor? lol, the job of the commander in chief is to have a readiness plan and execute it in times of need, not be petty and deflect blame. A leader needs to be prepared to respond accordingly and rally the people. Trump is choosing to attack political foes. Gimme a break.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

@Bobolicious

It isn't an "either......or" situation. China started the problem with their lies and secrets, and Donnie added fuel to the fire by disbanding the pandemic unit, firing the person in charge of keeping an eye on Chinese diseases, and removing funding from programs to deal with these problems. Then Donnie downplayed it, called it fake news, and sat on his hands while he ignored the experts.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Remember the American virus of 2009?

Of course not. It would have been bigoted to refer to it as such.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html

Black Americans are the largest racial minority in the US and you might think after their past racial history these young twerps would know better

Well, quite. But hatred clouds the mind. My own people were brutalized for centuries and there are still those who treat others with prejudice. It just goes to show that stupidity is universal.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Darvish had a chance to sign with Toronto over Texas to play and work in Canada. He would've found Canadians much more tolerant, and that guns were rare. But he chose to sign with the Rangers. Money talks.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Don't worry Sir Darvish, that won't affect you one bit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Spanish flu of 1918 killed about 40 million (although it did not really start in Spain), the Asian flu was in 1957, the Hong Kong flu of 1968 killed about a million. Now calling this bug after it's point of origin is racist.

Or. Or. Here’s a novel thought. It’s always been racist and many times highly inaccurate. A large body of research into the origins of “Spanish” flu in swine living on a military base in Kansas. The virus was then imported to Europe with America troops, spreading like wildfire through France. However, wartime censorship prevented all information about the disease from making it to the press. It only became known to the outside world when it finally reached Spain, who was not a participant in WWI, and therefore did not have the press censorship of other nations. It was a American flu, not a Spanish one. So as you can see, naming a virus after a geographic location can be incredibly deceptive in addition to racist. Calling it Covid-19 is much more scientific and informative. Technically, Covid-19 is the name of the disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It’s like how AIDS is the disease caused by HIV.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I don't remember this with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome which was so named after being first reported in Saudi Arabia and found in bats in that country, any one else ?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

During the second world war American Chinese were spat on and assaulted by whites shouting vulture epithets describing the Japanese. During the Vietnam conflict I and two black Air Force officers were denied housing in the civilian communities of Panama City, Florida because of the color of our skin and maybe because I looked like the VC. If the latter was the case then I apologize to my black compatriots. Racism is entrenched within the fabric of American society and inspired by the words and actions of our great leader

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Any attention to the issue is a good thing, and he seems pretty genuine about it. Most of the people I meet here who worry about this issue worry about being mistaken as Chinese, "You know... where the virus is from! I'm glad there are less Chiense tourists, by the way -- it's finally quiet!"

In any case, there is just as much racism going on here, it is just not as blatantly spoken in most cases, or as violent. Let me give you a case in point, aside from the commonly expressed above. Yesterday LDP lawmaker Mio Sugita said that foreigners should not be eligible for any kind of relief from the Japanese government, as their own governments should be responsible for them. Yes, the same lawmaker famous for her anti-LGBT rhetoric. Her words, following on the heels of a Sankei article: "これを機に外国籍の方に対する給付等はしっかり見直した方がいいと思います。本来国民を保護するのは国籍がある国家の責任。日本に居る外国籍の方を保護する責任はそれぞれの母国にあります。但し相互主義の考え方で、自国(外国)に居る日本人に対し、給付や支援を行なってくれている国に対しては". She didn't say Japanese in other nations shouldn't be taken care of, of course, nor did she say we should get our taxes back.

And lest we forget the errant graph that was widely popular among Japanese for a while stating that "of Covid-19 infections in Japan, 1 in 3 are non-Japanese" which was spread by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare before it was debunked (and no corrections were posted by said Ministry).

So, again, while Darvish is doing great in pointing out racism and xenophobia towards Asians where he is, it would also be nice if he fought as hard against it here at home.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So, again, while Darvish is doing great in pointing out racism and xenophobia towards Asians where he is, it would also be nice if he fought as hard against it here at home.

There was an article in JT about how a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown was the target of ethnic hatred by a few rotten e-mails. The city of Yokohama came to the support of its Chinatown and business and patronage at that restaurant went up sky high as a sign of support for Yokohama's ethnic Chinese community. And that's what we all must do everywhere. Viruses + flus develop anywhere and even though the CCP tried to keep a lid on things, and as rotten as the CCP is - they've been fighting this thing too.

Coronavirus first developed in Wuhan, China but it could've just as easily developed somewhere else. Don't bash ethnic Chinese, don't bash ethnic Oriental Asian people, **don't bash anyone. This is no time for stupid bigotry.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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