Scapegoating During a Global Pandemic: Issues of Coronavirus-Fueled Racism, Discrimination, and Harassment in the U.S. and Across the Globe
Thursday, June 11, 2020
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. CST
Presented through Zoom
The coronavirus has brought with it an increase in anti-Asian rhetoric and reported hate crimes targeting Asian/Asian American people and businesses in the U.S. Additionally, national and international anti-Jewish rhetoric has scapegoated members of the Jewish communities as purveyors of COVID-19. In parts of China and in parts of India, Africans and Muslims, respectively, have been accused of spreading the virus and subjected to discriminatory practices and violence. This seminar will briefly discuss the history of scapegoating minority groups during periods of unrest and how the coronavirus has fueled a resurgence of targeted racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia. The seminar will also discuss how language, such as repeated use of “the China virus,” perpetuates misinformation about how the virus spreads.
Panelists:
Rabbi Ari Naveh, Illini Hillel
David Chih, Assistant Dean of Students, Inclusion and Intercultural Relations
Laila Hussein Moustafa, Assistant Professor of Library Administration and the Middle East and North Africa subject specialist in the International Area Studies Library
Patrick Keenan, Professor of Law, UIUC
This seminar is part of Racializing COVID-19: A Series About the Intersections of Race and COVID-19
This multi-part series explores racism, fear, xenophobia, and scapegoating during pandemics and times of wide-spread uncertainty. It will also discuss how structures and practices perpetuate inequities and why already marginalized groups are at greater risk of further marginalization as the COVID-19 fight rages on. The series will bring together a multi-disciplinary group of experts to explore these issues, their origins, and the societal implications if these issues continue unabated.
