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But the cultural clash on masks and the xenophobia linked to contagious diseases fueled the rise of  anti-Asian sentiment. Wearing a face mask became a stigma  for Asian people in this country, but many continued to wear one to protect their health and the health of their community. 

 Here are photos of  Asians and Asian Americans  wearing face masks in March, 2020 in the city.

A masked man with his loaded handcart walks in the golden hour in Flushing, Queens. Photo by Bohao Liu

The fruit vendor in a white coat and behind a white mask in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

Wearing masks near a fruit stand in Flushing, Queens. Photo by Bohao Li

Crossing the street in Flushing, Queens. Photo by Bohao Liu

A butcher wears a mask in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

A woman sits with a mask on in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

A  worker wears a mask in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

Passersby wearing masks in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

Two cooks behind the roast meat and masks in Chinatown, Manhattan. Photo by Bohao Liu

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“I think many of us may feel hurt and angry for those stigmatizations and discriminations,” said Yao Wang, President of the NYU Chinese Student Support Group. 

According to Worldometer, a live independent statistics website, there have been 45,222 reported infections to date and 1,118 people confirmed dead globally as a result of the coronavirus. Thirteen  infections have been reported in the US. There were six people in New York City who reportedly showed symptoms of the virus, but the city’s Department of Health has since declared all six to have tested negative for the virus.

In the wake of the outbreak, Wang said that there had been incidents of discrimination, insults and violence against students of Asian descent in New York City. Wang also said that anti-Asian rhetoric had been spread on social media. 

“Some offensive words on social media such as ‘Chinese Virus’, ‘Wuhan Virus’, and ‘Isolate Chinese People’ really break our hearts,” said Wang. 

Throughout social media, people have referred to the Coronavirus as “ChinaVirus” or “WuhanVirus”. Yao Wang, President of the NYU Chinese Student Support Group, says that these labels are hurtful as they encourage ethnic and regional prejudice.

Wang also referred specifically to anti-Chinese messages written in a bathroom at the Columbia School of Social Work as well as on a blackboard in the Columbia Main Library.

Kally Zhao, President of the NYU Chinese Students and Scholars Association, said that labeling this virus as “China Virus” is offensive.

“It’s deeply offensive because when there is a flu outbreak in the US no-one calls it ‘US virus’. And Zika and Ebola – no-one calls them by their origin. But all of a sudden because China is the country where this virus had its first outbreak it’s being named after a nationality and an ethnicity”. 

Comparing the current rhetoric to century-old anti-Asian sentiments, Zhao said “I’m just really surprised how people really didn’t make any progress since the Yellow Peril”.

Zhao said that incidents of anti-Asian discrimination, mandatory self-quarantining, and concern for family members in China are causing Chinese students a lot of stress.

“I think it’s definitely hard because first of all you’re by yourself and I think by being asked to self-quarantine there’s also certain connotations. And then if you talk to family members back home about it you know they may have certain feelings about it and basically it’s just a lot of stress on one person”.

Both NYU and Columbia have enforced a mandatory self-quarantining of all students returning from China. Students are required to stay in their homes and avoid contact with other people.

“I received a report of an incident where one of the international students who had a really high fever was sent to the hospital but the hospital refused to hospitalize her,” said Zhao. “So she was essentially sent home with medicine to be self quarantined”. 

A message found in a restroom at Columbia School of Social Work in New York City. Photograph shared by Yao Wang, President of the NYU Chinese Student Support Group.

But Chinese students are not the only people impacted by the virus. Mae Lee, Executive Director of the Chinese Progressive Association, said that small business owners in Chinatown are also suffering because of people avoiding Chinatown in fear of the Coronavirus.

“The small business owners say they’re getting noticeably less business,” said Lee. “Many of their business is from visitors who don’t live there so somebody’s reacting in terms of not coming down to Chinatown”.

Lee said this was unusual at this time of year as the Chinese Lunar New Year which took place over the past two weeks usually attracts more visitors.

But with no reported infections in the city, compared to thousands of influenza infections, health care providers say that people in the US should be more concerned with ordinary influenza than with the coronavirus. 

“We advise the community to be cautious, but not panic about the Coronavirus,” said Dr Perry Pong, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Charles B. Wang Community Health Center in Chinatown. 

“Everyone should get their flu shot since we have seen an increase in flu cases during this flu season which have similar symptoms to the Coronavirus,”  said Dr. Pong.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported up to 12 million cases of flu-like symptoms and 310,000 hospitalizations related to the flu since flu season began on October 1. New York City is reported as having a high level of influenza-like illness (ILI), with 10 children having died of flu in the past week. Only 13 people have been confirmed infected with the Coronavirus in the US, none of which are in New York City.

“We ask people to just take appropriate hygienic precautions,” said Dr. Perry. “Wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your arm if you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are ill.”

In China, health authorities have suggested that as a precaution against the Coronavirus, along with washing hands regularly, people should wear surgical masks to avoid becoming infected and also to avoid infecting others. As such, many Chinese people in New York City have been wearing surgical masks as a precaution against the virus. However, many have found that surgical masks hold a stigma in the US which they do not back in China.

“I personally definitely notice when I am wearing a facial mask in public people are very hesitant to approach me,” said Zhao. “I get weird looks all the time”.

Zhao said that many Chinese people are now afraid to wear masks in public because of recent hate crimes against Asian people wearing masks.

Zhao referred specifically to a video that has spread throughout social media platforms showing a man violently attacking a woman of Asian descent who is wearing a facial mask. The event occurred at Grand Street station on February 2nd and the woman who posted the video claimed that the attacker called the victim a “diseased bitch” before hitting her over the head with an umbrella.

Wang said that a lot of prejudice originates from misunderstanding around the wearing of masks.

“In China, it’s very common to wear masks in our daily life. People may wear masks if they have a cold, if they’re allergic to pollen or dust, facing hazy weather, or even if they have no make-up on.”

But Wang said that here in the US, wearing a mask is interpreted as a sign of serious illness. This has lead to stigmatization and discrimination around the wearing of masks.

“Some people fear to wear masks on the street even if they have a cold and just don’t want to infect others,” said Wang.

As Chinese New Yorkers worry about families and friends back home, Lee urged fellow New Yorkers to visit Chinatown, to speak to people within the Chinese community, and to take steps to learn more about the situation and what Chinese people are currently going through.

“The virus is the illness,” said Lee. “It’s not the person.”

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“Health, happiness and peace,” David Reid from Manhattan wrote down his New Year wish on a red ribbon and carefully placed it on a branch of the Madison Avenue Wishing Tree.

Reid was one of the hundreds who lined up to get their wishes hung up as part of yesterday’s  5th Annual Madison Avenue Lunar New Year celebration event 

Since ancient times for Asian culture, hanging wishes on trees for the New Year is believed to bring luck and good fortune, and encourage dreams to come true. 

“This is my first time being part of this ancient tradition,” Reid said. “It’s very exciting because this creates joy and good cheer for the beginning of the year and brings people together.”

Upon placing a red ribbon on the tree, each guest also received red envelope gifts by presenting the event passport to any five participating local retailers along the district. 

People writing down their wishes on a red ribbon before hanging them on the wishing tree. Photo by Shiyu Xu.

Retailers such as Atelier Cologne held Chinese calligraphy performance for the shoppers. Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade also introduced new products with Lunar New Year designs.

“It is great to see how some of my favorite stores also came along to celebrate this cultural event,” Alexa Alvarez from Brooklyn said. “This opens my eyes to a lot of new traditions and this is what’s so great about the city. You get to experience them all.” 

Matthew Bauer, president of Madison Avenue Business Improvement District said this year’s event is the first time they involved over 15 different Asian community organizations. 

“It’s such a simple thing, just ribbons and those branches,” Bauer said. “But it makes a difference by making people who walk down the street stop. And for a street association, when we are in a world of brick and mortar being challenged, to see people stop, and feel like they’ve done something special, that means a lot.”

According to the Asian American Federation, New York City’s Chinese population is the largest Asian ethnic group and the city is home to 82 percent of New York State’s Chinese residents. 

For each Lunar New Year, the city is filled with celebrations not only for the westerns that are not familiar with the traditions, but also for those who can’t make it home for these special days.

Ping Cheng from China hanging up her wish onto a branch of the wishing tree on Madison Avenue. Photo by Shiyu Xu.

“I do this every year with my parents in the temple to make new year wishes,” Ping Cheng from China said. “I’m so happy that I get to do this even when I’m not at home. Especially right now with everything that’s happening, it’s important to have some unifying love and hope in the air.”

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“Out out China out.” “Shame on Xi Jinping.” “Tibet belongs to Tibetans.”

These were just some of the chants repeated by protesters gathered outside the United Nations yesterday to protest the Chinese government.

Protesters objected to the alleged persecution of Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Region of China. Others called for the independence of Tibet from Chinese rule.

Despite heavy rain showers, approximately 100 protesters participated. The protesters included members of the Uyghur, Mongol, Kazakh, Uzbek and Turkish communities.

Ibrahim Osmanjan, 22, of Jersey City, New Jersey, is a member of the Uzbek community who participated in the protest.

“This protest is to peacefully demonstrate our viewpoints on the inhumane acts committed by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Osmanjan.

The protesters claim that the Chinese government is arbitrarily detaining members of these communities in political detention centers in Xinjiang — a province in China’s North West region which includes the area identified by some as East Turkestan.

It is alleged that those in detention are forcibly subjected to political re-education intended to align their views with those of the Chinese government.

Like many of the protesters, Osmanjan said that his family was personally affected by the activities in Xinjiang.

“I have family members being sent to re-education camps,” said Osmanjan.“And some family members which I have no idea of their whereabouts, whether they are alive, serving unlawful prison time, or being forced to abide by the Chinese practices imposed on Uyghurs”.

Salih Hudayar, an East Turkistani man now living in DC, said that he too had been personally impacted by the political detention centers in Xinjiang.

“I personally have over 86 relatives incarcerated in China’s concentration camps in East Turkistan,” said Hudayar.

Hudayar is the International and Political Officer of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement. Hudayar said that his organization collaborated with Students For a Free Tibet and the Turkish American Federation in organizing the protest.

He said that this was one of many protests that his organization has been involved in.

“Our organization has actually been demonstrating in front of the White House for the past three  months,” said Hudayar.

Last month, the Commissioners of the Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC) asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions against various senior Chinese officials.

The CECC, chaired by Senator Marco Rubio, said that sanctions were warranted because the Chinese government is subjecting Muslim ethnic minorities to ‘arbitrary detention, torture and egregious restrictions on religious practice and culture’.

Despite this positive response from Congress, Hudayar said that his organization’s activities have also garnered some negative responses.

“We have been constantly harassed by anonymous individuals online for our activities,” said Hudayar.

The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York could not be reached for comment. The Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the UN did not respond to a request for comment.

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Eighty-one-year-old Liu, or “Grandpa Liu”, as other tenants call him, has been living here for two months. He shares a cubicle with another man and pays $195 per month for rent. For him, moving around is the norm.

“We either don’t speak English, or are undocumented, so we cannot sign leases,” said Liu. “When I first came here, I found a place on Delancey Street, eight of us shared a one-bedroom apartment. I lived there for two years, and then the person who signed the lease was gone. All of us had to move out. It’s like this every time.”

Chinese are the second most undocumented immigrants in the country.

Mae Lee, the executive director of Chinese Progressive Association, said that many of the houses in Chinatown actually don’t have leases because the landlords never offer them one.

Mae Lee, the executive director of Chinese Progressive Association, said that many of the houses in Chinatown actually don’t have leases because the landlords never offer. Photo by Ellie Miao

“There is a language barrier of course, but many of the migrants also don’t know their rights and don’t know about leases. Especially those who are undocumented, they are more vulnerable,” said Lee. “ I’ve heard cases in which the landlords threatened to turn in the undocumented tenants to the government.”
Liu has moved so many times over the years that he couldn’t name every one of them. He remembers living in three places on Broome Street, the longest stay was seven years, and the shortest was two weeks.

“Rent should be one third of your income, that is the national standard of how you can live comfortably. But in Chinatown the rent is roughly the same as the median household income, which is $2700,” said Lee. “For many migrants, Chinatown is the first place where they come to live. They have nothing and they are paid poorly, but there is just not enough affordable housing in here.”

According to the Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center’s research, almost one third of the Chinese in New York City live below the poverty line, many do not speak English and have never finished high school. This contributes to living conditions like at 81 Bowery.

No private bathroom, no kitchen and no stove make daily life very hard in 81 Bowery. Liu only cooks once a day and saves the food in the tiny fridge for the rest of the day.

Liu has lived in New York City for 17 years. He grew up in Southern China’s Fujian Province, which is where most Chinese migrants in New York are from. His son was the first one in the family who immigrated to America, followed by his two daughters. Liu and his ex wife, whom he divorced 35 years ago, were the last to come.

“Seventeen years ago, I was still strong enough to work,” said Liu. “Now I’m too old.”
He worked in a nail salon owned by a guy he knew back in Fujian, until five years ago. Now he has a green card, the government gives him $500 per month’s subsidy.

“I have no family here in New York. My son and daughters are in Connecticut,” said Liu. But he would rather stay in New York than living with them in Connecticut. “They all have their own families now.”
Liu is proud of his families. “My biggest grandson is a college graduate,” he said. “He is an engineer and he makes decent money; unlike me, I’m illiterate, I never went to school.” However, Liu said he hadn’t talked to him for years, not even over the phone.

Liu’s best friend in 81 Bowery is Jiang, a 37-year-old construction worker. Jiang has been here for seven years, and never got married. “I live here because it’s cheap,” said Jiang, “I’m still paying back my stowaway fee to the ‘snakehead’.”

Snakehead refers to the infamous Chinese gangsters in New York City who help people enter America illegally. Most of the money Jiang made over the years has been paid to his snakehead, so he has no savings. He lives in a cubicle by himself and pays $250 per month.

Liu is moving out again in late February, to temporarily stay with his friend in Flushing, Queens before going back to China for a visit. He has no idea where to live when he comes back to New York.

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Lavish signs in all hues of orange, blue, and green adorn Main Street in Flushing, Queens, showcasing homeland favorites like flaky, pan-fried scallion pancakes and luscious pearl milk tea to Chinese movies and books galore. Most of these signs catch the eye not for their colors or designs, but because majority of them are in Chinese.

“It really makes me feel like I’m actually there – in China,” said Rouen, France native Agnes Rousseau, 37, who was visiting New York with her husband and two young daughters. “But it’s extremely overwhelming and a bit intimidating how nearly every sign is structured in the same way with barely any English translations.”

Last August, Councilman Peter Koo urged inspectors with the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to enforce a state law passed in 1993 that would require Flushing businesses to have at least 60 percent of their signs in English or face a fine if they did not comply. The law was originally enacted during the Depression to safeguard shoppers from scams in underground stores.

“Ultimately, these bills will help local businesses expand their customer base, increase revenues and be more consumer friendly,” said Koo in a press release. “Additionally, our police, firemen and emergency responders will be able to easily locate an establishment and ascertain what type of business they will encounter when they arrive.”

Koo’s chief of staff, James McLelland, said the bill is still being discussed in general counsel.

The proposition has divided much of the Asian population. Some dissenters believe English signs would not only “alienate” Chinese customers, especially those who do not speak English and rely on the signs for guidance, but also force immigrants to assimilate to American customs. On the other hand, supporters of the law feel that implementing English is something necessary that would not only generate more revenue by attracting consumers of more diverse backgrounds, but also seems proper to incorporate the dialect that U.S. citizens are required to know.

Flushing resident Yu Zhou, 52, does not want the signs to change. They help her feel connected to her native language and culture.

“My language and culture is all I have here to remind me of what I left behind,” she said . “I feel like I would be giving up a part of me if all the signs were to change.”

Zhou, who came to New York with her daughter and son from Shanghai nearly 20 years ago, said she felt the law “may have good intentions,” but being immersed into “so much English” in a city supposedly renowned for its diversity is upsetting.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Asian Americans constitute about 12 percent of New York City’s population, with those of Chinese origin making up nearly half that number.

Maylei Zhou, 24, Yu’s daughter, has been frequenting Main Street’s Tai Pan Bakery for her daily morning roast pork bun and hot milk tea before her commute to Hunter College, where she is studying nursing. She said the bakery, which caters to a mostly Chinese community, makes her relive the few memories she has left of her childhood back in Shanghai.

Maylei Zhou (center), a Shanghai native who has been living in Flushing for the past 20 years, shops for fruits outside the Ou Jiang Supermarket on the corner of Main Street and 40th Road in Flushing, Queens on Saturday. Photo by Alexa Mae Asperin

“It’s like my little piece of China,” she said. “It gives me a sense of connection to the things we left back home. But for others, the menu, the language, it may seem a bit overwhelming.”

Zhou referenced the predominantly Chinese-language menu at Tai Pan Bakery, where she pointed out the minute English descriptions under the large Chinese lettering of menu items, adding that for those unfamiliar with the Chinese language, deciphering the menu could very much be a daunting endeavor.

A few blocks down south at the Maxin Bakery, which also has a menu much akin to the one in Tai Pan, Mai Ling Chen, 45, said most of the regular customers were of Chinese descent and that tourists rarely frequented the eatery. She said the law, if enforced, would not welcome new customers, but rather discourage some of their current patrons.

“When most people think of Chinatown, they go to Manhattan, not Flushing,” said Chen, of Bayside, Queens. “Most of the people that come in here are Chinese and other Asian customers buying groceries or baked goods on a daily basis, not as a one-time visit.”

The New York City Department of City Planning’s 2000 Census states there are over 122,000 foreign-born residents in Queens Community District 7, which includes cities such as Flushing, College Point, and Bay Terrace. Of that figure, about 32,000 people are from China. Additionally, nearly 35 percent of that population does not speak English; Chinese is the main language spoken in 27,031 homes.

Gary Luo, 55, owner of a small electronics store nearby, agreed with Chen, noting that most of his customers are fellow Chinese consumers, many from his hometown of Beijing. Luo said most of the people that visit his store come in because “they feel comfortable asking questions about technical things with someone they know will not judge or criticize them if their language is a little off.”

Luo, who came to Flushing 22 years ago with his daughter and son, said he struggled learning English but knew it was necessary for him to start his business. He added that he felt it was important for him to know English so he could teach his children.

“It was scary at first when we first came to America, learning something new, but it’s part of being an American,” Luo said. “I feel as a Chinese-American that you need to embrace the English language but remember your roots also. You don’t need to give it all up.”

However, he added that the law does not take into consideration differences between the Chinese and English languages.

“That up there in Chinese means Red House,” Luo said as he pointed to a fluorescent orange sign surrounded by other multicolored placards. “But that’s actually a real estate office.”

Lin Chun, 31, of Flushing, left Changsha, China for New York five years ago to pursue a law degree. She has come to Maxin Bakery every morning for her usual coffee and egg tart, which she said instantly “teleports me to the corner bakery in Changsha.” She felt it was a “shame” that the battle for English signs in Flushing was garnering opposition because “equality is something that should be present everywhere.”

“I am proud of my heritage, my culture, my language,” Chun said. “You see all of that here, but I’m not only Chinese. I’m Chinese-American. And that means the English language is a part of me now, too. It’s only fitting that everyone should get the best of both worlds.”

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