Jennifer Su
Introduction:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light cultural differences of wearing masks in public. Civilians in East Asian countries habitually wear masks for a variety of reasons: to protect others from their illness, as a precaution to avoid contracting disease, to avoid inhaling pollutants, or even for cosmetics and fashion. Therefore, it is a normal sight to see people wearing masks on the streets. On the other hand, you normally wouldn’t see individuals wearing masks in public in Western countries. This has created a stigma, as people assume that individuals wearing masks must be contagious or ill. Due to these cultural differences, there were multiple documentations of hate crimes and racist acts towards Asians that wore masks in public during the early stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (Yu, 2020).
Paragraph 1: Why do Asians wear masks in public?
Perhaps this habit stems from the 2002 SARS outbreak and 2006 bird flu panic, where masks were suggested by the government in East Asian countries as a protective measure against the viruses (Yang, 2014). People continued to wear masks as a precautionary measure, and it became normalized in society to the point that you can buy boxes of masks in just about every grocery store and find patterned mask covers sold on street stalls. Another possible factor is the fact that many Asian cities are densely populated, resulting in high levels of pollution. To avoid inhaling pollutants from car exhaust, many people have no choice but to wear masks while they are outdoors. Masks are also worn for non-health reasons, as the younger generation often wear masks to cover imperfections or as part of their outfit. For decades, their government has urged people to wear masks as a precautionary measure, protecting others while also protecting themselves (Jennings, 2020).
Paragraph 2: Why don’t Americans wear masks in public?
On the other hand, western countries such as the United States do not recommend a healthy individual to wear masks. Until recently, the World Health Organization, the U.S. government, and Center for Disease Control (CDC) had urged citizens to not wear face masks for a variety of reasons (Buchwald, 2020). First, they believed that surgical masks are ineffective against a virus, and improper usage may actually increase the risk of contracting the virus. In January, the director of the CDC, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, expressed that the virus is not spreading to the general public and that they do not recommend masks against a respiratory disease. Second, they feared that the public would frantically hoard medical grade masks, which are needed for front line workers. Since the U.S. orders over 90% of personal protective equipment overseas, there is already a shortage due to the global impact of the virus (Zhao et al., 2020). With the already twiddling stockpile, healthy civilians buying face masks would leave medical staff and immunosuppressed patients vulnerable. The effectiveness of masks against viruses is yet to be scientifically proven, since such a study would be unethical. Nonetheless, in early April, the CDC and the U.S. government revised their recommendations (Yam, 2020). While the general public is still discouraged from ordering medical grade masks such as N95 respirators, they now encourage civilians to use cloth face coverings. In fact, in many cities and counties, you will now be fined if you do not wear a mask in public (Solomon, 2020). This revision was made due to the fact that infected individuals may be asymptomatic, meaning that they could still spread the disease even before they show symptoms.
Paragraph 3: Current events due to the stigma of wearing masks
This new recommendation brings forth new concerns. Before, there were multiple cases of assault against Asian mask wearers. Many were faced with stares and racial slurs, and some even suffered from physical abuse. For example, a video surfaced February 4th on Twitter of a Chinese woman wearing a mask getting verbally and physically assaulted in the New York subway. She was allegedly punched, kicked, and called “diseased” by the assailant, and many similar cases have since been reported (Li, 2020). While the new enforcement of mask wearing should reduce this stigma, it has brought to light a new concern regarding racism towards colored men (Taylor, 2020). Racial profiling has been a prominent issue in America long before the pandemic, and some African American men have expressed concern that covering their faces may result in unjust harrassement from the police. There has also been a lot of violent confrontations regarding this new enforcement; a security guard of a store in Michigan was fatally shot for asking a woman to oblige with the mask wearing policy (Hutchinson, 2020).
Conclusion:
Both Eastern Asian and Western countries have good intentions when it comes to the topic of mask wearing; it comes down to cultural and historical differences. East Asian governments weren’t wrong for encouraging mask wearing as a precaution to protect civilians as they have done in the past during the SARS outbreak. Western governments meant well when they reserved medical masks for healthcare workers and patients, given the shortage of personal protective equipment. However, it is the racist treatment of Asian mask wearers in Western countries that was wrong, revealing how racial profiling and stigmatism is still very prevalent. While you are entitled to your own beliefs, please do not ridicule or harass others for having different habits. As of April, the CDC recommends everyone to wear a cloth face covering when in public, in addition to social distancing. With the critical shortage of medical grade masks, please reserve those for healthcare workers. Visit the CDC website to learn more about proper mask usage and directions for making your own mask at home (CDC, 2020).
Sources:
Buchwald, Elisabeth. “U.S. Health Officials Say Americans Shouldn't Wear Face Masks to Prevent Coronavirus - Here Are 3 Other Reasons Not to Wear Them.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 2 Mar. 2020, www.marketwatch.com/story/the-cdc-says-americans-dont-have-to-wear-facemasks-because-of-coronavirus-2020-01-30.
Hutchinson, Bill. “'Incomprehensible': Confrontations over Masks Erupt amid COVID-19 Crisis.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 7 May 2020, 3:58 AM, abcnews.go.com/US/incomprehensible-confrontations-masks-erupt-amid-covid-19-crisis/story?id=70494577.
Jennings, Ralph. “Not Just Coronavirus: Asians Have Worn Face Masks for Decades.” Voice of America, VOA News, 11 Mar. 2020, 7:44 AM, www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/not-just-coronavirus-asians-have-worn-face-masks-decades.
Li, David K. “Coronavirus Hate Attack: Woman in Face Mask Allegedly Assaulted by Man Who Calls Her 'Diseased'.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Feb. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-hate-attack-woman-face-mask-allegedly-assaulted-man-who-n1130671.
“Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html.
Solomon, Samantha. “No Face Covering or Mask? You Could Be Fined in These California Cities.” abc10, KXTV-TV, 13 Apr. 2020, www.abc10.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/no-face-covering-mask-you-could-be-fined-in-these-california-cities/103-823596aa-9fac-4dbc-8337-acb599b756d1.
Taylor, Derrick Bryson. “For Black Men, Fear That Masks Will Invite Racial Profiling.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-masks-racism-african-americans.html.
Yam, Shui-yin Sharon. “Coronavirus: Masks Reveal Racism, Cultural Differences and Gov't Incompetence.” Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Wordpress, 16 Apr. 2020, hongkongfp.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-masks-reveal-racism-cultural-differences-and-govt-incompetence/.
Yang, Jeff. “A Quick History of Why Asians Wear Surgical Masks in Public.” Quartz, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2020, qz.com/299003/a-quick-history-of-why-asians-wear-surgical-masks-in-public/.
Yu, Gina. “Racism Against Asian Mask Wearers Is Rising. It Hurts Everyone.” OZY, OYZ, 10 Apr. 2020, www.ozy.com/news-and-politics/racism-against-asian-mask-wearers-is-rising-too-it-hurts-everyone/301935/.
Zhou, Marrian, et al. “Asians in US Torn between Safety and Stigma over Face Masks.” Nikkei Asian Review, Nikkei Asian Review, 14 Mar. 2020, asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Asians-in-US-torn-between-safety-and-stigma-over-face-masks.
“3-Ply Disposable Face Mask.” Mymedic.com, mymedic.com/products/3-ply-disposable-face-mask.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light cultural differences of wearing masks in public. Civilians in East Asian countries habitually wear masks for a variety of reasons: to protect others from their illness, as a precaution to avoid contracting disease, to avoid inhaling pollutants, or even for cosmetics and fashion. Therefore, it is a normal sight to see people wearing masks on the streets. On the other hand, you normally wouldn’t see individuals wearing masks in public in Western countries. This has created a stigma, as people assume that individuals wearing masks must be contagious or ill. Due to these cultural differences, there were multiple documentations of hate crimes and racist acts towards Asians that wore masks in public during the early stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (Yu, 2020).
Paragraph 1: Why do Asians wear masks in public?
Perhaps this habit stems from the 2002 SARS outbreak and 2006 bird flu panic, where masks were suggested by the government in East Asian countries as a protective measure against the viruses (Yang, 2014). People continued to wear masks as a precautionary measure, and it became normalized in society to the point that you can buy boxes of masks in just about every grocery store and find patterned mask covers sold on street stalls. Another possible factor is the fact that many Asian cities are densely populated, resulting in high levels of pollution. To avoid inhaling pollutants from car exhaust, many people have no choice but to wear masks while they are outdoors. Masks are also worn for non-health reasons, as the younger generation often wear masks to cover imperfections or as part of their outfit. For decades, their government has urged people to wear masks as a precautionary measure, protecting others while also protecting themselves (Jennings, 2020).
Paragraph 2: Why don’t Americans wear masks in public?
On the other hand, western countries such as the United States do not recommend a healthy individual to wear masks. Until recently, the World Health Organization, the U.S. government, and Center for Disease Control (CDC) had urged citizens to not wear face masks for a variety of reasons (Buchwald, 2020). First, they believed that surgical masks are ineffective against a virus, and improper usage may actually increase the risk of contracting the virus. In January, the director of the CDC, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, expressed that the virus is not spreading to the general public and that they do not recommend masks against a respiratory disease. Second, they feared that the public would frantically hoard medical grade masks, which are needed for front line workers. Since the U.S. orders over 90% of personal protective equipment overseas, there is already a shortage due to the global impact of the virus (Zhao et al., 2020). With the already twiddling stockpile, healthy civilians buying face masks would leave medical staff and immunosuppressed patients vulnerable. The effectiveness of masks against viruses is yet to be scientifically proven, since such a study would be unethical. Nonetheless, in early April, the CDC and the U.S. government revised their recommendations (Yam, 2020). While the general public is still discouraged from ordering medical grade masks such as N95 respirators, they now encourage civilians to use cloth face coverings. In fact, in many cities and counties, you will now be fined if you do not wear a mask in public (Solomon, 2020). This revision was made due to the fact that infected individuals may be asymptomatic, meaning that they could still spread the disease even before they show symptoms.
Paragraph 3: Current events due to the stigma of wearing masks
This new recommendation brings forth new concerns. Before, there were multiple cases of assault against Asian mask wearers. Many were faced with stares and racial slurs, and some even suffered from physical abuse. For example, a video surfaced February 4th on Twitter of a Chinese woman wearing a mask getting verbally and physically assaulted in the New York subway. She was allegedly punched, kicked, and called “diseased” by the assailant, and many similar cases have since been reported (Li, 2020). While the new enforcement of mask wearing should reduce this stigma, it has brought to light a new concern regarding racism towards colored men (Taylor, 2020). Racial profiling has been a prominent issue in America long before the pandemic, and some African American men have expressed concern that covering their faces may result in unjust harrassement from the police. There has also been a lot of violent confrontations regarding this new enforcement; a security guard of a store in Michigan was fatally shot for asking a woman to oblige with the mask wearing policy (Hutchinson, 2020).
Conclusion:
Both Eastern Asian and Western countries have good intentions when it comes to the topic of mask wearing; it comes down to cultural and historical differences. East Asian governments weren’t wrong for encouraging mask wearing as a precaution to protect civilians as they have done in the past during the SARS outbreak. Western governments meant well when they reserved medical masks for healthcare workers and patients, given the shortage of personal protective equipment. However, it is the racist treatment of Asian mask wearers in Western countries that was wrong, revealing how racial profiling and stigmatism is still very prevalent. While you are entitled to your own beliefs, please do not ridicule or harass others for having different habits. As of April, the CDC recommends everyone to wear a cloth face covering when in public, in addition to social distancing. With the critical shortage of medical grade masks, please reserve those for healthcare workers. Visit the CDC website to learn more about proper mask usage and directions for making your own mask at home (CDC, 2020).
Sources:
Buchwald, Elisabeth. “U.S. Health Officials Say Americans Shouldn't Wear Face Masks to Prevent Coronavirus - Here Are 3 Other Reasons Not to Wear Them.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 2 Mar. 2020, www.marketwatch.com/story/the-cdc-says-americans-dont-have-to-wear-facemasks-because-of-coronavirus-2020-01-30.
Hutchinson, Bill. “'Incomprehensible': Confrontations over Masks Erupt amid COVID-19 Crisis.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 7 May 2020, 3:58 AM, abcnews.go.com/US/incomprehensible-confrontations-masks-erupt-amid-covid-19-crisis/story?id=70494577.
Jennings, Ralph. “Not Just Coronavirus: Asians Have Worn Face Masks for Decades.” Voice of America, VOA News, 11 Mar. 2020, 7:44 AM, www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/not-just-coronavirus-asians-have-worn-face-masks-decades.
Li, David K. “Coronavirus Hate Attack: Woman in Face Mask Allegedly Assaulted by Man Who Calls Her 'Diseased'.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Feb. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-hate-attack-woman-face-mask-allegedly-assaulted-man-who-n1130671.
“Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Apr. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html.
Solomon, Samantha. “No Face Covering or Mask? You Could Be Fined in These California Cities.” abc10, KXTV-TV, 13 Apr. 2020, www.abc10.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/no-face-covering-mask-you-could-be-fined-in-these-california-cities/103-823596aa-9fac-4dbc-8337-acb599b756d1.
Taylor, Derrick Bryson. “For Black Men, Fear That Masks Will Invite Racial Profiling.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-masks-racism-african-americans.html.
Yam, Shui-yin Sharon. “Coronavirus: Masks Reveal Racism, Cultural Differences and Gov't Incompetence.” Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, Wordpress, 16 Apr. 2020, hongkongfp.com/2020/04/18/coronavirus-masks-reveal-racism-cultural-differences-and-govt-incompetence/.
Yang, Jeff. “A Quick History of Why Asians Wear Surgical Masks in Public.” Quartz, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2020, qz.com/299003/a-quick-history-of-why-asians-wear-surgical-masks-in-public/.
Yu, Gina. “Racism Against Asian Mask Wearers Is Rising. It Hurts Everyone.” OZY, OYZ, 10 Apr. 2020, www.ozy.com/news-and-politics/racism-against-asian-mask-wearers-is-rising-too-it-hurts-everyone/301935/.
Zhou, Marrian, et al. “Asians in US Torn between Safety and Stigma over Face Masks.” Nikkei Asian Review, Nikkei Asian Review, 14 Mar. 2020, asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Asians-in-US-torn-between-safety-and-stigma-over-face-masks.
“3-Ply Disposable Face Mask.” Mymedic.com, mymedic.com/products/3-ply-disposable-face-mask.
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