On April 6th, 2020, Yuexiu posted an alert to their residents living within the Guangzhou district.
“…some specific groups of people will be targeted for testing during this period of time”
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079497/us-warns-african-americans-avoid-guangzhou-after-reports-black
After the lock-down on “Little Africa”, a nickname given to the city due to its high population of African immigrants, it wasn’t long before Guangzhou decided to take immoral precautions on the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19.
African residents have been feeling a different type of feverish heat from their alleged allies during this battle against the spread of COVID-19. The fear that this pandemic has created comes second to the fear China is inflicting on those with darker skin. So far, many Africans who live in China have been faced with homelessness, random COVID-19 testings that lead to forced quarantines, and restrictions from entering Chinese businesses. Due to the color of their skin, residents are being faced with maltreatment and have suffered greatly from it. Those that have been forced into quarantine find themselves sleeping on the streets upon release. Hotels, apartments, and restaurants refuse to provide services. Supplies and employment opportunities have completely disappeared and are no longer offered to those who look different. The blame has been forcefully placed on African residents due to miscommunication and manipulation.
Data reveals that “ -among all foreign cases identified in Guangzhou, 76 percent have been from African countries, including 36 percent from Nigeria alone”, and there for is the reason as to why many in China believe Africans are the cause for this mass spread. However, if we take a closer look into the past relationships between China and Africa, one suggests there is a deeper and darker reasoning behind this absurd culpability.
The aggression towards Africans has been present even before COVID-19 came along – increasing the tension and resulting in racial discrimination. Many manifestations within China that involve people with darker skin, have been presented negatively for years. In 2016, a Qiaobi cleaning liquid aired a commercial that displayed an Asian woman washing away the ‘dirt’ off a black man in order to obtain a pristine Asian. In 2017, a Chinese museum released a collection of artworks labeled “This Is Africa” that displayed Africans being compared to animals. In 2018, China’s CCTV Spring Festival Gala presented a “Celebrate Together” skit that included blackface. The list of cruel representations goes on, but they remain hidden within the shadow that this pandemic has left on the world.
Has China manipulated the true reason as to why this virus has spread by using COVID-19 as a tool in overpowering the Africans that live within their country?
