Rationalizing Racism: On Naming COVID-19 the ‘Chinese Virus’
If You Insist on Tying it to the Chinese People, You Just May Be a Racist
President Donald Trump and his supporters’ insistence on naming the current Coronavirus outbreak the Chinese or Wuhan Virus is having real-world consequences. As I wrote a few days ago, this is not just a theoretical complaint. It is not just some snowflake-liberal overreaction. People are being put in danger because the president, Republicans in Congress, and Trump’s followers insist on disregarding World Health Organization naming conventions for viral outbreaks and linking COVID-19 to the Chinese.