It is racist to reference the location of the original outbreak of the coronavirus when describing COVID-19, according to Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted out information about the coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, writing, “Everything you need to know about the Chinese coronavirus can be found on one, regularly-updated website.”
Omar took offense to McCarthy’s use of the phrase “Chinese coronavirus.” She responded to his remarks, tweeting, “Viruses don’t have nationalities. This is racist.”
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Viruses don’t have nationalities.
This is racist. https://t.co/edNDoe1LI9
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) March 10, 2020
Many were quick to note that referring to the virus that causes COVID-19 by the geographical region where infections were first reported has not been uncommon in the media. Several prominent news outlets, including CNN, NBC, and NPR have all used the phrase “Wuhan virus” in their reporting.
So much racism. #WuhanVirus pic.twitter.com/hgDFggKXfF
— Mr. Nuclear Cocaine (@MrNukemCocaine) March 10, 2020
The current coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December. Many have criticized the Chinese Communist Party for how it handled the outbreak. Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, suggested that China should face “serious consequences” for how it handled the situation.
Omar was not alone in her fears about the potential for racism against Chinese Americans. Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned that there could be a “rise in racism” toward Asian Americans from those concerned about the virus.
