COVID-19: your voices against stigma and discrimination

"Uh, you have Corona!"

"At school, someone made a "joke": "Uh, you have Corona!" Even though it was meant to be "fun" and just a "joke", I found it to be racism. An elderly woman looked at me intensely in the Munich subway. Shortly thereafter, she pulled her scarf to protect her mouth and nose and quickly passed me.

I was having dinner with my brother and on the way home, towards the subway, two young people shouted at us: "Corona!" In two out of three cases, I made people aware that they had made racist comments and should stop doing so in the future. What remained in me after these three encounters was a bitter aftertaste. When I'm in public, I feel watched and uncomfortable. On the train, I have the feeling that nobody wants to sit with me because of my Asian descent. A constant feeling of malaise, exclusion and anger accompanies me.

Even stronger is the desire to speak out against it publicly and my zest for action: in times like these, people should inform and educate themselves. Don't believe everything in the mainstream media. Show yourself friendly and in solidarity.

Take care of yourself and stay at home for the benefit of society and above all the risk groups! My experiences are just a few of many. In discussions with Asian family members and friends, it became clear that racism against Asians is a common problem in times of Covid-19. We cannot allow that as a democratic society." Claudia, 18, Germany.