Anonymous, 18 – West Haven CT

To me, the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a lot about the prominent issues of equality and justice. Beginning with race, I do not think it is right for our country’s leader to be attaching a race to the virus. By calling it the “Chinese Virus” serves as bridge for more racist acts and remarks towards to Asian Americans. More hate crimes towards Asians have been occurring and it is scary to think that my family in the small city of West Haven have experienced it for ourselves. Just one example is that someone purposefully spit on my father’s car in the parking lot. I have been affected directly by this because every time I step out of my house, I don’t feel safe. I feel so much anxiety in public to the point where I’ve sat in my car in the grocery store parking lot for an hour because I dreaded actually going in. I understand that people are scared of getting the virus, but your fear is NOT an excuse for your racism. However, it is not only Asians in America, but black people in China as well. The overall point is that we as a society should not be attaching any particular race to the virus because at the end of the day it is not just one race that causes the virus. 

It also reveals a serious divide between classes. It is no secret that people with low income are feeling the effects of the virus the most. These people often live in smaller apartments with larger families and are more vulnerable because most of them are laborers who have essential work. It is not okay that these people are the most vulnerable, but they are too scared to seek medical attention if they believe they are infected because they know they can’t afford the medical costs. Also, some people in the upper class are protesting to have the country open back up to have our economy running again. Most of the things closed right now are not essential to life and you may want to go to the mall for 30 minutes to buy new clothes, but what about the workers who have to be there all day? They are the ones who are at risk and no one’s life should be worth a 30 minute trip to the mall. No one should have to risk their life so that you can go back to your daily schedule. This just reveals that there is a strong sense of entitlement built into our society that needs to be fixed.

Anonymous, 18 – West Haven, CT

To me, the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a lot about the prominent issues of equality and justice. Beginning with race, I do not think it is right for our country’s leader to be attaching a race to the virus. By calling it the “Chinese Virus” serves as bridge for more racist acts and remarks towards to Asian Americans. More hate crimes towards Asians have been occurring and it is scary to think that my family in the small city of West Haven have experienced it for ourselves. Just one example is that someone purposefully spit on my father’s car in the parking lot. I have been affected directly by this because every time I step out of my house, I don’t feel safe. I feel so much anxiety in public to the point where I’ve sat in my car in the grocery store parking lot for an hour because I dreaded actually going in. I understand that people are scared of getting the virus, but your fear is NOT an excuse for your racism. However, it is not only Asians in America, but black people in China as well. The overall point is that we as a society should not be attaching any particular race to the virus because at the end of the day it is not just one race that causes the virus. 

It also reveals a serious divide between classes. It is no secret that people with low income are feeling the effects of the virus the most. These people often live in smaller apartments with larger families and are more vulnerable because most of them are laborers who have essential work. It is not okay that these people are the most vulnerable, but they are too scared to seek medical attention if they believe they are infected because they know they can’t afford the medical costs. Also, some people in the upper class are protesting to have the country open back up to have our economy running again. Most of the things closed right now are not essential to life and you may want to go to the mall for 30 minutes to buy new clothes, but what about the workers who have to be there all day? They are the ones who are at risk and no one’s life should be worth a 30 minute trip to the mall. No one should have to risk their life so that you can go back to your daily schedule. This just reveals that there is a strong sense of entitlement built into our society that needs to be fixed.