There has been a ton of unrest lately due to the Coronavirus. Simply put, people are scared and it is starting to bring out the best and worst in us. The Coronavirus began spreading in China back in December and many have used this as an opportunity to be racist towards Chinese people which is 100 percent wrong. At this point, putting the blame on anyone is both xenophobic and gets us nowhere closer to a cure. Despite this, President Donald Trump continues to refer to the disease as the “Chinese Virus.”

Chinese-American basketball star Jeremy Lin has taken exception to this and recently got on Twitter to blast the President for his reckless words. As Lin explains, numerous Chinese people are being attacked because people are scared that they are carriers. Of course, these fears aren’t based in reality but with Trump’s rhetoric, the fears have been exacerbated. 

“And I dont wanna hear about no German measles/Spanish flu bc everyday Asian-Americans inc ppl I know are threatened and physically attacked. I dont give a crap about the history of names rn. What I do know is this subtle anti-Chinese message only empowers more hate towards asians,” Lin explained.

Many of Lin’s followers didn’t agree with his sentiments while others sympathized with the NBA champion. Regardless, it’s clear that we are better off coming together in this time of need.