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Jeannie Mai speaks out about the dangers of President Trump and the "Chinese virus"

The Real co-host Jeannie Mai has already encountered racism during the coronavirus pandemic. People left hateful comments on photos that Mai, who’s of Vietnamese and Chinese descent, posted on Instagram. “When I saw those racist comments on my ‘Gram about ‘having the corona’ or ‘my people’ being the cause for this entire disease, I felt so sad, because I knew inside that many thought that,” Mai tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “When you have a direct disease that we hear comes from one country, immediately we place blame, and then when you have a president who confirms it by calling it something, giving it ownership to that, that hurts so bad.” President Trump has been criticized for repeatedly referring to the coronavirus interrupting lives around the world as the “China virus” or even the “Chinese virus.” This week, Trump came out and defended the Asian-American community, just as stories about anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise. Mai says she faced racism growing up, too. She remembers being called slurs, nasty words being spray painted on her family’s car and on their sidewalk. “As a Vietnamese/Chinese woman, one thing that I noticed about that Asian culture, as a whole, is we’re very peaceful people who kind of just stick to ourselves,” she says. “That’s the Asian mantra, and so I don't think people are talking about this enough. I believe that where it can start is when we have conversations with each other.” Mai elaborated on her own story in an essay for People. She asks that others play a part in stopping the hate by calling it out when they see it. “Anybody who’s making racist comments or jokes, especially about Asians when it comes to coronavirus,” Mai says, “Yo, check up, say something. Make somebody feel uncomfortable for a second. Your fear is no excuse to be racist to Asians.”

Video transcript

JEANIE MAI: We have two viruses going on right now. We have the COVID-19 virus, and we also have fearful ignorance.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JEANIE MAI: I felt the need to come out and discuss the racism against Asians right now, especially when our president highlighted it even more by calling the coronavirus the Chinese virus. We all know now that calling it COVID-19 is the technical term for this version of coronavirus. Whenever you call anything that targets a group of people or a race, you're very dangerously creating phobia.

I can't help but know that this is a real thinking out there. I know that this is behind people's heads. They're thinking, yes, the virus came from China. So it has to be because of Chinese people. Yes, the virus came from China, but not all Chinese people are responsible for the virus. What he did, knowingly or unknowingly, is he took a lot of frustrated people who are panicked and gave them somewhere to blame.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JEANIE MAI: So on my Instagram, a couple of times when I posted things with me and my partner, I immediately saw some versions of our pictures edited with coronavirus on it. There was another time I posted a video, a really heartwarming video, of him watching a movie with my mom. and the comments were, you're going to catch that corona. You better mask up. You're too close to them. When I saw those racist comments on my gram about having the corona or my people being the cause for this entire disease, I felt so sad because I knew inside that many thought that. When you have a direct disease that we hear comes from one country, immediately you place blame, and then when you have a president who confirms it by calling it something, giving it ownership to that, that hurt so bad.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JEANIE MAI: You know, racism exists for every group of people, right. We know this. So I'm not going to sit here and say that, you know, one group has suffered more than the other. It's terrible all the way. But growing up, I always got different things. From being called, you know, words like chink or gook and having them spray painted on my family's car or on our sidewalk. As a Vietnamese-Chinese woman, the one thing that I notice about the Asian cultures as a whole is we're very peaceful people who kind of just stick to ourselves. That's the Asian mantra.

And so I don't think people are talking about this enough. I believe that where it can start is when we have conversations with each. If anybody who's making racist comments or jokes especially about Asians when it comes to coronavirus, go check them. Say something. Make somebody feel uncomfortable for a second. Your fear is no excuse to be racist to Asians. This is a time where all the cultures should celebrate. Be present in your conversations. Be present in your text messages, and share with the world what you do in your families because that's what's going to give us hope and to stay together. So we need to see stories from each other and actually connect.