QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENT LEE CONDEMNS THE TERM “CHINESE VIRUS”

USANEWSONLINE.COM DESK, QUEENS, NY – Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee — the first borough president of Asian descent in the City of New York — stated the following in response to questions about the racist term “Chinese Virus” when referencing COVID-19:

“‘Chinese virus’ is a deeply consequential misnomer. COVID-19 gives no one license to target, harass or assault anyone, but the term ‘Chinese virus’ provokes exactly that. It emboldens the discrimination, harassment and targeting of many Americans. Calling it a ‘Chinese virus’ instead of the accurate term ‘COVID-19’ inflames racism, empowers sinophobia, and resurrects ‘yellow peril’ perceptions that endanger Americans, including American citizens like myself. This is a shared war against a pandemic, and as we all race together to stem the tide of COVID-19, triggering a war of words is the absolute last thing we need. This virus does not discriminate, and as fellow Americans, neither should we.” Press Release.