Via Yle Uutiset: Coronavirus discrimination targets Asians in Finland. Excerpt:
Asians in Finland have reported instances of discrimination prompted by the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. Four people with Asian backgrounds in Finland have told Yle that they have been subjected to racist treatment since news broke about the virus.
One Chinese woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, related how one individual on a bike dubbed her "coronavirus".
For her part, China-born Diana[not her real name] said that she now prefers to work remotely rather than commute to the office, because she's afraid that if she coughs it will send the entire bus into a panic. She added that at daycare, one of her colleague's children was called "a Chinese virus".
Rebekka Mikkola, vice president of the Chinese Friendship Association, said that in a closed discussion group for members, some parents have raised instances in which Chinese-background children have been bullied because of the virus.
"The parents have been told to contact their teachers and to have a chat with them to bring the situation under control. The children at least understand that this disease is not related to any [one] race of culture," Mikkola commented, adding that she had heard of other instances of unwelcome attention such as unfriendly stares directed at Asian people on the metro, while shopping or in coffee shops.
Friend's mother barred Asian acquaintance
Bi[not her real name], who moved to the Helsinki region from Vietnam, said that she receives more attention than usual because of her appearance since coronavirus has hit the headlines.
"Using a face mask in a completely normal way is now seen as really bad and suspicious," she added.
Bi also related that on one commuter train, her friend was called "a Chinese disease" and was also told that she was not welcome in Finland.
Meanwhile Diana said that her most unpleasant experience did not occur on public transportation or in a public space. She spoke of a Finnish friend whose mother forbade her from meeting Diana and from eating at Chinese restaurants.
"My friend first mentioned it as a joke, but afterwards it was painful when I realised that her mother was serious when she blocked her [from seeing me]," Diana added.
Unnecessary attention paid to Asians
One Japanese exchange student in Helsinki said that during one weekend incident, she believed that people were avoiding her on the train because of her appearance.
"On the train I met a person who seemed shocked when they saw my face and didn’t want to sit opposite me. I’d never experienced anything like that before the fear related to the spread of coronavirus," she noted.
Diana said that she is worried about the situation. "It feels like we are being more closely watched than before just because of the colour of our skin," she declared.
