Coronavirus fears in Pacific NW lead to rise in anti-Asian racism
Asian Americans in Seattle and elsewhere say they are increasingly being harassed and blamed for the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asian Americans in Seattle were ringing the alarm about the potential for widespread discrimination resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, well before the virus turned deadly in King County.
The nonprofit Asian Counseling and Referral Service sent out a warning after Washington’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed Jan. 21, noting that “immigrant and refugee community leaders and organizations have noticed an alarming increase in bias and harassment against our Asian American communities.”
