#iamnotavirus

05/21/20
by Staff Writer

Outbreaks of infectious diseases have long inflamed racism and xenophobia in the United States. Fears of the coronavirus have fueled rising anti-Chinese sentiment as a combination of traditional slurs and new terms such as “Kungflu” and “Chinese Virus” conflate the pandemic with ethnic and national identity.

From Koreatown in Los Angeles to Greenwich Village in New York City, Asians have been harassed, pushed, spit upon and attacked under the false assumption that they are to blame. An illustration of this, according to the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, 1.497 bias-based assaults were reported to their hotline in the month of April.

Ogilvy Health and #iamnotavirus have teamed up to raise awareness of this unacceptable behavior via a provocative campaign on social media and beyond.