After The Quarantine – Weeks 1&2

After The Quarantine – Weeks 1&2

     My last post was on March 27 so its been about two weeks since then and everyday is an adventure for sure. I definitely feel like I have survived the quarantine and now I am just living life #AfterTheQuarantine

     Shanghai is sloooooooooowly making its way back to normal, or a new normal. Teachers are not back in school yet, though some schools have start dates coming at the end of April, but many other professionals are back to work.

     Restaurants are open. Stores and malls are open. The metro is running. There are still temperature checks before entering places and we still need to wear masks when we are out and about. It feels like things are back to normal, but there is still much work to be done. And a lot of that work is in the area of racism and xenophobia.

     Living in China has given foreigners and expats new experiences, new opportunities, the chance to be students and teachers on an international level, and the chance to live and travel while abroad. Many of us love it and at the same time many of us expats in China have some awful experiences.

     Currently Africans in China are dealing with awful racism and xenophobia and its awful. They are being targeted because there is a thought, they could be the ones spreading coronavirus. Individuals who are here legally are forcibly being removed from their homes, some are being re-quarantined, and many are homeless. They are being retested and given extra tests. People are cold, hungry, and living outside of their homes. It’s all awful. This is all happening in the Guangdong Province of China, in Guangzhou. Individuals I know who live there are scared, they aren’t leaving their homes, and they are having very limited movements. THIS IS REAL.

     Africans are being targeted. This is very true. There was a sign at a McDonald’s that said they wouldn’t serve any “Africans or anyone who looked like a black” for the safety and health of others. This is wrong on so many levels. On an international-business level China wants to of course show that they have good relationships with Africa/Africans. On a personal, day to day-social level – it is very different. The racism is real. The discrimination is real. It is done right to your face.

I’m safe. I have been the entire time this pandemic has been happening and I have been thankful for that. My movements aren’t limited, and I have been able to access supermarkets, banks, malls, and restaurants. I haven’t experienced what is happening in Guangzhou in Shanghai (and it doesn’t mean that it couldn’t happen here), but I feel deeply for everyone who is dealing with this. I just wanted to share this information that you may not normally see or read about. It is real. It is happening. It is not okay.

May we all take what is happening very seriously. Stay inside. Order what you can and only go out when it is a necessity. The world is sick, and the world needs to heal. My faith has kept me rooted and grounded this entire time, but what’s happening now angers me.

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I’m sharing a few articles of some things that are happening here in China. Though I have not experienced this myself I know it’s happening, and I know that its real. It breaks my heart that this is a current reality. I hope the links to these articles works for you. If not you can do some Google searching.

UNITY IS THE WAY IN TRYING TIMES:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/n0W5LNXqR-lh31kfTh_y1w

REALITY OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN GUANGZHOU”

http://www.52hrtt.com/webservicepage_getInformationPage.do?id=D1586342147498&areaId=H1571138291902&behaviorSource=4&languageId=2&flag=1&from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0

AFRICANS IN CHINA FACING RACISM AMIDST SECOND WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS

https://www.essence.com/news/china-xenophobia-africans-coronavirus/?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0

WHY ARE AFRICANS IN CHINA BEING TARGETED? (24 MINUTES)

https://youtu.be/yqEFMYVLWgo  ^I watched this entire interview and Victor really denied and avoided the questions he was asked. I know for fact that what is happening is real. People are really struggling, and they are not being treated like “brothers and sisters” as Victor claims^

#COVID19 #AfterTheQuarantine #StayingSafe #WashYourHands #AvoidLargeGroups #livingafterthevirus #2020CoronaVirus #WearYourMask #BeHealthy #racism #xenophobia #guangzhou #china #China #Guangzhou #LittleAfricaInChina #ChinasChocolateCity

I am very thankful that through all of this the expat community here has been able to support the individuals who have been targeted and displaced from their homes. This is all sad, it angers me, and I wish people would just be better. But, sometimes, humans, are very awful and disappointing.

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What a time to be alive! I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! I sure am 

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*