By Evelyn Uddin-khan

Asia is a continent with 48 countries and 4.7 billion people with thousands of different skin colors. People from all the world religions live in Asia.

My neighbors are from China. Since the start of the pandemic, I have witnessed their suffering and discomfort and their struggles to survive. It hasn’t been the pandemic, but the racism, hate, bigotry and prejudice directed their way.

The present treatment of my Chinese neighbors made me rethink American history and the European Americans and their mind-set of “white” is superior and all others inferior. Let’s put European American hate and racism in perspective.

According to American history, the Europeans who began arriving on the shores of this continent were fleeing religious and political persecution and poverty. We know about the European persecution and extermination of the native tribes, which began circa 1620.

Fast forward to 2020. A pandemic breaks out in China. According to scientists, pandemic germs come from rats, birds, apes, bats and other animals and sources in nature. Recall bird flu? Foot and mouth disease? Well, China was accused of manufacturing this pandemic germ in a lab. As of this date there is no proof that this is true.

Let’s look at the way some Americans reacted to Chinese Americans and the pandemic. Chinese Americans were being blamed for this world pandemic. Since this in not true, are European Americans using this pandemic as an opportunity to continue their persecution against people who do not look like them, follow their religion or subscribe to their values?

Let’s look at the history of Chinese Americans in the U.S. They, like every other immigrant group, come to the U.S. of A looking for a better life. They live two or three or four families in the same house or apartment to save money. They accept menial jobs and work seven days per week. Their first priority is to educate their children.

Chinese Americans and all Asians believe that education is the stairway to prosperity and respect. Education is the ladder you climb to get out of the gutter. The proof is in the hospitals from coast to coast. They are engineers and scientists, from the space center to Silicon Valley. Asians are in universities and schools teaching American children.

They buy homes, open shops and restaurants and do not accept handouts.

How many Chinese Americans are on welfare? How many European Americans are on welfare?

The Chinese have been on the European American chopping block since before 1882, when President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act. Isn’t it time European American accept the fact that this is 2021, not 1621, and the world has changed. Today, 400 years later, European Americans are still trying to dispose of people who do not look like them. In 1620, it was the native tribes. In 2020, it is the Asians and Africans. 

Why can’t we live and let live?

European Americans claim that this is a Christian and religious country. They believe in God and all that good stuff. My Chinese neighbors also are Christians and go to church every Sunday.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who was born in the Middle East and who was probably more brown than white would be very upset and disappointed in the closed mindedness of the Christian population of today.

Let’s again read the Holy Bible and mark the pages that describe hate, persecution, bigotry and re-read the sermon on the mount. Throw in the Ten Commandments and perhaps we can remake ourselves‚ heart and soul.

And let’s leave the Chinese Americans to live in peace. I love Chinese food. I don’t know about you.

Evelyn Uddin-khan lives in Salisbury.