Political Correctness Gone Wild: California Universities Ban the Use of the Term “Chinese Virus”
Jose Nino
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WND reported that diversity officials in the University of California system have prohibited the use of the term “Chinese virus” to refer to the global pandemic that originated in China.
They’ve also instructed faculty, staff, and students to discourage other individuals from using the term as well.
The Council of Chief Diversity Officers issued a statement instructing everyone in the system to “reject racism, sexism, xenophobia and all hateful or intolerant speech, both in person and online.”
“Be an ‘up-stander,’ and discourage others from engaging in such behavior,” the officers stated.
“Do not use terms such as ‘Chinese virus’ or other terms which cast either intentional or unintentional projections of hatred toward Asian communities,” the statement instrument.
It added, “Do not allow the use of these terms by others.”
It also recommended that students “be inclusive and remember that everyone has different circumstances.”
The statement also urges the public to support health-care workers and comply with health agency recommendations for behavior.
In addition, there are a number of recommendations for facilitating online classes and interactions, for example, not allowing criticism of individuals in “casual attire.”
“Remember that people may be operating without resources and access to man material items and services,” the document suggests.
The Daily Wire declared that the university system was “bowing to current political correctness.”
The document directs people to “refer to the virus as either ‘COVID-19’ or ‘coronavirus’ in both oral and written communications.”
It cited resources from the University of California system, including a Joint Statement from the Vice Chancellor – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Interim Vice Chancellor at UC Davis titled “Rejecting Coronavirus Xenophobia.”
That statement said: “A core of our mission at UC Davis Health is, of course, to advance health. Yet, health, privilege and bias are often intertwined. In recent weeks, we have seen an example of this in the alarming rise in bigotry and xenophobia against Asian communities. For many Asians, the racism is not new, but it has been emboldened as Asians are scapegoated for the coronavirus epidemic. This is doubly painful as Chinese communities also bear the weight of most of the lives lost.”
Jerry Kang, vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA also said “you can see why I’m concerned about the use of another name, ‘Wuhan virus,’ which reflects both intellectual laziness and stereotyping.”
“It’s lazy in the sense that there are more precise names for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the disease that it causes, COVID-19. We’re smart enough to learn the proper nomenclature,” he continued.
WND reported last week on two members of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission issuing a rebuttal to their panel’s majority statement warning of “growing anti-Asian racism and xenophobia” in response to the Wuhan virus outbreak.
Commission members Peter Kirsanow and Gail Heriot, who regularly disagree with their fellow’ positions, said they certainly agree that the Wuhan virus “is no excuse for anyone to attack or insult individuals of Asian descent and that when such acts rise to the level of criminal behavior, law enforcement should immediately intervene.”
“But that’s obvious to just about everyone in America,” they stated. “The rare exception is unlikely to read the Commission’s statement, much less be persuaded by it.”
Kirsanow and Heriot disputed the panel’s claim that the relatively small number of incidents cited — which mostly featured children and teenagers misbehaving — indicates there is a growing wave of racially inspired attacks.
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