Coronavirus: Karen O criticises likes of Trump for refences to ‘Chinese virus’

‘Let’s call it what it is, a global pandemic,’ says singer

Karen O on 1 March 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for YO! MY SAINT WUTI Event)

Karen O is speaking out against people such as Donald Trump who refer to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus”.

The singer, whose mother is Korean, broached the topic in a recent Instagram post.

“As a member of the Asian American community I stand behind Asians around the world who are experiencing racism in the wake of the coronavirus,” she wrote.

“And hatred and violence are only encouraged when people in positions of power refer to it as the ‘Chinese Virus.’

“Let’s call it what it is, a global pandemic, and let’s unify in support of our @phenomenal Asian community when others in leadership are unwilling to do so.”

She added: “Be kind, wash your hands, and stay strong.”

Karen O accompanied her post with a video of herself wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “phenomenally Asian”.

Her words are derived from a previous post shared by the Instagram account of the Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign, a clothing brand whose net proceeds benefit several non-profits.

“Phenomenally Asian” T-shirts have been on sale for a while, but the brand promoted them again amid racism tied to the ongoing pandemic.

Trump has faced criticism for repeatedly calling the novel coronavirus the “Chinese virus”.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has faced similar backlash after referring to the “Wuhan virus”.

Asian Americans have shared stories of racist encounters linked to the virus since January, when the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in the US.