Advocates noted that singling out a specific group of travelers could potentially start a new wave of anti-Asian hate incidents.
Many of them warn that indiscriminate rhetoric used by officials and public figures could give rise to more anti-Asian discrimination. This type of rhetoric has contributed to anti-Asian sentiment since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Manjusha Kulkarni.
Kulkarni, who is also executive director of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) coalition AAPI Equity Alliance, claimed that “there are many sources of information that drive animosity, but combined, it has the effect of legitimizing the scapegoating of Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans.”
“If we are truly worried about these variants and their spread through travel, then we should consider looking at new masking policies and requiring negative tests for all travelers, no matter where they come from,” she suggested.
