McDonald’s In China Bans ONLY BLACK People During Coronavirus Pandemic
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A McDonald’s in China was temporarily closed after it banned black people from entering the restaurant. This news comes amidst reports of other discrimination against Africans in the city of Guangzhou during the coronavirus pandemic.
After video of the restaurant’s policy circulated on social media, McDonald’s put out a statement. The company said the ban was “not representative of our inclusive values,” and that it had conducted “diversity and inclusion” training at the restaurant.
McDonald’s In China Bans Black People
According to the BBC, a notice in a McDonald’s restaurant in Guangzhou read, “We’ve been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant.” It’s just one example of discrimination against the city’s African population.
Following rumors that coronavirus was spreading among Africans, hundreds of African residents were reportedly evicted from their hotels and apartments in Guangzhou. CNN reports that Guangzhou has the largest African community in China.
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The government of the Guangdong Province responded to claims of discrimination by saying it places “great importance to some African countries’ concerns and is working promptly to improve” the situation.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s said in a statement, “Immediately upon learning of an unauthorized communication to our guests at a restaurant in Guangzhou, we immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant.”
Asian Americans Face Discrimination Over Coronavirus
The coronavirus doesn’t discriminate based on race. Unfortunately, this fact hasn’t stopped humans from discriminating against each other during the pandemic. In the United States, many Asian Americans have experienced hateful remarks and even violence.
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In its first week of operation last month, the online reporting tool Stop AAPI Hate received more than 650 reports of discrimination, mostly against Asian Americans. NBC News reports that some people have been told to leave stores, or had Uber or Lyft drivers refuse to pick them up.
In the worst case scenarios, some Asian people have been physically attacked. In March, a man stabbed a family at a Sam’s Club in Texas “because he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus.”
“It is important to remember,” reads a notice on the CDC website, “that people – including those of Asian descent – who do not live in or have not recently been in an area of ongoing spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, or have not been in contact with a person who is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 are not at greater risk of spreading COVID-19 than other Americans.”
