简体中文
Against the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, Germany has witnessed a rise in racist acts and slurs against people of Asian origin. Responses to such incidents and to racial discrimination and misinformation have been equally vehement.
In Germany, several YouTubers have recently published videos calling on people to come to their senses and help end racism, eliciting a wave of likes and supportive reactions.
ONLINE CAMPAIGN
German vlogger (YouTube content creator) Tobi Dominiczak is urging people in a video to promote on social media the "I am China" hashtag with the message that Chinese people, or Asians in general, must not be stigmatized because of the coronavirus.
The video was spreading fast and people from all over the world have sent their relevant anti-racist clips to Dominiczak.
In his home office in Germany's southwestern city of Reutlingen, Dominiczak has already compiled and published two episodes from these clips.
"From social media and from friends, I have received numerous examples for words and acts of racism. No doubt these are wrong. So I decided to make a video to send my message, calling for rational acts," Dominiczak said in an interview with Xinhua.
"In these times, in this crisis, we are equal, we are all Chinese," Dominiczak said.
A father of two, he said he hoped the younger generations will learn not to tolerate racism in any form.
Dominiczak said that in his opinion China has bought time for the rest of the world in the fight against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"Massive protective measures have been taken. In a record-breaking time they erected hospitals to take care of the infected. Travel and trade were strictly controled and people stayed at home to protect their families," Dominiczak said. "The Chinese people have done all they could to prevent the global spread of the virus."
HUMOR
Thomas Derksen, or "Afu" (happiness in Chinese) as he calls himself, is a German who has been living in Shanghai for several years. He also uploaded a video on YouTube asking people to refrain from racism.
In his English-language video entitled "Don't isolate CHINA, isolate the VIRUS,", Derksen, in a humorous way, shared his experiences staying at home in quarantine.
He encouraged his viewers to "take a break once in a while and do nothing," "make full use of the time at home to exercise body and mind" and "to be with your family."
He said he was ashamed of the humiliating acts and comments many of his Asian friends have had to endure.
"Please stop insulting the Chinese and Asian people around you. If you cannot help China directly, just be a good friend for the people affected by this situation," Derksen said.
MELODY
In a small high-school classroom in Burggymnasium Essen in western Germany, a local choir recorded and released on social media the Chinese song "Let the world be filled with love" to cheer up the people affected by the virus in China and the rest of the world. The song has since been played and shared millions of times.
Zhang Yungang, the Chinese teacher and leader of choir, told Xinhua that some of the students had just returned from the Chinese cities of Beijing, Xi'an and Wuhan, which is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
"Just a few months after they came back, the coronavirus began to spread. They are concerned about Wuhan and would like to cheer for the city in the form of a song," Zhang said.
"The cultures and histories of the countries may differ, but their hearts stay always together in the face of a disaster," Zhang said.
