Band competition at Chinese New Year celebration - would you send your teen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow.

LA Times recently published a story about coronavirus... and xenophobia.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-03/coronavirus-outbreak-narrative-xenophobia?fbclid=IwAR2Kf4xrWTZeMTFoFuCFcDJu4GbwFd5qnkryfzh8u-virrKzQUZUo2kkNUU

OP here.

I can't read the link, as I don't subscribe to the LAT - but I am cognizant enough to know that my intentions are not based in xenophobia. I am not interested in avoiding this event, Chinatown or Chinese people because they are Chinese. I am interested in avoiding the situation because there is a likelihood (albeit small) that there is a connection in this location and I am conscious of putting my child, and over a hundred other children, in the path of something they otherwise might not be exposed to. I would think that our, and other, schools would be rethinking their participation. It's one year.

I consider that smart and preventative, not xenophobic. In my mind, it would be the same if there was an outbreak of something in, say, Seattle, and I was vetting the idea of sending my kid on a trip there.

Exactly. But you know - it’s a great opportunity to throw the racism card around!

1. You don’t need a subscription to read the article. If you’ve already read the free limit, just open the link in a different browser.

2. OP, you should really read the column. Your response is ironic given what the writer talks about, and truly made me laugh out loud.

3. Your kid had a better chance of catching (and dying from) the regular old flu virus than Corona virus.

4. There are literally hundreds of videos on YouTube with expats living in China right now who are talking about the misinformation being spread in the US media right now.

5. Most workers in Chinese restaurants in the DMV don’t travel back and forth to China, just because they are Chinese.

6. I’m rolling my eyes at most of your comments... I’m sure some of you have livers that look like Swiss cheese from the amount of alcohol you drink... but oh fear the coronavirus!

[Anonymous]

If you kid has good hygiene and washes his/her hands, don’t worry. Simple as that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If your child goes, make sure he understands that he must wash his hands frequently, particularly before eating, and NOT TOUCH HIS FACE.

Have you tried to go though a day without touching your face? It’s extremely hard to do because we do it unconsciously all the time.

We have a Chinese woman in the office and she hasn’t been to China recently. She says she stopped hanging out with Chinese people.

Some people are just stupid, doesn't matter if they are chinese or not.

And some people are thoughtful in their choices.

The Coronavirus is obviously something that is a legit concern. The Chinese government is well-known to not be transparent and honest, so it is likely even a bigger threat than China seems to imply.

There have been reports that the virus was developed as germ warfare. Could be true?

Why has China built an entire hospital for these patients?
Why has China been so quick to burn the bodies?
Why have other countries issued warnings?

My Chinese friend has received videos from relatives in China that she finds disturbing enough that she is concerned.

None of these things would have happened for the ‘regular flu’.

It is absolutely reasonable to be more concerned about Corona virus versus the regular flu.

[Anonymous]

Watch out for needles and crap too in lovely SF.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t Dear Leader Trump shut this virus down?

[Anonymous]

I'd be fine growing. I am from SF and Chinese-American, and I know that Chinatown is actually pretty low-risk.

In Chinatown in SF, many of the restaurants/businesses are owned by families who have been here for many, many generations. They are US citizens and many have never even been to China and do not. If you are like, "oh but they speak Chinese," actually, most of the older restaurant owners and businesspeople in SF Chinatown, when they are speaking among themselves, do not even speak a dialect of Chinese that people in modern China speak. The elderly in Chinatown often speak a dialect of Chinese that was spoken by the old railroad workers in America in the 1890s because that is when their ancestors came over. These people are more Californian than any of us.

The poor Chinese workers in restaurants, delivery drivers, etc. who arrived more recently absolutely *cannot* afford to go back on a restaurant worker's salary. Plane tickets, etc. are expensive. Most of them have NOT been back to China since they immigrated here and many actually never go outside of San Francisco. And, if anyone's wondering, they did NOT immigrate from Hubei province (most of these people speak Cantonese, which is not spoken in Hubei), though that is not relevant here. Some of the other workers are also immigrants, but not from China.

As for the other shoppers, etc. it's honestly a mix of locals (who fall into the above groups--low risk), tourists, etc. In other words, this would be like going to any other long-established ethnic enclave in an American city, one with a lot of tourists and security for the parade.

The people in the bay area who would be going back and forth to China, especially higher-risk areas for this virus typically do NOT shop or go to SF Chinatown. Those people are white-collar Mandarin-speakers. They tend to live and shop outside of Chinatown (may explain why there's a case in Santa Clara county)

[Anonymous]

PP here: Not just in SF but most restaurant and service industry workers ANYWHERE cannot afford to travel back and forth to China on their meager pay. Tickets to China are something they cannot afford and you can bet they absolutely have not been there in the last month or two because travel to China is usually even more expensive during the holidays, which extends all the way until well after Chinese New Year.

[Anonymous]

I would send my kid.

1) There have not been that many cases in the US
2) The US has better health care systems and can handle treating this illness.
3) The people who have been getting sick are mainly older people or people with preexisting conditions
4) The people who have died have mainly been elderly or people with preexisting conditions

A high school student is not as likely to get sick and far less likely to die, especially in the US.

If you would cancel your child's trip because of the possibility that they would catch the flu, then go ahead and cancel your child's trip. But I don't think there is that great of a risk.

[Anonymous]

Are they going to Wuhan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine growing. I am from SF and Chinese-American, and I know that Chinatown is actually pretty low-risk.

In Chinatown in SF, many of the restaurants/businesses are owned by families who have been here for many, many generations. They are US citizens and many have never even been to China and do not. If you are like, "oh but they speak Chinese," actually, most of the older restaurant owners and businesspeople in SF Chinatown, when they are speaking among themselves, do not even speak a dialect of Chinese that people in modern China speak. The elderly in Chinatown often speak a dialect of Chinese that was spoken by the old railroad workers in America in the 1890s because that is when their ancestors came over. These people are more Californian than any of us.

The poor Chinese workers in restaurants, delivery drivers, etc. who arrived more recently absolutely *cannot* afford to go back on a restaurant worker's salary. Plane tickets, etc. are expensive. Most of them have NOT been back to China since they immigrated here and many actually never go outside of San Francisco. And, if anyone's wondering, they did NOT immigrate from Hubei province (most of these people speak Cantonese, which is not spoken in Hubei), though that is not relevant here. Some of the other workers are also immigrants, but not from China.

As for the other shoppers, etc. it's honestly a mix of locals (who fall into the above groups--low risk), tourists, etc. In other words, this would be like going to any other long-established ethnic enclave in an American city, one with a lot of tourists and security for the parade.

The people in the bay area who would be going back and forth to China, especially higher-risk areas for this virus typically do NOT shop or go to SF Chinatown. Those people are white-collar Mandarin-speakers. They tend to live and shop outside of Chinatown (may explain why there's a case in Santa Clara county)

I wouldn’t be so worried about the people who own or work at the businesses vs the patrons of these businesses. Who goes to the Chinese supermarket or the restaurants? Chinese overseas students who may have returned after new year festivities or Chinese tourists. You know that Chinese tours take their people mainly to Chinese eating establishments while traveling right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine growing. I am from SF and Chinese-American, and I know that Chinatown is actually pretty low-risk.

In Chinatown in SF, many of the restaurants/businesses are owned by families who have been here for many, many generations. They are US citizens and many have never even been to China and do not. If you are like, "oh but they speak Chinese," actually, most of the older restaurant owners and businesspeople in SF Chinatown, when they are speaking among themselves, do not even speak a dialect of Chinese that people in modern China speak. The elderly in Chinatown often speak a dialect of Chinese that was spoken by the old railroad workers in America in the 1890s because that is when their ancestors came over. These people are more Californian than any of us.

The poor Chinese workers in restaurants, delivery drivers, etc. who arrived more recently absolutely *cannot* afford to go back on a restaurant worker's salary. Plane tickets, etc. are expensive. Most of them have NOT been back to China since they immigrated here and many actually never go outside of San Francisco. And, if anyone's wondering, they did NOT immigrate from Hubei province (most of these people speak Cantonese, which is not spoken in Hubei), though that is not relevant here. Some of the other workers are also immigrants, but not from China.

As for the other shoppers, etc. it's honestly a mix of locals (who fall into the above groups--low risk), tourists, etc. In other words, this would be like going to any other long-established ethnic enclave in an American city, one with a lot of tourists and security for the parade.

The people in the bay area who would be going back and forth to China, especially higher-risk areas for this virus typically do NOT shop or go to SF Chinatown. Those people are white-collar Mandarin-speakers. They tend to live and shop outside of Chinatown (may explain why there's a case in Santa Clara county)

I wouldn’t be so worried about the people who own or work at the businesses vs the patrons of these businesses. Who goes to the Chinese supermarket or the restaurants? Chinese overseas students who may have returned after new year festivities or Chinese tourists. You know that Chinese tours take their people mainly to Chinese eating establishments while traveling right.

And white collar mandarin speakers definitely go to Chinese establishments. You think all they go to are now fancy four star Michelin restaurants? Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine growing. I am from SF and Chinese-American, and I know that Chinatown is actually pretty low-risk.

In Chinatown in SF, many of the restaurants/businesses are owned by families who have been here for many, many generations. They are US citizens and many have never even been to China and do not. If you are like, "oh but they speak Chinese," actually, most of the older restaurant owners and businesspeople in SF Chinatown, when they are speaking among themselves, do not even speak a dialect of Chinese that people in modern China speak. The elderly in Chinatown often speak a dialect of Chinese that was spoken by the old railroad workers in America in the 1890s because that is when their ancestors came over. These people are more Californian than any of us.

The poor Chinese workers in restaurants, delivery drivers, etc. who arrived more recently absolutely *cannot* afford to go back on a restaurant worker's salary. Plane tickets, etc. are expensive. Most of them have NOT been back to China since they immigrated here and many actually never go outside of San Francisco. And, if anyone's wondering, they did NOT immigrate from Hubei province (most of these people speak Cantonese, which is not spoken in Hubei), though that is not relevant here. Some of the other workers are also immigrants, but not from China.

As for the other shoppers, etc. it's honestly a mix of locals (who fall into the above groups--low risk), tourists, etc. In other words, this would be like going to any other long-established ethnic enclave in an American city, one with a lot of tourists and security for the parade.

The people in the bay area who would be going back and forth to China, especially higher-risk areas for this virus typically do NOT shop or go to SF Chinatown. Those people are white-collar Mandarin-speakers. They tend to live and shop outside of Chinatown (may explain why there's a case in Santa Clara county)

I wouldn’t be so worried about the people who own or work at the businesses vs the patrons of these businesses. Who goes to the Chinese supermarket or the restaurants? Chinese overseas students who may have returned after new year festivities or Chinese tourists. You know that Chinese tours take their people mainly to Chinese eating establishments while traveling right.

And white collar mandarin speakers definitely go to Chinese establishments. You think all they go to are now fancy four star Michelin restaurants? Please.

SF chinatown doesn't attract that many of those people, though. It's tourists and very local working-class people. Chinese tourists don't go to SF Chinatown. White-collar Mandarin speakers don't go to SF Chinatown, they go to restaurants outside of Chinatown.

SF Chinatown is a bit unusual like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be fine growing. I am from SF and Chinese-American, and I know that Chinatown is actually pretty low-risk.

In Chinatown in SF, many of the restaurants/businesses are owned by families who have been here for many, many generations. They are US citizens and many have never even been to China and do not. If you are like, "oh but they speak Chinese," actually, most of the older restaurant owners and businesspeople in SF Chinatown, when they are speaking among themselves, do not even speak a dialect of Chinese that people in modern China speak. The elderly in Chinatown often speak a dialect of Chinese that was spoken by the old railroad workers in America in the 1890s because that is when their ancestors came over. These people are more Californian than any of us.

The poor Chinese workers in restaurants, delivery drivers, etc. who arrived more recently absolutely *cannot* afford to go back on a restaurant worker's salary. Plane tickets, etc. are expensive. Most of them have NOT been back to China since they immigrated here and many actually never go outside of San Francisco. And, if anyone's wondering, they did NOT immigrate from Hubei province (most of these people speak Cantonese, which is not spoken in Hubei), though that is not relevant here. Some of the other workers are also immigrants, but not from China.

As for the other shoppers, etc. it's honestly a mix of locals (who fall into the above groups--low risk), tourists, etc. In other words, this would be like going to any other long-established ethnic enclave in an American city, one with a lot of tourists and security for the parade.

The people in the bay area who would be going back and forth to China, especially higher-risk areas for this virus typically do NOT shop or go to SF Chinatown. Those people are white-collar Mandarin-speakers. They tend to live and shop outside of Chinatown (may explain why there's a case in Santa Clara county)

I wouldn’t be so worried about the people who own or work at the businesses vs the patrons of these businesses. Who goes to the Chinese supermarket or the restaurants? Chinese overseas students who may have returned after new year festivities or Chinese tourists. You know that Chinese tours take their people mainly to Chinese eating establishments while traveling right.

Chinese tourists and Chinese students don't go to SF Chinatown. They go to the Chinese stores/restaurants in the suburbs/outer areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Of course not.

I’m avoiding Chinese restaurants and Asian nail salons.

Hell I won't even let my kids play Chinese Checkers.

To OP: I'm with the microbiologist who commented previous. I'd ask the school about what steps they are taking to make sure the trip is safe and I'd buy not one but two travel bottles of hand sanitizer and stick them in each of their jacket pockets but I wouldn't be the only parent not sending their kid on this trip. If there were confirmed cases in SF proper and it was spreadly rapidly then that would be a completely different story (and in that case, I absolutely wouldn't send my kid).

[Anonymous]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/whistleblower-doctor-who-tried-to-warn-of-coronavirus-becomes-infected/amp/

Hope this link works. About the doctor who got in trouble for trying to be honest about the coronavirus.

I wouldn’t believe a damn thing that the Chinese government says.

Coronavirus has already killed more people than SARS, according to some sources.