Asians have always been somewhat invisible in Western societies.

When Covid-19 became more and more of a threat here in Belgium, Chinese-looking people were racially taunted as bat-eaters, virus-carriers, Corona and so forth. Note that I wrote, Chinese-looking people.

A young woman, daughter of a famous Belgian (Caucasian) artist, was subject to this sort of taunting in Ghent. Her late mother was second generation Chinese Belgian. Looking a bit like a Chinese has now become an issue. We are no longer the docile, safe, back-stage racial group. We are no longer invisible.

In New York and California, there were reports of Chinese-looking people getting spit on in public, beaten up and killed. Looking like a Chinese has somehow linked us to Covid-19, making us virus makers and pandemic spreaders. Looking like a Chinese is deadlier than the virus, in certain locations in the world.

Fortunately for me, I have not encountered any of these virus related racial issues. Throughout this Covid-19 period, I have been treated just like any one of them. Admittedly, D and I run our major errands together. With the presence of a white partner, the not-so-invisible Asian gets bleached out.