The Solution
We encourage you to take action against COVID-19 related racism by practicing our provided tips as well as by using our platform to share your own experiences.
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Interrupt Question Educate Echo
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We recognize that overcoming discrimination and the stigma surrounding the coronavirus is a task that cannot be done overnight. Although, there are ways in which we can slowly but surely attain a respectful global community. We can learn and improve intercultural communicative competence by practicing these four actions: Interrupt, Question, Educate, and Echo.
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Interrupt every biased remark.Even a simple joke or side comment needs to be interrupted. This allows them to recognize their prejudice and reinforce the idea that it is never okay to say discriminative statements. To interrupt biased remarks, we can say, "that seems offensive and hurtful to say" or "it's not right to say that." Consistency is important to this step; letting one comment slide could send the message that sometimes, being biased is okay.
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question them to understand them.Asking questions like, "why do you say that?" or "what do you mean by that?" gives them the opportunity to explain their perspective. By questioning, we can also understand their beliefs and figure out the right way to approach their biased remarks. Part of the process of improving intercultural communicative competence is taking the time to understand their perception of our current situation.
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educate them on stereotypes and misconceptions.Often, hateful speech comes from ignorance and the lack of information. In a moment of bias, it is helpful to explain why the term or phrase is offensive to say. The History page of this website offers useful information that offers a glimpse of xenophobia amidst the pandemic. Knowing the right facts about the issue not only allows you to adopt the right mindset, but it also provides you with the right tools for standing up against racism.
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echo the voice that speaks up.One voice can truly be powerful, but joining this interruption can make the message come across more clearly. Through this, we can see the power in numbers—something that is vital to overcoming virus-related hate crimes against targeted groups. As the echoing voice, you can appreciate them for having courage to speak up against discrimination. Even more, you can reiterate their message and provide more context to the situation.
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your voices
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discussion questions
Q1: What are some other ways which we can practice intercultural communicative competence?
Q2: Have you actualized one or more of the provided actions during a conversation or an online interaction? What was the outcome?
Q2: Have you actualized one or more of the provided actions during a conversation or an online interaction? What was the outcome?
Share your thoughts & experiences!
Describe your thoughts on the situation surrounding racism during COVID-19, personal experiences, or potential solutions you may have to deal with the pandemic on a personal level.
