Dear Asian Youth,
march 11, 2020.
2 days before my school was shut down on that fateful friday the 13th.
1 day before it was announced that my extracurricular events were cancelled.
and most importantly,
the day when the World Health Organization declared that we were in a global pandemic.
at the time i’m writing this, it has been about 7 months since the reality we were all accustomed to began to crumble right in front of us
7 months!
over 218,000 deaths
we have lost so much--
loved ones
memories,
freedoms
normality
and the consequences we have faced from this pandemic cannot be more obvious,
yet this still isn’t enough for people to realize the importance of simply wearing a mask
we give scientific proof
concrete evidence
straight facts
and they give us nothing but unmasked noses
and stubborn reasoning:
“it restricts my breathing!’ “it makes me look like a sheep following the crowd!”
“covid-19 isn’t that bad, it’s just the flu!”
“i don’t need to wear a mask, just look at our president!”
to put it simply, hearing these statements, is infuriating.
it shouldn’t feel like an inconvenience, doing what’s best for yourself and others
and how is having something to cover your face and save lives
a valid reason to cause marches, riots, rallies?
is it your selfish mindset and slightest discomfort inhibiting you from helping others?
is it because when you think of a mask, you think safety as political?
is it because when our own president mocks his opponent for wearing one, you point and laugh, calling out others for simply following the rules?
or is it just because you think that you are above science
above the masses who are “brainwashed” into thinking this virus is serious
because it’s only the flu
right?
do you know what it’s like to work on the front lines?
do you know what it’s like to feel the burdening effects weigh down on you?
i’m talking from personal experience: my mom plays a huge part in helping with this pandemic, and i’m not the only one who knows someone working in this field
my mom comes home at night later than she ever has before, each night she is more restless than the last
she puts her hands on her face as she tiredly says to me that she sees more samples are testing positive
and she doesn’t even let me touch her when she comes home, scared that she is still contaminated
and while she’s worried about the wellbeing of others
i’m engulfed in fear about what might happen to her.
seeing the carelessness people have, from crowded beaches to celebrities holding parties
it is
frustrating
maddening
blood-boiling.
this is the first pandemic our generation has ever seen
with our 2020 vision clouded with our concern for the future
we can’t even count the days, each hour seems to blend with the rest
aren’t you tired of it?
aren’t you sick of it?
what is there to gain
from the loss of others?
so please, for the sake of yourself and everyone.
WEAR A MASK!
- Julianne Tenorio