Letter to Wall Street Journal Editor

Editors of the Wall Street Journal,

We write to you with heavy hearts regarding the recent publication of an opinion piece by Mr. Walter Russel Mead. His article carries the title, “China is the Real Sick Man of Asia”. The phrase “Sick man of Asia” was used to express derogatory and racist sentiments towards Chinese people during the European Colonial occupation of China. Therefore, the phrase carries deep historical trauma for those of us who share the Chinese cultural heritage. It is extremely disturbing to see the phrase show up as the headline of an authoritative journal such as the WSJ. Whether this title was published out of racism, neglect, or pure ignorance, it is painfully offensive, especially in the current state of global struggle and strife against the Coronavirus.

Those of us in the Portland Chinese-American community have been working tirelessly to garner support for those currently suffering from the Coronavirus outbreak. These past few weeks have been a testament to the humanitarian and altruistic values upheld by those in the Portland community. We believe the WSJ respects these values and hope that you will take the appropriate actions to make amends to this unfortunate incident.

The Oregon Chinese Coalition