“When will National Parks open up again?” “When can we all go climbing?” “When will camping be allowed in a different county?” “When will things go back to normal?” As I hear these questions being asked by media outlets, politicians and the outdoor community, the idea of going back to normal continues to sound less appealing—and may I say, privileged as hell.

While going back to normal may sound appealing to you, it does not provide the same source of comfort for many black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The way things are now includes the scapegoating of Asian Americans for a global illness (COVID-19) that disproportionately harms the poorest black and indigenous communities here in the United States. What about the way things were before?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a privileged subset of the population used someone else’s homeland as their ‘playground’ while doing little, or nothing at all to address the poverty, food insecurity, healthcare inequities and environmental racism faced by the people who lived there first.

Returning to normal means the acceptance of racism and xenophobia in all spaces, even the outdoors. It implies that outdoor recreation is reserved for middle class white or white passing Americans who have access to a living wage, health insurance, job security, affordable childcare, a vehicle or safe reliable public transportation. If we flip a switch, and cancel the first few months of 2020, it means you think that many of the essential workers and front-line heroes in the fight against COVID-19—nurse techs, grocery store cashiers, janitors, sanitation workers & utility workers—don’t deserve a living wage or equal access to safe local green spaces.

The list goes on and on. Normal means expressing shock when examples of structural racism make the news but doing nothing about it, because you’re unwilling to dismantle systems of power that privilege your family and friends—your race or gender—above others. Normal means feeling bad about MISSING and MURDERED indigenous women and then planning your next hiking trip because that doesn’t affect you personally. At the core of it all, normal means that we forget that these problems exist and continue on with our privileged lives.

How does this all relate to the outdoors? Well, even though the outdoors may be interpreted as a place of wellness that people visit in order to decompress or become the best version of themselves, simply being outside has historically been a challenge for ethnically diverse communities and BIPOC.

Not convinced? Maybe, you’ve never been physically attacked or verbally threatened for being Asian American during a global pandemic, or for being visibly queer or Muslim at the trailhead at any time of the year? Wait, you’ve never had a white woman call the cops because you are a black parent pushing your child in a stroller at a local park? Oh okay, so you are privileged.

As I continue to see a large increase of trail use here in Utah, I begin to conclude that many people using the trails right now are absolutely comfortable BEING on these trails. Being out in the open. Being back to normal. Shamefully, I have taken part in this as well—Accepting a return to normal without considering what it actually means.

For many people of Asian & Pacific Islander ancestry in the US, normal has changed, yet again. Within the last few years, and of course long before, there have been devastating examples of xenophobia and racism. These generalized attacks are always made up of two things; white supremacy and racism.

Remember when the Muslim travel bans were set in place, and isolation from family and friends, school and work, became a reality for many Muslims? Remember when the increase in and targeted use of deportations began, and isolation became a reality for many immigrant families? Well, once again, people are targeting the next victims of xenophobia and racism, the next group to be generalized, the next community of people to become fearful for simply inhabiting their own skin—the next group of people to hesitate at the thought of going outside due to racist attacks.  

The reality is that COVID-19, or the next reason to blame ethnically diverse people and BIPOC, is already happening. Asians living in the US are being harassed, threatened and physically attacked. We have a President who calls COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus,” which has resulted in Asian communities feeling scared to go outside, an activity the CDC recommends for relieving stress during such a difficult time. Going to the grocery store right now can be uncomfortable as it is—imagine being ignorantly blamed for all of this.

I recently sat down with a close friend who has deep roots within the Asian community here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kevin Nguyen has Vietnamese and Chinese ancestry. He volunteers on the mountain rescue team, works at the public health department, and is an avid mountain biker. This was our discussion:

welcome, Kevin. Good to have you here.

KEVIN: First off, I just want to thank you David for providing me the opportunity to share my thoughts and express my feelings on this topic. Having a voice and being able to speak for our communities is crucial towards raising awareness, addressing the disparities that you mentioned, and creating solutions for these issues.

I appreciate you saying that. We are truly in such an INTERESTING time. I’m curious, How has working in public health impacted your perspective on COVID-19 and the xenophobia it has created towards the Asian community? 

KEVIN: Having spent a few years working in public health, and now working on my graduate degree in this field, it is evident that our minority communities suffer from many issues. Growing up in a family who lived through the “struggle,” the health inequities that we face are near and dear to my heart. Dealing with COVID-19 is no different, and before the reports were ever released, my prediction that minorities would suffer more is sadly a reality now. On top of everything going on, we are also dealing with xenophobic attacks. For example, while shopping at local grocery store, my mom was told “Well, you’re Chinese, so you must have the Coronavirus.”

Adding to what is already a serious public health issue of COVID-19, is a layer of racial anxiety due to xenophobia. This is another issue that has been weaponized, targeting Asians across the world. Throughout the United States, there have been over 1,500 incident reports of verbal harassment, shunning, and physical assaults in the past month and this is just a small snapshot of what is being reported.

This high number of hate crimes reflects the impact of “Chinese Bashing” openly practiced by our political leaders. These political leaders have really lit the flame for this type of discriminatory scapegoating and no Asian ethnic groups are safe. In addition, a high proportion of the more vulnerable groups – children, youth, the elderly, and limited English-speaking communities – are impacted as well. The fear, humiliation, and trepidation in the voices of Asian Americans can be heard throughout our nation and in my home state of Utah. United we stand. Is this really true?

Wow. this breaks my heart. It’s almost like scapegoating has become automatic, just so political leaders don’t have to challenge the real issues at hand like our lack of preparedness—which leads me to my next question, how is the Asian community in Utah handling racist attacks?

KEVIN: The Asian community in Utah is tenacious and adaptive, as are many other minority communities. Despite the racist attacks, we are holding strong together as a community. We are facing and acknowledging these issues! Many of these attacks go unreported, this leaves Asian American community leaders working together to develop a local system for reporting hate crimes. In addition, we are trying to decompress from COVID-19 as best as we can. However, this comes with limitations and barriers.

What sort of limitations and barriers?

KEVIN: Well, not everyone is comfortable participating in activities that are allowed right now. While activities such as going to the park, going grocery shopping, or going on a hike while practicing social distancing are accepted, many Asian Americans are living with the fear of being judged in public, or even worse, assaulted.

For me, the constant emails, the multiple task force meetings, community coalition check ins, and non-stop thinking leaves me mentally and emotionally drained by the end of the day. Although the work that I am doing is purposeful and intentional, being outside for me has been a place of escape, a place for me to get away and shut off the noise that I am constantly hearing. I have always appreciated being outside. Especially now at a time where my life is revolving around being in front of a device, I cherish the gift of mother nature THAT much more.

So, would you say going outside is a place of PRIVILEGE right now?

KEVIN: Absolutely! It is and has been a place of privilege long before COVID-19. Part of what my work focuses on is providing public health resources, access, and education to many diverse communities. The accessibility and inclusion are important and a high priority for public health access. America has grown increasingly unequal and inequitable, with bigger gaps forming because of the income and education disparities that exist.

These gaps are reflected in our access to the outdoors, in what we call “green spaces.” In the lens of public health, having access to green spaces has been strongly associated with decreases in many chronic diseases, improvement in mental health outcomes, and a heightened overall sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, many individuals, particularly those within minority and lower socioeconomic status communities, do not have equitable access to the outdoors. Ultimately, access to green spaces cuts closely to America’s divide of income, class, and education. Residents with higher levels of income, class, and education are more likely to have access to outdoor recreation and green spaces, whereas the lower income, class, and educated are likely to have less.

It is important for everyone in a city to have access to the benefits provided by being outside and in green spaces, not just the affluent and highly educated.

Damn. I appreciate that raw answer. With such an entrenched system at play here, how can Asian Americans gain an ounce of hope during this time?

KEVIN: If we all dedicate ourselves to interrupting, questioning, educating, and echoing to fight this racist rhetoric, we can start to make a difference and help our communities to become safer and healthier today. Access and equity within the outdoors would become less and less of an issue.

Can you explain that—interrupting, questioning, educating, and echoing?

KEVIN: Sure. We need to all stand together and confront racism, discrimination, and stigma, related to, and not related to, COVID-19. What we can do is simple, but powerful. What we can do, is implement this simple, 4 step process when facing discrimination. Remember though, that we must always remain respectful, kind, and open-minded.

• Interrupt. This means taking time and showing the person that this topic is important enough for you to pause the conversation and address it. Some phrases to try to address this include: “That phrase can be harmful.” “Hang on. I want you to go back to what you just said.”

• Question. We might be familiar with the “questions” that are really warnings such as: “What did you just say to me?” or “Did you just really say that?”—But in this context that I am describing, the goal of questioning is to better understand why the person said or did what they did. You might ask: “Why do you call it the “Chinese virus?” OR “Where did you get that information?” AND “Why do you think that?”

• Educate. Armed with the knowledge of credible sources and logical thinking, the key to educating isn’t just to provide facts, but to explain why what the person has said or done needs rethinking. To educate folks around racism that is associated with coronavirus, we need to understand not only the virus but the racist act itself. For example, if someone doesn’t understand why a comment they made was racist, you can educate them about the long history of stereotyping immigrants OR a personal favorite, refer them to the right resources. You can also explain how this stereotype is both wrong and harmful. Talk to them about how it’s not appropriate to name a disease after its place of origin and how there is a long, bad history of associating diseases with specific groups of people.

• Echo. Standing up against discrimination, racist ideas, and language is difficult and takes effort. This is particularly true with people who are targeted by that language. That’s why it is important to have each other’s backs. When you hear or read about someone speaking up, thank them and amplify their message if you can. This type of support not only encourages more people to speak up, but also reinforces that there are others who believe in this message.

Thank you for that. Is there anything else that you think would be important for our readers and SUBSCRIBERS to know?

KEVIN: Yes! I want to encourage everyone to only read and digest COVID-19 information from credible sources, such as the state and local health department websites along with national level leaders like the CDC and WHO. Health related stigma and discrimination often stem from misinformation and bad actors, so getting yourself acquainted and educated with the correct information from proper sources is important. I also want to make an emphasis on mental health within minority populations.

Depression, anxiety, nervousness, and suicide have been growing concerns within our state and nation over the past couple of years. Racial/ethnic minority groups often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to a multitude of factors, including inaccessibility to mental health care services, lack of awareness, and cultural stigma surrounding mental health care.

We know that experiencing discrimination, racism, and harassment is associated with the concerns mentioned and often lead to a decline in mental health. Knowing this, we need to help change the status quo.

Try to be open and understanding towards those that are feeling the effects of COVID-19. We are all at a loss, and just because their loss to you might seem silly, for them, it’s significant. Challenge the stigma and encourage those who might need help to go get help. Be supportive and be kind.

In addition, relating to our overall conversation surrounding this issue, I think that following proper precautions and social distancing rules are important and to still follow those rules while being outside. Being in nature, whether that’s in the mountains or just sitting on your front yard, can be a tranquil place and is great for your health. I really hope that all Asian Americans, and all people, are finding safe, accessible, and inviting spaces in order to decompress.

Lastly, for those participating in outdoor sports and spaces, please just be safe. This includes following the COVID-19 guidelines for social distancing, hand washing, and public health orders if any are enacted in your area. Continue to follow proper trail etiquette and be respectful to one another.

As a first responder, I am telling you to not take any unnecessary risks that might get you injured or stuck in a precarious spot. Shredding “gnar” is important and has its place, but remember the situation that we are in and try to remain mindful of our already overloaded healthcare providers. Save it for when this is over. You know, when things go back to normal…

Yes, the inequitable, but FAMILIAR normal. I truly appreciate you taking the time out of your day to have this discussion with me. Stay safe.

Cover Photo By Simon Ma on Unsplash