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I am not a virus, I am a human being: Italian-Chinese man’s video spreads anti-racist message on social media
- After displays of xenophobia since the coronavirus outbreak began, public plea in Florence prompts ‘beautiful’ response
- Video is widely shared on Facebook, amid wave of social media campaigns such as Twitter hashtag #JeNeSuisPasUnVirus
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When Massimiliano Martigli Jiang stood blindfolded in the middle of Florence next to a sign reading “I am not a virus, I am a human being, free me from prejudice”, he was overwhelmed by the touching reactions he got from fellow residents and tourists.
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Jiang, who is Italian-Chinese, last week uploaded to Facebook, a video of his experiences that got more than 10,000 shares and was covered widely in Italian media.
The video showed Jiang standing masked and blindfolded outside some of Florence’s most recognisable landmarks. Some passers-by stopped and stared, while others took selfies with him. Later on in the video, people hugged Jiang and took off his mask and blindfold.
“I made this video because I felt compelled to convey the meaning of the words I had written on the sign,” he told the South China Morning Post. “I was very surprised by the reaction.”
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As in other Western countries, there has been a surge in xenophobic incidents targeting Chinese people in Italy in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak which has infected more than 60,000 people and killed over 1,300 worldwide.
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