#IAMNOTAVIRUS-TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVISM OF CHINESE DIASPORA DURING COVID-19

Abstract

This article analyzes the digital transnational activism of the Chinese diaspora that aimed to confront racist and xenophobic narratives on the expression «Chinese virus» during Covid-19. We focus on the process of creation and production of two campaigns in Brazil and in Spain, #EuNãoSouUmVirus and #YoNoSoUnVirus, respectively, shared on YouTube and X (former Twitter). Based on a qualitative approach, we combine ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with three activists. The analysis is developed around two dimensions that marked the campaign in the two countries: (1) the emergence of racist and xenophobic narratives around the «Chinese virus» as an impulse towards transnational digital activism and (2) the activism of the #EuNãoSouUmVirus/#YoNoSoyUnVirus campaign as an opportunity for political engagement in the context of Chinese culture. While social media campaigns often align with short-term loyalties in consumption, results indicate that it can also be an opportunity for participants to reflect on their diaspora process and fight for political recognition at a local and transnational level.