Extended Practice Brief #7: Irrational Fears [Context/Content Research] *Developing and Understanding the Culture of Masks

One thing that really stood out to me was the usage of masks and how it's affected people and how they played a role in some of the attacks and micro-aggressions on Asian people. Therefore I thought it was important to understand more as to why we have different perspective on this object and the different notions surrounding it.

Masking for a Friend

The Great Manchurian Plague (1910)

Manchuria (North-east China now) was affected by an outbreak of plague were the mortality rate was at 95%. According, to Christos Lynteris (anthropologist at St. Andrews University) "Photography played a key role in establishing this idea of a global outbreak, an outbreak which is spreading across the globe". 

Though masks were clinically used as early as 1897, it wasn't used by the general public during an epidemic, until doctor Wu Lien-teh, suggested a theory that the plague was airborne and was spread through droplets in the air (pneumonic plague), and that people should start covering their mouth and nose with face masks. Though, receiving obscurity at first it was proven to be true and soon the plague ended 7 months later with people wearing masks photographed, becoming a symbol of success.  

East and West 

The 1918 Influenza Epidemic have seen the effects of Wu's face masks and was seen to be used around the world, however it's acceptance was varied depending on where you lived and wasn't widespread practice. It was seen more as 'propaganda' or to encourage more people to wear masks and feel calmer, as it was mostly a 'specialised practice' according to Nancy Tomes (Professor at Stony Brook University, New York) and after the flu epidemic it was never used again as other epidemics weren't particularly airborne.

In China on the other hand, there was a "...continuity of the use of the mask...It continues through several other outbreaks in the 20s, in the 30s. And then in the Mao's China after 1949." It also appeared in various campaigns and propaganda posters etc and the normality of wearing a mask in China was through state requirements. It became a common practice and especially during the SARS pandemic in 2003 people already knew to wear masks. Wearing masks has been a normalised practice that people wear them when they've got colds in order to protect others. This is also true in other Eastern countries such as South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, etc. The accumulated culture and acceptance of wearing a masks in public has became part of the Eastern culture today whereas in the West the culture is very different. The idea of not wearing a mask instead in Eastern countries can be seen a bit out of place. As it's something that is seen to just to protect you but others as well, 

but this is not a sentiment that is shared in the Western culture. 

The mask has been racialised in Western culture which has attributed to xenophobia. With journalists calling it 'mask-ophobia' ("...people who look Chinese or who look Asian...being attacked ... because they're wearing a masks." It's also always not really recognised by people however, this racism has always been connected with disease and the idea of epidemics coming from China and being spread by Chinese people" and masks and wearing masks has been tied to racists and xenophobic attitudes from people. 

Mask on? Mask off?

In this episode of Today Explained's podcast talks about the usage of masks in the USA. With the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) urging people to wear masks, especially homemade masks to wear outside for precautions. With this urge, people have decided to take it upon themselves to make their own masks from old clothes, cotton cloths etc. and could be a sign that people are changing their opinions on masks...however, there is still the cultural difference of understanding that masks does not only protect you but also others and "Changing our behaviours to benefit "others" is generally much harder than when we the change is for ourselves". 

Thoughts & Reflection:

Mask phobia/mask-ophobia is part of racially driven incidents against Asians however, through changes in our behaviours as individuals and as a society it can be a start in diminishing a piece of racialised item/object against Chinese people and people of Asian descent. Especially, through this epidemic where Western countries have started to implement wearing masks as another piece of protection it can be an opportunity to let people understand that wearing a mask is not a sign of being infected by the virus or being Asian or Chinese but as a means to protect yourself and others.