So, what do they want us to do? by Miguel Giral

As the pandemic hit full swing, we saw the intense separation between political parties, the “pro/anti-vaxxers,” the “pro/anti-maskers,” and those who were finding ways to disagree with anything they could think of. Along with that, racial and social tensions grew especially with the topic of wearing a mask. The lack of knowledge on the efficacy of masks led to some wearing them incessantly and others being adamant about not wearing them. In the midst of the arguing, I thought to myself how this could potentially be affecting different people of color.

A plethora of studies has since been conducted from different types of fields with regard to the pandemic and how it has changed people’s lives and perspectives. Two studies that stood out to me, in particular, were a couple that sought to find out whether or not people of color were experiencing more bias because of their need to wear masks. These studies went past whether or not people of color made others seem uncomfortable, and looked at whether or not we were deemed threatening or dangerous because our faces were covered. The first study came out of the University of North Carolina and consisted of a survey of 2,400 people that had to read a hypothetical story followed by two sets of images of a white man with a series of masks and a black man with the respective masks. As the black man went from no mask to surgical mask to cloth mask to bandana, the results only got worse deeming him threatening and untrustworthy.

Interestingly enough, seeing as though stereotypes of black individuals are prevalent and even more so in the Southern States, the study filtered its studies results and focused mainly on non-black respondents and found a 5% difference in answers in favor of the black man as a dangerous individual. Not only that, but they answered positively when they saw that the white man was not wearing a mask, but some still answered that they viewed the black man negatively when he was not wearing his mask.

There seems to not be a way to win. For those pro-masks, there is still a bias towards people of color and the nitty-gritty type of masks that we wear. We can wear masks but depending on the type of mask and skin color will vary whether or not we are deemed acceptable and safe. On the other hand, those who are anti-masks will be glad we don’t wear masks, but regardless we are POC and might still be threatening regardless of who we truly are.

Furthermore, the second study consisted of another set of surveys that this time around looked more at Asian members of the community as well as Black individuals. Both sets of surveys were spread apart over three months and they consisted of 1,423 individual responses. The first one was in May 2020, and the second one was conducted in August 2020. Ultimately what was discovered was that despite Black and Asian people wearing their masks more than their White counterparts, they were much more fearful of being judged or targeted for wearing their masks. Of the two groups of people, Black people voted to say that they were more fearful of the police’s reactions to their mask usage while Asian people said they feared criticisms or attacks from regular civilians.

All in all, as a young Latino I have not had to deal with any form of issues with regard to my usage of a mask. Although I do not love the idea of wearing a mask and have not worn one unless I had to since the mandates were changed, I do not believe that anybody should have to deal with the hardships of dealing with a pandemic and then having to doubt the simple decision of having to wear a mask because of what their background is. Statements Aaron Thomas’s tweet, “I want to stay alive, but I also want to stay alive,” should never have to be made when referring to a global pandemic and as an outlet of safety like a mask.

A topic such as this drew me into the poem, We Wear the Mask, by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar had two parents who were formerly enslaved and lived throughout the early years of the Jim Crow Era. In this three-stanza poem, Dunbar dives into the irony that “we,” the oppressed people experiencing a world where their community will not accept them without being a different version of themself. Like many black men and women for centuries in this nation, Dunbar had to wear a “mask” as he would walk down the streets of Dayton, Ohio. The fake image of happiness and confidence that he and many others portray while truly being sad and scared and worried about their well-being has not stopped. “With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,” Dunbar wrote. If only he knew that over a hundred years later, people would still have to wear a mask before the people that are meant to protect them, defend them, represent them, and even work with them.

Although a stretch, the years of the COVID pandemic painted a really dark picture for a lot of people, and the literal act of wearing a mask for one’s safety played a role in almost everybody's lives. Unfortunately, the mask that many people of color in this country wore had to hide the other mask that they were already wearing. The mask that put a smile on their face as they walked down the street after the George Floyd murder. Or the mask that put a face of understanding and reason while they saw their own community members being arrested during peaceful protests while Kyle Rittenhouse walks away untouched. It's a mask that hides the disgust in the blatant hypocrisy that law enforcement showed to those who stormed the capital on that unforgettable day. The masks may be going away for some, but some might have to wear a mask for the rest of their lives.

Miguel Giral is a junior, part of the NOAH program, and serves as a Student Fellow at the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice.