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Articles

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): Becoming (Un)Productive: Grieving Death, Reclaiming Life

How to use a mask

DOI
https://doi.org/10.25071/2563-3694.34
Submitted
July 15, 2020
Published
2021-07-26

Abstract

In the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asians wearing masks in white colonized countries became a target of white supremacist violence. This piece of fabric has been a point of contention for anti-maskers who feel like their freedoms are being threatened. To dispel the myths of why people might wear masks, this is a basic 101 tutorial on how to use a mask. The comic tutorial breaks down what this apparently exotic cultural artifact is, why people wear it and how to use it properly. This is directed at white people so that next time they see East Asians wearing face masks, they will be equipped with all the relevant information to NOT punch us in the face, kick us out of supermarkets, bully Asian hospital workers, or abuse us on the streets or online. This comic was inspired by the safety instruction cards on flights and the patronizing posters in Anglo colonial university washrooms that tell Chinese students not to stand on the toilet seats. Thanks to Kirsty Fong for the idea and for being a reference.