Times Log

Tuesday: I really liked the article about the stigma surrounding Mexican citizens regarding the swine flu. Several individuals attested to being viewed as disease carrying threats, especially in China where officials demanded the searching of hotels where seemingly healthy Mexicans were staying. While such measures might seem extremely invasive, they are somewhat understandable when coming from the nation that was forced to deal with the terrible backlash of SARS not so long ago. I also drew a parallel between this article and how people initially reacted to the HIV/ AIDS epidemic towards black and gay individuals. When AIDS was first discovered, it was first considered a "gay disease," however, as more knowledge spread, it was realized that anyone can contract the deadly disease. As the threat of the swine flu seems to dampen, hopefully the unjust alienation of Mexicans will cease as well.