Part 1 MLA Citation
Jiang, Massimiliano Martigli. “‘I’m Not a Virus’: Chinese Italian Man Protests Coronavirus-Related Prejudice.” Youtube, Youtube, 2 Feb. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULceASXv88.
Part 2 Summary
This is a short 56-second video produced by Massimiliano Martigli Jiang, a Chinese-Italian man. Jiang made the video as a public plea to “eradicate the prejudice.” The video is set in the Italian city of Florence. It starts off with upbeat music and the camera pans in on well-known city sites: a carousel, architectural archways, the Arno River, city people on cobblestone walkways, and then you notice a Chinese man walking with a sign. He sets up the sign which says in Italian, “I am not a virus, I am a human being, free me from prejudice.” Then he puts on a blindfold and a mask and stands motionless next to the sign. First passersby stop and look; then some take pictures and selfies with him; then people take off his blindfold and mask and hug him. Jiang explains, “I made this video because I felt compelled to convey the meaning of the words I had written on the sign. I was very surprised by the reaction.” Jiang’s video went viral on Facebook and in the European news media.
Part 3A Reflection with my opinion and quotes.
This is a beautiful and moving video. It put a smile on my face. I wholeheartedly agree with the message. Chinese people might look different, but we need to love all our brothers and sisters. We need to “eradicate the prejudice” (Jiang). I think Jiang uses the blindfold as a symbol of the blindness of people. Xenophobia makes people blind to the truth that we are all human beings together in this fight against our common enemy, the Corona Virus. We cannot blame Chinese people. I love the part where people hug Jiang. It is a beautiful gesture of love and understanding of the hurt Asians feel when some wrongly see them as disease-carrying people. I also think Jiang is a good-looking guy and I would hug him! I notice the video was made in February, so I wonder why people are maskless and why they are willing to hug a stranger. This tells me that Jiang made his video before the pandemic really hit us full force. Probably Jiang could not make this video today. People would be afraid to hug him hopefully not because he is Chinese but because we now know the need for social distancing.
Part 3B Rhetorical / Genre Analysis
Jiang’s audience is all people. His purpose is to educate people that hatred against Chinese is wrong. He wants to show with pictures that blaming Chinese for the CV is unfounded. His choice of the video as the genre is effective. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a is worth a million words. Seeing the reactions of the city people makes a powerful message. The video captures the beauty of the city and the beauty of the people’s warmth for Jiang. This is an effective combination. The audience is moved to feel brotherly love and unity. Viewers will feel that they need to hug all Asian people and accept them as their brothers and sisters. Jiang is Vice-Chairman of the UGIC, the Italian Chinese Youth Union, so his message comes out of his own life experience and speaks truth. People who may not know that Asians really have been blamed and targeted will view the video and they know that today this prejudice is really happening all over the world and we must “eradicate the prejudice” (Jiang). Youtube is a social media platform; it is not a reliable source, but t is a platform for sharing ideas and perspectives. Jiang is doing just that: He is sharing his viewpoint with viewers everywhere.
Part 4 Notable Quotables:
“I made this video because I felt compelled to convey the meaning of the words I had written on the sign. I was very surprised by the reaction” (Jiang).
“I am not a virus, I am a human being, free me from prejudice” (Jiang).
