My opinion might seem utopian. However, I continue to uphold what I learn at home every day: the value of moderation. Even if it is easier to say it than to put it into practice, I believe that is what governance should be about; moderation. In this pandemic, it was not about choosing between economy and health, much less destroying one at the expense of the other. It would have been enough to find a point of balance that could protect both.

In Uruguay, the pandemic was not approached through a politicized lens or imbued with a bias of any kind. The apolitical nature of the pandemic meant that there was no division within the population. Nobody doubted the presence of the virus and everybody knew the stakes, which were especially daunting considering that Uruguay has an aging population. There were no trivial protests or deniers, unlike in some other countries.  

I have already lost count of how many times my mom had mentioned Korea since the coronavirus had flooded our lives and thoughts. During dinner, my younger sister would roll her eyes, sick of this constant chatter over South Korea’s handling of the coronavirus. But, nonetheless, my mom would continue on about how still, despite this worldwide pandemic, Korea wasn’t under a lockdown, Korea wasn’t banning Chinese citizens from entering the country, Korea wasn’t under major panic. In spite of this immediate and sudden chaos, Korea was the closest to normal.

I live in San Diego, California, far from the epicenter of the coronavirus, but my entire family is from―you guessed it―Wuhan. My parents taught me to always value my Chinese identity, to be proud of being Chinese, no matter what people thought.