Boston Mayor Urges Sony To Avoid 'Harmful Stereotypes' And Participate In PAX East

The Mayor of Boston has urged Sony to participate in this year's PAX East and avoid reinforcing “harmful stereotypes” against Asians.

Sony, after announcing its scheduled participation at this year's PAX East, has also announced that it is canceling its participation due to concerns about the current spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

The company said that its decision to withdraw attendance was the “safest option” that it has “as the situation is changing daily.” It added that while it is disappointed about this, it has to put the “health and safety of our global workforce” in top priority.

Responding to the company's announcement, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh sent a letter to PlayStation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida to urge him and Sony to reconsider their decision to back off from the yearly gaming convention, IGN reported.

In the letter (via WCVB), Walsh told Sony that the chances of contracting COVID-19 in Boston and Massachusetts remains very low and that city officials believe there's no reason why anyone should be afraid of visiting Boston.

The Mayor added that confusion and a lack of adequate information fuels the fears about Coronavirus, and that this fear has encouraged people to think less of Asians in the country – the Chinese in particular.

“These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," the letter reads. "They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides.”

“Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears,” it continued.

Walsh also urged Sony to take the “opportunity to set a good example” and push back against the fears surrounding the virus. The Mayor said the gaming giant should show that it is “motivated” by facts and not fear, and that in times like this it should show that it believes in “connection, not isolation.“

PAX East organizers have expressed their sentiments about Sony's decision to cancel its participation from the convention, admitting that while they are “saddened” by it, they are still hoping that the company will join future events.