Coronavirus Fears Spark Upsurge In Gun Sales Among Asian-American Communities

The Asian-Americans dreading racial attacks amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the country are stocking up guns as a defense measure.

Xenophobia against the community prompted by misinformation has been on the rise across the U.S. ever since the COVID-19 cases continued to multiply. California senator Dianne Feinstein last week issued a statement on Twitter urging residents to steer clear of rumors and renounce fears.

We’ve also seen a rise in racism toward Asian-Americans because the coronavirus is associated with China. This is unconscionable. People of all ages, races and ethnicities are susceptible, and bigotry toward any one group for a virus they have nothing to do with makes no sense.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) March 2, 2020

Considering the xenophobic backlash a prospective threat to life, people were racing to collect guns. “People are panicking because they don’t feel secure,” David Liu, a Chinese-American owner of Arcadia Firearm and Safety in Los Angeles, told The Trace. “They worry about a riot or maybe that people will start to target the Chinese.”

Liu said an overwhelming number of customers of Chinese descent visited his store in late February.

Another gun store in California witnessed close to double the sales this week. Dennis Lin, the owner of the Gun Effects and Cloud Nine Fishing in Industry store, said the spike represents the community’s fear for life as a substantial number of Asian customers thronged his store.

"Normally, we're a pretty busy store," he told ABC 7. "But this made it really, really crazy." He said people should “gather themselves a little bit and take a step back." Lin said he noticed a boost in sales about two weeks ago, which started to plunge over the past two days.

He said the new customers, who were rather apprehensive about buying a firearm before the coronavirus spread in the country, gave in to the buying frenzy.

"I think this coronavirus was really a tipping point for everybody," he said. "I think they're more worried about themselves and their families, and there is nothing wrong with that."