Interestingly, the New York Times, in its latest coronavirus briefing, reports that "epidemiologists around the US have noticed that Latinos are contracting the virus at higher rates than the population as a whole. Public health experts believe it may be because many Latinos work in low-paying jobs on the front lines and lack access to health care. They also tend to have higher than average rates of diabetes and other underlying conditions that increase their vulnerability. The disparities are largest in states like Oregon, Washington and Utah, whose Latino communities are newer and less established. In states like California, Arizona and New Mexico, longstanding Latino communities with more resources have infection rates that are closer to those of non-Hispanics".
I don't think Sadiq Khan's tweet can in any way be considered racist, but his use of the word "unacceptable" was ill-judged. It may be that the difference in infection rates between white people and BAME is the result of "structural inequalities", and hence his tweet can be seen as an implied criticism of society, or at least of successive governments. The US experience suggests that inequality is indeed a factor, but genetics can't be ruled out, and Khan's preference for a societal explanation has obviously irked local Labour-haters.
Robert Fish ● 2372d