ASIAN COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE IN THE MID OF CORONA PANDEMIC
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24114/jupiis.v14i1.28045Keywords:
Experienced, Interpersonal communication, students, Asia, Covid-19Abstract
This research is motivated by case that is happening right now, where the world is being hit by a virus called covid-19, this virus started in Wuhan, China. The spread of the Covid-19 virus which has reached 226 countries has caused the death toll to continue to rise. To date, the total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide stands at 505 million cases with a death toll of 6 million. Various efforts have been made by the government together with the medical team to find ways to stop virus Covid-19. One of them is by creating a vaccine that is considered capable of reducing the death rate caused by the Covid-19. Asia, as the region that was first affected by this virus and is considered the area where the Covid-19 virus emerged, certainly brings a lot of speculation and opinion from other countries. This is what is then felt by Asian students who continue their education abroad, one of which is in Egypt. Of course this has an impact on the communication experience they feel during this pandemic due to their status as students who come from countries in Asia. The purpose of this study was to determine the interpersonal communication experience experienced by Asian students who are currently in Egypt as an area affected by COVID-19.The method used in this research is qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The data collection technique used is interviews. The data analysis technique uses the Miles and Huberman interactive model analysis. And the data validity technique in this study uses source triangulation. The results of the study showed that there were unpleasant experiences experienced by Asian students where they were discriminated against as Asian and accused of causing the corona virus in Egypt. The forms of treatment received by the Asian students included being quipped when they were in public places such as on roads, markets or shopping centers. Then ridiculed sarcastically (roughly) as Corona in a public place, shunned when in public transportation and shoping centre and not even served when in food stores.References
(Wirman, 2012). This means that a pleasant (positive) communication experience can be reviewed, including through a relationship that shows a warm attitude, acceptance and concern for each other. while the communication experience is not pleasant (negative) means the opposite.
For Asian students studying in Egypt during the Corona pandemic, the acceptance or rejection of society or the environment towards their status as students from Asia, will have an impact on communication between the two. Reports in the media about the initial cause of the Corona virus originating from Asia, coupled with the widespread news of the high death rate caused by the Corona virus can cause high sentimentality for Asian people who are in Egypt. This of course will cause conflict for students who come from countries in Asia with the people around them, resulting in poor interpersonal communication between the two. This will certainly provide an unpleasant communication experience.
In this study, researchers interviewed 8 informants. The following are informant data:
Table 1 Informant Data
No Name Origin
Level (Semester)
Ms. Najah Indonesia 3
Ms. Rezkianti Indonesia 3
Ms. Barrel Indonesia 3
Ms. An Indonesia 3
Ms. Fatimah Indonesia 3
Mr. Ashraf Malaysia It's Over (LC)
Mr. Amir Malaysia 4
Mr. Abdul Singapore 4
Source: Research Results, 2021
In this study, researchers will discuss the unpleasant experiences experienced by Indonesian students who are currently studying in Egypt in the midst of this corona pandemic.
The first statement was delivered by Najah,when Najah and his friend who are also Indonesian students went to the market, the picture of the market was like "Ramayana" in Indonesia, after from the market he went to the terminal and took a bus after that he took public transportation, in the public transportation there was a mother and her two children Judging from the age range, Najah and his friends wanted to give money to the transportation driver, but because Najah and his friends were sitting at the back, he asked the mother for help to give the money to the driver, but instead of helping to give the money, the mother refused on the grounds that Najah and his friends were Asian and the cause of Corona.
Najah's statement is similar to the following interview excerpt:
"At that time, Najah was going to the market with friends. In Indonesia, the market is like the Ramayana. Now, from the Ramayana market, I want to go home, go to the bus terminal first, then take public transportation. There are women in public transportation. with her two children, who if you see that their children are already quite big, then we are at the back, want to give money through mom to the driver, then mom doesn't want her to give us money because she's afraid of corona" (Based on the results of an interview with Najah on 24 March 2020).
Another experience was also felt by another Indonesian student named Rezkianti. At that time, Iki (his nickname) was traveling with three female junior high school students (school children in Egypt), then the schoolchildren insulted him as "Corona" while singing in front of him. The Indonesian student, annoyed with the actions of the three schoolchildren, the Indonesian student immediately pretended to sneeze in front of them, which caused the schoolchildren to scream uncontrollably, the people around who were there immediately looked cynically at him. the Indonesian student. The following is an excerpt from an interview with Rezkianti:
"When this incident happened, they were walking with 3 junior high school girls (Egyptian schoolchildren), then they made fun of this, they said "Corona..corona" (while singing) in front of this" because they were annoyed that they made fun of it, just do it pretending to sneeze in front of them, shouting at the person as loud as possible (Based on the results of an interview with Rezkianti on March 24, 2020).
In addition there is also Laras who is an Indonesian student in the second semester at Al-Azhar, he told that at that time he was at the subway station about to go somewhere, when Laras was waiting for the train, the train station guard looked cynically and rudely at him. Laras and asked the question "you are from China, right?", then Laras also said that he was not from China but from Indonesia, seeing Laras stature who is an Asian, made him get unpleasant treatment from the Egyptians.
The above statement is reinforced by the following interview results:
"At that time it happened at the subway station, right, at that station Laras was asked by the gentlemen who guarded the station, with a bitchy attitude, "Are you from China?" from Indonesia, but still, because Laras is an Asian, they think that Asians are spreading Corona (Based on the results of an interview with Laras on March 25, 2020).
Besides that, other Indonesian students also had unpleasant experiences when they were in the market, when there was a gentleman who was a native of Egypt walking in front of a group of Indonesian students who were shopping there, the man immediately turned around to avoid the Indonesian students. This, another experience was also experienced when they wanted to buy eggs and oil, the Egyptian children who were natives there when they saw a group of Indonesian students immediately covered their noses while looking cynically at the Indonesian students who were shopping. As stated by AN in the following statement:
"There are also many near the market (referring to the unpleasant treatment), at that time they were shopping and the gentlemen who were walking in front of us (a group of Indonesian students) immediately turned all the way, to avoid us, continue shopping there , we are buying eggs and oil, there are Egyptian children standing near us and immediately covering their noses with their clothes (Based on the results of an interview with AN on March 25, 2020).
At that time Fatimah was in a shopping center (Mahalawi) such as Hypermart in Indonesia. At that time there was a man who shouted "Corona" while covering his mouth to Fatimah. Here's an excerpt from the interview:
"At that time, Fatimah went to Mahalawi (a shopping center like Hypermart in Indonesia), and then Fatimah was shouted at "Corona" by an Egyptian man, while covering her nose she shouted at Fatimah" (Based on the results of an interview with Fatimah on March 25, 2020).
Apart from the experiences shared by students from Indonesia, students from Malaysia and Singapore also had similar experiences.As stated by Asyraf, a student from Malaysia. He said that because he had a facial appearance that resembled an Asian, he was treated unpleasantly there, such as when he coughed a little, which was then viewed cynically by the local community. Even when he takes off his mask and people around see his face, he is said to be a "covid carrier". Here's an excerpt from the interview:
"I just coughed a little.. I already said covid, there was one more incident when I came home from Matam Subhi Kabir, there were children and their families asking for food. don't use. In the past, initially wearing a mask was perceived as a carrier of the corona virus, but now people are used to wearing masks (Based on the results of an interview with Asyraf on 27 July 2021).
The next experience was delivered by Amir from Malaysia. He said that during the first year of the corona pandemic, he had an unpleasant experience with his friends who were buying food outside, the waiter at the restaurant didn't want to serve them and even ran away like he was scared to see them enter the restaurant while shouting "corona" to them. This is explained in the following interview excerpt:
"Oh yes, there is a story I want to share. Last year, my friends and I were walking in Abbas Al 'Aqad.. we had a chance to stop at the 'Burger King' shop. When we just entered the diner, the workers there kept running when they saw us enter and didn't want to take orders. I was a bit angry at that time and my friends and I went out. They (workers at 'Burger King') ran away saying œCorona.. this really happened to me and my friends at that time. There was also when I came out of the Emirate of my residence, there were children playing next to the nearby mosque. When I walk in front of them...they call me "corona" (Based on the results of an interview with Amir on 27 July 2021).
The last statement was delivered by Abdul from Singapore. Abdul said that during this pandemic, he had several unpleasant communication experiences, especially when dealing with Egyptian society. Like being shunned by the people around him even to the point of shouting "Corona". Here is the interview statement:
"I've been shunned, people don't want to be in one place with us. While on the side of the road screaming "corona..corona" that's it, that's just some Egyptians" (Based on the results of an interview with Abdul on July 27, 2021).
The following is a chart of the unpleasant communication experiences experienced by Asian students in Egypt:
Figure 1. The Unpleasant Communication Experience of Asian Students in Egypt
Source: Research Results, 2021
CONCLUTION
During this Covid-19 Pandemic, of course, many Asian students have had experiences who are currently studying in Egypt. Regardless of whether the experience is pleasant or unpleasant. This study specifically discusses the unpleasant communication experiences experienced by Asian students in Egypt. Among the unpleasant communication experiences that occur in public places be it on roads, stations, markets, food stalls and public transportation. The forms of unpleasant communication experiences are in the form of verbal and non-verbal. In verbal form in the form of satire "corona" and in non-verbal form in the form of rejection, physical judgment, turning around when meeting Asian people, covering noses and feeling shunned by local residents.
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