Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 4, 2020)

The last few weeks have been quite challenging for actor-singer Meiyang Chang who, along with his friends, has been helping migrant workers near Malad, Mumbai. “The more we did for them, the less it was. I was heartbroken and helpless. It was like a partition scene and looking at small kids walking miles with their parents to reach home hit me so hard. Nobody deserves to go through this,” he tells us.

Recalling his encounter with Sugrim, a labourer, Chang, 37, says, “He looked drunk but was very ill. We thought he might be suffering from Coronavirus. We then found out he was from Bihar and his parents were no more and his sister lives in Mumbai. We called for an ambulance and the next day we went to the hospital to see him, we were told nobody by that name was admitted. It was as if he had given up on his life and left the hospital.”

Three days later, Chang says they found him nearby and understood that the hospital refused to admit him due to some “formalities”. That’s when reality hit Chang hard. “We don’t respect labourers enough in the country because of the disparity in class between the rich and poor and socio-economic gap. The mindset that they are below us has crippled our society, and needs to change,” he says.

The actor feels these migrants could’ve been sent home in a better condition, adding, “We need a big movement to provide relief to them and create enough job opportunities in all states so that they don’t have to struggle for a living.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; March 22, 2020)

A few students from the North East, who live in Delhi, recently took to social media to talk about facing racism amidst the corona crisis. They were teased and called ‘Coronavirus’ for looking Chinese. Actor-singer Meiyang Chang, who is of Chinese descent, can relate to this because he has often been at the receiving end of such insensitive comments by people. He tells BT, “I have been called Chinese, Chinki and Nepali in the past. I feel that as a country, we are casually racist, be it on the basis of colour, caste, or ethnicity.”

He adds, “Of late, my friends have been teasing me saying, ‘Chang se door raho’. Of course, I know that they don’t mean any harm and there’s no ulterior motive; it’s all in good fun. Trouble starts when random people do it with malicious intent. Just a few days ago, I had complimented a friend on Instagram, but a few guys who had nothing to do with me or her, called me ‘Coronavirus’ in the comments section. I took a screenshot of those comments, blurred their names as I don’t believe in public shaming, and shared it on my page. Later, they apologised to me and I let it pass.”

However, that wasn’t a one-off case. Chang shares, “I go for a jog every day near my house in Mumbai. The other day, two guys sped past me on a bike, screaming ‘corona’ and laughing. I wanted to scream back and hurl the choicest of gaalis, but I didn’t see any point in it. How do you punish people for their stupidity or ignorance? Over the years, I have become used to these comments and yes, they are hurtful. I try to move on and be optimistic, but it does affect you.”

Born and brought up in India, Chang says, “In the current situation, all expats are looked upon with suspicion, but ‘gorey log’ still don’t face as much discrimination as us.”

He is fine with people wanting to keep a safe distance from him. “We need to practise social distancing, so it’s fine. Being stared at for looking Chinese or people being wary of us in this situation is also understandable, but don’t call us names. That’s unfair,” he says.

Chang takes pride in his Indian identity and Chinese roots. He explains, “Three generations of my family were born in India. I was born in Dhanbad (Jharkhand). My ancestors were Chinese, and we have their genes. How can I hide that and why should I? I don’t mind the curiosity at all. When I was in boarding school, initially, I used to take offence when people asked me if I was Nepali, Chinese or Japanese. Over time, I realised that I look different. I have oriental features and people are just curious.”

He adds, “I am Indian and my genes, Chinese. I call myself Indian Chinese. Those who take pleasure in calling me Chinese, please continue to do so, but don’t forget to add ‘Indian’ before that. I expect a little sensitivity from people, especially when the world is fighting a pandemic.”