Wuhan used to be a relatively unknown Chinese city (compared to Shanghai and Beijing) until the outbreak happened. Today, most people would only associate it to the coronavirus, never mind that the city is a major business hub and there are 11 million human beings who call it home. The terms "Chinese Virus" or "Wuhan Virus," which have been thrown around by certain politicians lately, have dehumanized the city and its people. Using them has led to, for instance, a series of xenophobic behaviors and racist attacks towards people of East Asian descent, or even to anyone appearing remotely Asian.
That's when Laura Gao decided to step in. Laura currently lives in San Francisco, where she works at Twitter and moonlights as a comic artist. The Wuhan she's always known is completely different from the one she's been reading on the headlines. For her, Wuhan is a part of her heritage. It's where she was born, where her family originally came from, and where her grandparents still reside.
Determined to show another side of Wuhan to others, Laura has created a short comic about her birthplace.
Started with Laura's own immigration experience, the comic moves on to give a brief introduction to the once-obscure city. "I drew this comic to shine light on what people don't know: the beautiful culture, rich history, and strong people of Wuhan," she wrote.
