An unsettling encounter

Was on an afternoon neighborhood walk with my toddler son near our home. We needed some sunshine as we're self quarantining in a small apartment.

For context, we are a multiracial family -- our adopted son being Japanese American, his dad (me) being a white guy, and my wife/his mom being Filipina American.

A white, middle aged man in a gray/silver Prius slows to a halt near us, lowers his passenger side window, and tries to get my attention. Thinking he needed help, I approached with my son in my arms while keeping a safe social distance. The guy says to me, "Tell your kid when he grows up that China did all this."

In my confusion, it took a moment for the words and their intent to fully register. By that time he had pulled away. He was a complete stranger to us and yet decided a 2-year-old and his dad out for an innocent walk were fair game for aggressive hate mongering. I was pretty shaken up and the little consolation I had is that my son couldn't understand the words or the hateful intent. But my family, loved ones, and friends feel more unsettled with each passing day of this.