As the United States grappled with stay-at-home orders, school closures, and social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, incidents of anti-Asian discrimination have increased. In their article in Stigma and Healthopens in new window, Suyeon Lee and Sara Waters examine experiences of racial discrimination among 410 Asians and Asian Americans and their symptoms of anxiety, depression, physical ailments, and sleep problems. Nearly a third of participants reported that racial discrimination had increased since the pandemic started. And for all participants, more racial discrimination predicted higher levels of anxiety, depression, physical ailments, and sleep problems.
Lee and Waters used an online platform to reach people living in the United States who identified as Asian or Asian American. In May and June 2020, participants completed questionnaires and described personal experiences of racial discrimination. Even subtle kinds of discrimination, sometimes called microaggressions, can have negative consequences for health. But it is often assumed in the United States that Asian Americans, the “model minority,” are not discriminated against. Participants reported being treated suspiciously in public because of their race, being the butt of anti-Asian jokes, being verbally assaulted, and even being physically threatened or attacked because they were Asian. Many participants also reported overhearing anti-Asian comments and learning about racist attacks against Asian people from friends or online. These indirect experiences of discrimination negatively affected their health as well. It is not all bad news. Participants who had stronger close relationships they could depend on reported fewer symptoms of depression and physical ailments, even if they experienced a greater degree of racial discrimination. And some participants reported that they had not experienced discrimination during the pandemic at all; many attributed this to living in racially diverse communities. These results suggest that supporting Asian Americans may involve strengthening social relationships and that combating racism may involve policies that promote racially integrated spaces.
This work is further evidence that the “model minority” myth—the idea that Asian Americans are universally successful and do not experience racism—is false and destructive. It attempts to deny the significant discrimination, both historical and contemporary, that Asian Americans face and to obscure the serious impacts it has on mental and physical health. Anti-Asian racism must be recognized, acknowledged, and denounced alongside all other forms of racism. The transition out of the pandemic provides an opportunity to support Asian American communities through antiracist action and advocacy for antiracist policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
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