The shadow pandemic: COVID-19 opens old fault lines

Cultural Analysis, 2023

Each installment in the Cultural Analysis Forum Series remains open for subsequent submissions in the form of original Research Articles, Essays, Scholarly Responses (to published Series contributions), Author Addendums, and Reviews of literature and media relevant to the Forum Series topic(s). For further inquiries and submissions contact Cultural

CMAJ Open

ARS-CoV-2, beginning in Wuhan, China, spread rapidly across countries, resulting in a global pandemic. 1 Although many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide are clear, 2 including loss of life, decreased financial stability, and worsened physical and mental well-being, 3-5 the full extent of the damage is unknown. 3,6 The narrative that "others" from far-flung places are to blame for epidemics and pandemics is an example of a long-standing tradition of stigma. 7 Globally, in the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in negative attitudes, prejudice and racism toward people of Asian descent, reinforcing long-standing systemic discrimination and negative stereotypes. 6,8,9 Racial discrimination is defined as unequal treatment of individuals or groups on the basis of their race or ethnicity. 3 Racial discrimination is not the result only of private prejudices held by individuals. 10 It is also produced and reproduced by rules, laws and practices, sanctioned and often implemented by various levels of governmentsembedded in cultural and societal norms as well as the economic system. 11 Confronting and combatting racial discrimination in Canada requires changing individual attitudes as well as dismantling the institutions and policies that underpin the Canadian racial hierarchy. 12

Frontiers in Public Health

Racism against people of Asian descent increased by over 300% after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the United States, with one in five Asian Americans reporting direct experiences with overt discrimination. Large-scale efforts and resources initially, and quite understandably, prioritized investigating the physiological impact of the coronavirus, which has partially delayed research studies targeting the psychological effects of the pandemic. Currently, two studies tracked the unique relationships between psychosocial factors, such as experiencing everyday racism, and the self-reported wellbeing of Asian Americans in the United States and compared these associations with Latinx Americans. Study 1 (April 2020–April 2021) examined how Asian and Latinx Americans varied in their levels of wellbeing, fear of the coronavirus, internalized racism, and everyday experiences with racism. Study 2 (September 2021–April 2022) included the same variables with additional assessments for victimi...

Centre Of Resilient and Inclusive Socities - report, 2021

Key findings Asian Australians' experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic were nationwide, with experiences of racism reported in all Australian states and territories and in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. The demographic variations in experiencing racism remain consistent with the pre-COVID-19 context with males, younger age groups, Australianborn participants and migrant participants who have been in Australia for more than 2 years, and English speakers at home most likely to report an experience of racism in the COVID-19 context. Experiences of racism decreased nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic (in comparison to the 12 months prior). The decrease in reported experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic was more substantial in Victoria (10.5% in Victoria compared to 8% nationally). Potential reasons for decreases in experiences of racism during the pandemic include: 1) COVID related restrictions on movements/access to public spaces (including lockdowns), which removed opportunities for racist offenders for an extended period of time; and 2) increased avoidance of Asian Australians due to discourses linking 'Asians' to COVID-19. The negative impacts of racism on health and wellbeing remained high, despite decreased experiences of racism. There was a relatively strong sense of belonging across the cohort, however, 'non-belonging' (such as not feeling Australian) was associated with experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian Australians are overwhelmingly not reporting incidents of racism. Lack of trust in statutory agencies and their response to racism reports was among the most relevant barriers experienced by respondents. Feelings of hopelessness, shame or disempowerment was another important barrier to reporting. Lack of knowledge of reporting tools and human rights was also another important barrier to reporting. There is an urgent need to lift the reporting rates of racism to agencies, authorities and supervisors. Racism during the COVID-19 pandemic has had a corrosive effect on social cohesion and harmony. al. 2012; Hassan 2015); and access to housing (Dunn et al. 2018; MacDonald et al. 2016), healthcare (Paradies et al. 2014) and other essential services. On a broader level, racism has far reaching impacts on inter-group relations, social cohesion, multicultural agendas and international relationships.

Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2022

We examine local and state government responses to anti-Asian hate during the initial months of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. Formal state and municipal government statements and websites were examined for 50 states and 104 of the largest municipalities using critical discourse analysis and racial formation theory to understand how government agencies racialized Asian Americans and reacted to their responsibility to address racism. We develop a typology of racist, race-neutral, and anti-racism to categorize the responses. Government statements are important for planners because they affect resident safety and willingness to report hate crimes.

Asian Australians experienced fewer racist incidents during the pandemic than before, but levels of racism are still very high. Almost half (48%) of survey participants experienced racism in the year before the COVID pandemic. This fell to 40% during the pandemic. Despite the decrease, this is still an alarmingly high proportion. There are three potential reasons for a drop in experiences of racist incidents: 1. There were fewer social interactions during lockdowns and physical distancing requirements. "Since COVID we all are mostly working from home, so no use of public transport. The lockdowns restricted the movements and hence public interaction. So naturally any experiences I had before have gone down." 2. There was increased avoidance of Asian Australians due to racist discourses linking 'Asians' to COVID-19. Respondents perceived that perpetrators of racism were avoiding 'Asian' individuals and communities: 'avoiding communities where there is [an] Asian population' which is arguably another form of racism. 1 Asian Australians' Experiences of Racism during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of International Migration and Integration

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, reports of racism and racial discrimination towards those of an Asian cultural background have increased in culturally diverse countries around the world. The current study sought to gain clarity about Asian Australian experiences of racism by conducting inferential and descriptive analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected from the Australian state of Victoria (n = 436). Building on previous studies which have identified a range of modalities and consequences of COVID-19-related racism, participants were prompted to consider their experiences of racism in the year prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 as well as their experiences during the pandemic on four measures—Direct Experiences of Racism, Vicarious Experiences of Racism (online and in-person), Everyday Racism and Hypervigilance. For the target group (participants with an East or Southeast Asian cultural background resident in Victoria), analysis showed an increase in experiences across thre...

2021

COVID-19 has exacerbated anti-Asian racism—the demonization of a group of people based on their perceived social value—in the United States in the cultural and political life. This article that analyzes the language of racism and misogyny. It also offers strategies for inclusion during and after the pandemic. Racialized thinking is institutionalized as power relations. Racial discourses take the form of political marginalization of minority groups, and cause emotional distress and physical harm. ::: https://gwenglish.org/the-roots-of-anti-asian-racism-in-the-u-s-the-pandemic-and-yellow-peril/

Journal of Transcultural Communication, 2021

(Open-access article, feel free to share) The rise of anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global phenomenon. This article aims to develop a transcultural communication perspective to examine the global rise in anti-Asian violence. It discusses the intersection of global and local factors underlying the rise of anti-Asian racism in Canada, namely (1) the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism (2) the flaws of Canadian multiculturalism, and (3) the insider/outsider dichotomy adopted by mass media's framing of the pandemic. By explicating these structural factors from a transcultural communication perspective, this article argues that politicized transcultural discussions on white supremacy are urgently needed for initiating constructive conversations over anti-Asian racism worldwide.

Global Social Security Review, 2020

Scroll down to read the English version (which comes after the Korean version) :::::: COVID-19 has exacerbated anti-Asian racism—the demonization of a group of people based on their perceived social value—in the United States in the cultural and political life. Offering strategies for inclusion during and after the pandemic, this article analyzes the history and language of racism, including the notion of yellow peril. Racialized thinking and racial discourses are institutionalized as power relations, take the form of political marginalization of minority groups, and cause emotional distress and physical harm. COVID-19로 인해 미국에서는 사람들이 인식하는 사회적 가치를 기반으로 특정 집단을 악마화하는 반아시아인종주의가 문화와 정치적 삶에서 심화되고 있다. 본 내용은 코로나 팬데믹 기간 동안 그리고 그 이후 포용에 대한 전략을 제시하고 황화(yellow peril)에 대한 개념 등 인종차별주의의 역사와 언어를 분석한다. 인종차별적사고와 인종 담론은 권력 관계로서 자리를 잡게 되고 소수집단을 정치적 비주류로 만들며 정서적 고통과 신체적피해를 유발한다. :::::: Published by the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs, ISSN: 25860844