Hilbig 1

Tyler Hilbig

Professor Shepard

Writing 150

11/25/21

The War on Asians: Anti-Asian Discrimination in the Pandemic

It’s a quarter past nine pm. You just clocked out and started walking down Oxford Street to

the bus stop. Suddenly, contentious voices to your left tear your attention away from your phone.

You hear a few derogatory comments and see a man on the ground being kicked. You wonder

what might he have done to provoke such violence? 24-year-old student, and victim of the

attack, Jonathon Mok, had the same question. In February of 2021, he was attacked by four

teenagers for no reason other than his appearance. “My interpretation was he believed that I was

the one who brought the coronavirus to this country, or people who look like me.” Jonathan says,

“I was angry… it was quite shocking because I never expected to face this sort of incident, I

have never heard this kind of comment the whole time while studying in London.” (Ng 1).

This is not the only instance of anti-Asian racism we’ve seen recently. The pandemic has led

to a steep increase in discrimination. The sad reality is that the Coronavirus isn’t causing the

problem, it’s revealing it. Similarly, we could say that the murder of George Floyd assisted in

revealing the problem of anti-African American racism by drawing attention to it. While it’s true

that the coronavirus probably exacerbated the issue, we have thorough evidence that anti-Asian

discrimination has occurred throughout history with no formula to effectively treat the issue.

Proposed solutions so far have included offering support (Such as in language mental health

support), speaking out when you witness a crime, checking in with Asian-American peers, and
Hilbig 2

reporting incidents. While these solutions aren’t bad, the issue is that they don’t stop the

problem, they only ease the damage after it has been caused. It can be compared to chopping off

only the top of a weed. Unless we pull its roots, it will keep growing back. Therefore, the most

effective way to stop anti-Asian racism is to implement training in schools to eliminate the

problem early on.

Going into grade school, I was shocked to discover that I was half Asian. [Absolute phrase]

Until then, I had always assumed I was Caucasian like all my classmates, but the surprise quickly

faded when I realized that my life went on nearly unchanged. However, as I started middle

school, I noticed a difference in the way people treated me. Suddenly, it seemed like the only

quality people used to identify me was Asian. If an Asian person came up in a video or a

textbook it was compared to me even if it looked nothing like me. [Passive sentence] I was asked

by many in a joking or serious manner if I ate dogs or got beaten for not getting straight A’s in

school. At first, I hated it. My parents and I all grew up in the United States, so culturally I was

no different from my classmates which meant that their judgments must’ve come from the way I

looked. From this experience, I learned that children are not born with racist tendencies. In first

grade, nobody even seemed to notice that I was different. That came further along the road,

which is why working with children while they are young is the best way to prevent racist

development.

To counter discrimination, we must begin by considering the different types. Societal level

discrimination, (also known as “political discrimination”) includes comments or use of offensive

terms in news, newspapers, and social media. This type of discrimination has recently been

picking up traction in media coverage, though it was already more common due to The United

States’ relationship with China, foreign policy issues, and the poor political system of the PRC.
Hilbig 3

It’s likely that inappropriate comments from political leaders such as “Chinese Virus, China flu,

or Kung flu” have only added to the tolerance of these issues.

Interpersonal discrimination consists of either direct or indirect acts of violence or prejudice.

In some cases that might look like intentional verbal or physical forms of abuse, though on the

other hand, there are also reported instances of overt discrimination which would be the internal

unintentional acts of prejudice such as derogatory slights or insults.

Lastly, we have intrapersonal discrimination, which is defined as the acceptance of racist

behaviors, beliefs, or negative stereotypes, used by society. It’s the equivalent of taking the

“bystander” position rather than telling someone or seeking help. The example mentioned above

about tolerating derogatory terms used by political leaders is a form of intrapersonal

discrimination since such comments influence on the thoughts and speech of the population.

In many cases, discrimination, like bullying, is not always done out of sheer brutality or

hatred; unintentional discrimination is also a rampant problem in the world nowadays.

[Semicolon] A common and detrimental example of unintentional discrimination is the use of the

term “model minority.” Referring to Asians as the “model” implies that they are a hardworking,

successful group that has overcome hardship and trial. While this may not initially sound like a

problem, we must realize that “This myth presumes that Asian Americans have risen above

experiences of racism, discrimination, oppression, and other barriers in U.S. society” (Alvarez et

al., 2006; Lee & Joo, 2005). It puts pressure on Asians to perform at a suggested level, which

when not attained, may cause them to feel defective or wonder what is wrong with them.

Additionally, this comparison situates minority groups as rivals against one another which

negatively affects the mental health of more than one race at a time. It directly demeans African

Americans, Hispanics and other races by suggesting that they are “unworthy” minorities.
Hilbig 4

Positive or negative, racism is racism. Trying to elevate one race above others only pushes the

others down. E being the model pushes Asians down since it downplays their struggles, often

causing them to be excluded from service provision and policy consideration (Chao, Chiu, &

Lee, 2010; Museus & Park, 2015).

Sadly, Asians are already less likely to seek help or report discrimination. A study was done

to test this theory and results show that the already alarmingly steep increase in Anti-AAPI

discrimination may underrate the issue. “Specifically, Asian victims had approximately 54.1%

lower odds of reporting a hate crime to the police than white victims, net of controls. Black,

Hispanic, and other race victims, in comparison to white victims, did not exhibit significantly

different reporting patterns in the current sample.” (Lantz 12). And that’s not all, research has

shown that hate crimes are especially less likely to be reported to the police in comparison to

other crimes (Harlow 2005; Lantz et al. 2019). That means that the official statistics we see

deeply undermine the extent of the issue. To make matters worse, these aren’t just petty offenses

they are facing. Among those who did not report their hate crime, results indicate that nearly half

of the victims had been threatened with physical violence, 42% had their personal property

destroyed, 37% had objects thrown at them, 29% were hit, kicked, punched, or beaten, and 21%

had been assaulted with a weapon (Lantz 15). Combining these unrecorded numbers with the

statistics of victims who did report their crime produces sickening results.

While the numbers haven’t always been at such a high level, the pandemic has been one of

the most harmful sources of Anti-Asian discrimination. In March, a national online survey of

1,141 US residents showed that more than 40% of Americans reported that they had engaged in

at least one discriminatory behavior toward people of Asian descent (Dhanani and Franz 2020).

It’s now been over a year since the pandemic began, however, the problem has not ceased. In
Hilbig 5

March 2021, STOP AAPI Hate Report received a surge of reported hate incidents from 3,795 to

6,603 in the same month that six Asian women were shot and killed in Atlanta (Jeung 1).

With such a steep increase in discrimination, it’s unquestionable that the mental health of

Asians will consequently decline. Studies have shown that discrimination leads to several

adverse health effects. Professor Charissa Cheah of UMBC says, “Experiences of racial

discrimination can threaten individuals’ identity and sense of control, thereby leading to

hopelessness and the internalization of negative attitudes.” (Cheah et al. 2020). It doesn’t end

there, even Asians who have not personally experienced discrimination are forced to live in a

state of fear of possible treatment. Prior to the pandemic, Asian Americans reported fewer mental

health conditions than Caucasian Americans (Asnaani et al. 2010). However, due to recent

events, the mental health of Asians has fallen below that of Caucasian Americans with a

substantial gap. Using a PHQ-4, studies during the pandemic showed that whites received an

overall score of 1.98 [95% CI, 1.95–2.00], whereas Asian Americans received an overall score of

2.96 [95% CI, 2.82–3.11] (Wu et al. 825). The overall score for whites caps out at 2.00, which is

within normal and healthy levels. The average score for Asian Americans, however, is just .04

units shy of “mild depression”. Additionally, when examining the results of those who scored a

0.00 on the PHQ-4, meaning they had no mental health symptoms, we find that 47% of whites

had no symptoms but only 33% of Asian Americans had no symptoms (Wu et al. 826).

These personal examples reported between March 2020 and February 2021, shed some light

on what has caused the mental health gap, by illustrating what Asian Americans have been

facing since the beginning of the pandemic. 1. “My elderly mother (65 years old) was waiting for

the subway. Someone tried to push her off the platform down into the train tracks. She screamed

and a fellow bystander chased off the perpetrator. The good Samaritan stood nearby my mom
Hilbig 6

until she boarded the train safely.” (Boston, MA) 2. “I was at lunch and an Asian kid was spit at

and called names, ‘Ching Chong, slant, ch***.’ Another kid came and slapped him on the back

of the head.” (Scott, LA) 3. “My boyfriend and I were walking back home through the back

alleyway attached to our complex. Two white men, who park back there and live nearby, tried to

hit us with their car. We jumped out of the way and they missed us by inches. They then stopped

and yelled out of the window at us ‘Go back to China!’ three times along with profanity.”

(Beverly Hills, CA) 4. “I was playing League of Legends with some friends on a call. One of my

friends kept yelling racial slurs at my friend who is Chinese and me. He kept saying things like

‘You f***ing ch***!’ or "dog eater!" and asking if we have the virus.” (Stockton, CA) (Jeung 1).

These examples are real accounts that were reported within under a 12-month span. Since

then, there have been numerous reported and unreported incidents of the same severity. One

thing that we also need to keep in mind is that the listed examples of discrimination are not

limited to Chinese people. Many who inaccurately assume that due to their similar features,

Asian Americans are a homogenous group with little to no variation, however, the Asian

American population consists of members from over 30 ethnic groups who speak over 300

languages (Kim, 1973; Teranishi, et al. 2004). This way of stereotypical thinking leaves out the

rich cultural differences among ethnic groups. Religious beliefs, language, immigration histories,

educational attainment, and more are ignored. As a result, clumping these races together means

that when one group is targeted, the rest of them also suffer. In this case, the Chinese have been

the target, yet many others have experienced the same persecution.

A sample of incidents reported between March 19, 2020, and March 31, 2021, found that

only 43.7% of respondents were Chinese (Jeung 4). This means that while many have been

blaming China for the pandemic, in most cases, attackers have discriminated against Koreans,
Hilbig 7

Filipinos, Japanese, Vietnamese, and others (Jeung 4). This is likely influenced in part by the

inaccurate representation of the Asian demographic in the United States. Although some Asian

ethnic groups are more commonly featured in the news or pop culture than others, the true

population ratio is not accurately reflected by pop culture representation. For example, Japan is

one of the largest Asian influences in the United States, yet only 7% of Asian Americans are

Japanese. That’s less than half the size of the Filipino (19%) population, and barely one-third the

size of the Indian population (21%) (Budiman and Ruiz). This provides significant evidence that

many Americans could benefit from learning more about other cultures to reduce these

misconceptions.

Some would suggest that racism cannot be overcome because it is an inherent trait. An innate

and unchangeable part of our nature. [Sentence fragment] While there are many who develop

racist ways of thinking earlier on in life, those thoughts and beliefs are still learned. American

anthropologist, Nina Jablonski says, [Appositive] “We notice skin colour because it is our most

visible trait and because we are highly visually oriented animals. This doesn't mean we are

genetically programmed to be biased, rather that we form our impressions of others and the

world primarily through what we see. Our reliance on vision permeates every aspect of our lives

as social beings.” (Jablonski 27). Therefore, by cultivating inclusive ways of thinking and

helping children understand other cultures at an early stage of life, we can prevent these harmful

developments.

One of the best ways to target and root out racism in children is to implement it into their

school system and blend it into their education. In many cases, people say or do racist things due

to a lack of cultural awareness. Over time these false cultural beliefs or stereotypes, often

worsened by media, are likely to become more deeply ingrained in the view of people.
Hilbig 8

[Participle phrase] That’s why targeting racism when it’s at an early stage is a more effective

way of addressing the problem. Children are submissive and willing to learn from those older

than them. In a way, they are like clay. It’s up to the parents, teachers, coaches, and other adults

to shape them into the next generation of adults that will make up society in the future.

This proposed training plan would start by discussing which terms are appropriate and

which are derogatory. After guidelines for vocabulary have been properly established, the next

step would be to give a general overview of different ethnic groups to help students learn to

identify each one based on different elements of culture and appearance. After students

understand the differences between each group, they will move into more sensitive information

that discusses the damaging consequences of discriminatory behavior and what will not be

tolerated. Part of this section would also give examples of how can appropriately deal with such

situations. As a result, most students will be inclined to take steps to better the educational

environment for their Asian classmates. Those who continue to rebel would then be held at a

higher level of accountability for their actions and could be disciplined accordingly should they

insist on continuing racist behavior.

Because humans are imperfect, discrimination is something that has always existed and

will continue to exist until effective steps are taken to properly eliminate it from our society.

Until then, it will continue to be detrimental to the mental and physical health of minorities and

those targeted. Fortunately, racism is not innate, it can be countered through proper education

and training. As stated before, this training is most effective when implemented at a young age.

That is why the best way to stop racism from spreading is to teach children how to deal with

these differences in a manner that is polite and appropriate. As future generations become less

biased, the generations they raise will be able to inherit these traits from their parents, and over
Hilbig 9

time racism will become less prominent in our society. It is through this cultural education that

we will be able to create a world where we can coexist in a manner of peace and appreciation

despite our differences.

 Hilbig 10

Works Cited

Alvarez, Alvin N., et al. “Asian Americans and Racism: When Bad Things Happen to ‘Model
Minorities.’” Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3, July 2006, pp.
477–492. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/1099-9809.12.3.477.

Asnaani A, et al. “A Cross-Ethnic Comparison of Lifetime Prevalence Rates of Anxiety

Disorders.” Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, vol. 198, no. 8, Aug. 2010, pp. 551–
555. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181ea169f.

Bok-Lim C. Kim, MSW, “Asian-Americans: No Model Minority”, Social Work, Volume 18, Issue 3,
May 1973, Pages 44–53, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/18.3.44

Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and Growing
Population.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 9 Sept. 2021,
www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/.

Chao, Melody M., et al. “Asians as the Model Minority: Implications for US Government’s
Policies.” Asian Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 13, no. 1, Mar. 2010, pp. 44–52. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1111/j.1467-839X.2010.01299.x.

Cheah, Charissa S. L., et al. “COVID-19 Racism and Mental Health in Chinese American
Families.” Pediatrics, vol. 146, no. 5, Nov. 2020, pp. 1–10. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1542/peds.2020-
021816.

Harlow, Caroline. “Hate Crime Reported by Victims and Police.” Bureau of Justice Statistics, Nov.
2005, bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/hate-crime-reported-victims-and-police.

Jablonski, Nina. “The Struggle to Overcome Racism.” New Scientist, vol. 215, no. 2880, Sept. 2012, pp.
26–29. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.erl.lib.byu.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=asn&AN=79602600&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Jeung, Russell, et al. "Stop AAPI hate national report." Stop AAPI Hate (2021).

Lantz, Brendan, and Marin R. Wenger. “Are Asian Victims Less Likely to Report Hate Crime
Victimization to the Police? Implications for Research and Policy in the Wake of the COVID-19
Pandemic.” Crime & Delinquency, Aug. 2021, p. 1. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1177/00111287211041521.

Ng, Kate. “Attack on London Law Student over Coronavirus Was 'Racially Motivated'.” The
Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 4 Jan. 2021,

Wu, Cary, et al. “Anti-Asian Discrimination and the Asian-White Mental Health Gap during COVID-
19.” Ethnic & Racial Studies, vol. 44, no. 5, Apr. 2021, pp. 819–835. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1080/01419870.2020.1851739.