Direct and Vicarious Experiences of COVID-19-Related Racism Across Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States

Abstract

Objectives Due to stigmatization associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, certain groups were believed to be the cause of COVID-19 and thus experienced COVID-19-related racism through direct interpersonal and vicarious experiences. This study used quantitative and qualitative responses to examine whether the prevalence of experiencing these types of racism varied across racial and ethnic groups. Study Design This cross-sectional study included 5,480 participants in the REACH-US (Race-Related Experiences Associated with COVID-19 and Health in the United States) study, which is a nationally representative survey administered to 5,500 U.S. adults from January 26, 2021-March 3, 2021. Methods COVID-19-related racism was measured using single items about whether participants: 1.) experienced racism because they were thought to belong to a group more likely to get COVID-19 (direct); 2.) witnessed racism against others who were thought to belong to a group more likely to get COVID-19 (vicarious). Logistic regression examined differences in experiencing COVID-19-related racism across racial and ethnic groups, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Themes emerged from open-ended descriptions of racism experiences coded in a thematic analysis and were reported across racial and ethnic groups. Results Overall, 6.4% and 15.9% of adults experienced direct and vicarious COVID-19-related racism, respectively. All racial and ethnic groups (except Hispanic/Latino English Language Preference) were significantly more likely than White adults to experience direct (AORs: 2.06–4.92) and vicarious (AORs: 1.63–3.02) COVID-19-related racism. Racial and ethnic differences were observed across thematic domains of type of mistreatment and settings where racism occurred. Conclusions Direct and vicarious COVID-19-related racism were more prevalent among marginalized racial and ethnic groups, comprised various types of mistreatment, and occurred across multiple settings, thus highlighting the need for integrated efforts to reduce and prevent racism.