Fear, Political Legitimization, and Racism: Examining Anti-Asian Xenophobia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Unfortunately, there is a long history linking pandemics to Anti-Asian prejudice and xenophobia; these negative outcomes have been particularly pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some scholars have suggested that these relationships are driven by fear, wherein individuals respond to disease threat by “othering” that threat. Other research has implicated the role of the state, including the political rhetoric of former President Trump, in exacerbating bias by enabling a divisive political environment. Yet, very few existing studies have been able to assess the nature of these impacts or examine the mechanisms behind observed increases in xenophobia. To that end, this research presents results from a survey administered in May 2020 to respondents residing in the U.S., which assessed COVID-19-related attitudes and behaviors, as well as anti-Asian prejudicial attitudes. Using these data, we assessed the direct and interactive relationship between perceptions of risk (i.e., fear), exposure to COVID-19 information, support for Trump, and anti-Asian prejudice. Results reveal that fear—and support for Trump—are associated with increased anti-Asian prejudice, but that exposure to more information about COVID-19 is associated with decreased prejudice; we also note complex interactions between each of these factors.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Anti-Asian Racism & Violence in the 21st Century

“…They found that fear of disease and support for Trump was associated with increases in xenophobia, and exposure to more COVID-19 information was associated with a decrease in prejudice. Although Lantz et al (2023) could not differentiate between the consumption of correct information and misinformation about COVID-19, this study's results showed the importance of information consumption on people's attitudes toward a certain group, including Asians, along with the powerful role a high-profile politician can play.…”

“…To examine the impact of COVID-19 on xenophobia against Asians, Lantz et al (2023) analyzed individuals' fear of COVID-19 (perception of risk), exposure to COVID-19 information, and support for Trump, who legitimatized anti-Asian prejudicial attitudes through political agenda focusing on xenophobia against Asians. They found that fear of disease and support for Trump was associated with increases in xenophobia, and exposure to more COVID-19 information was associated with a decrease in prejudice.…”

Structural racism and health in the age of COVID‐19: A selective review with policy implications

“…There is some evidence that racial resentment is also associated with greater endorsement of conspiracy beliefs, which have been associated with reduced engagement in preventive behaviors to reduce COVID‐19 exposure or illness, higher risk for infection, and may indirectly be linked to higher rates of COVID‐19 mortality (Earnshaw et al., 2020; Romer & Jamieson, 2020). Although this is a new area of research, there is some evidence that major cultural events, including leader communications of prejudice, may also be associated with outcomes related to mental health and perceived health (Dhanani & Franz, 2020; Lantz et al., 2023). Policy makers face the challenge of developing strategies for assessing the frequency, intensity, and dissemination of prejudicial cultural communications, and identifying the best strategies for combatting their effects on health.…”

“…Communications of prejudice by major political leaders become cultural events. There has been substantial documentation of Donald Trump's prejudicial communications during COVID‐19 and their effects on the mental health and well‐being of members of the Asian community (Dhanani & Franz, 2020; Lantz et al., 2023). However, to our knowledge, researchers have not examined the health effects of his prejudicial comments about Black Americans and African countries.…”

How Criminological Theory Can Inform the Role of Marketing in Understanding Radicalization and Deradicalization

“…Differential reinforcement and imitation also play critical roles in structuring behavior in an online landscape. Extreme examples of reinforcement and imitation can be found in right-wing extremist spaces that glorify and gamify acts of extreme violence, referring to casualties using discourse typically reserved for video games, describing high death counts as “high scores.” This landscape becomes particularly dangerous when coupled with disinformation from other sources that may serve to further exacerbate prejudicial, extremist attitudes (see Lantz, Wenger, and Mills 2022). Taken together, the end result of these processes is the potential perpetration of intergroup violence, the consequences of which can result in not only loss of life but also extended intergroup conflict and disrupted community cohesion, among other consequences.…”