重口味SM

Anti-Asian discrimination on the rise in Canada, U of T researchers find

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Reports of discriminatory experiences by Asian Canadians more than tripled over the past year, up from 11 per cent in April 2020 to more than 35 per cent in early 2021, according to preliminary data (photo by Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-Asian discrimination is on the rise in Canada, with reports of discriminatory incidents more than tripling over the last year.

That鈥檚 according to the preliminary results of co-led by social demographer Weiguo Zhang, an associate professor of sociology at the 重口味SM Mississauga. The research team also includes Xiaolin Wei, an associate professor at U of T鈥檚 Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Peizhong Peter Wang, a professor at Dalla Lana and Memorial University, and Lixia Yang, a professor at Ryerson University. 

The study notes that the Canadian Chinese community was already taking precautions by February of 2020, when Canada had just eight confirmed cases of COVID-19. That includes avoiding restaurants and cultural gatherings such as Lunar New Year, wearing face masks and self-isolating after returning home from trips abroad.

鈥淎t that time, the Chinese community was taking action to isolate themselves and provide mutual help to each other,鈥 Zhang says.

 

The study, which aims to assess the prevalence of racial discrimination against Chinese immigrants and the likelihood of experiencing discrimination across social groups, launched in April 2020 with an online survey of 700 Chinese respondents living in Canada.

About 11 per cent of respondents to the April survey indicated that they had experienced incidents of discrimination since the start of the pandemic. Respondents to the April survey also reported feeling higher levels of anxiety, depression and fear since the pandemic began 鈥 data that will help the researchers better understand the relationship between racial discrimination and psychological distress in the context of COVID-19.

By contrast, preliminary results from a second survey conducted in early 2021 revealed a sharp rise in discriminatory experiences, with more than 35 per cent of respondents indicating they had experienced an incident of discrimination.

Qualitative interviews with 60 respondents, conducted in the summer of 2020, revealed differing attitudes about what constituted discrimination that was split along age demographics. Younger and middle-aged respondents (aged 18 to 25 and 25 to 64, respectively) were more likely to identify incidents as discriminatory, while seniors (aged 65 and up) were reluctant to use that label.

Zhang notes one experience recounted by an older interviewee who visited a big-box store early in the pandemic and was asked to remove a mask. The interviewee didn鈥檛 view the incident as discriminatory, but Zhang notes that they might not have been asked to remove the mask if they weren鈥檛 Asian.

Zhang, who opted to wear a mask himself during the early days of the pandemic, recalls visiting a medical clinic where he was bumped to the front of the line. He says he wonders now if it was because people felt uneasy when they spotted an Asian person wearing a mask. 鈥淪ometimes, it鈥檚 difficult to judge what is discrimination,鈥 he says.

Older respondents also used different words to describe their experiences, referring to 鈥渦nfriendly gestures鈥 when describing discrimination.

Zhang notes that older community members may be less likely to experience discrimination because they are not working or going out of the house during lockdowns. They may also cope with discrimination by ignoring it or trying to avoid situations where they might experience trouble. In contrast, the middle-aged demographic was more likely to suggest finding solidarity with other racial groups experiencing discrimination.

鈥淲e think that some people are trying to mitigate the impact by playing down the discrimination, so they don鈥檛 get hurt as much, or avoid thinking about it,鈥 Zhang says. 鈥淪ometimes they say: 鈥業f you see discrimination everywhere, you will be troubled all the time.鈥欌

Zhang says he was surprised to find that self-reported experiences of discrimination crossed all socio-economic demographics within the Canadian Chinese community.

鈥淧eople with high income or low income, people who speak English or don鈥檛 speak English, people who come earlier or new arrivals 鈥 there鈥檚 no difference,鈥 Zhang says. 鈥淣obody is protected by money, gender, disability or language abilities. It鈥檚 not because of status 鈥 it鈥檚 because of our appearance and racial background.

鈥淭he Chinese community has disproportionately experienced discrimination because of where the COVID-19 virus originated from,鈥 Zhang says. 鈥淲e are trying to understand the impact of discrimination on well-being, and how we can help as individuals and community members.鈥

Zhang says it could be that the racism was simply better hidden before the pandemic, which brought racist attitudes to the surface.

鈥淚n normal years, discrimination is less apparent, but never totally gone. It is a continuous and never-ending work for all of us to work together to end it,鈥 he says.

鈥淐hinese people have experienced historical systemic discrimination. Being aware of it, and how to fight it is important.鈥

The researchers saw a unique opportunity to study the experiences of Canada鈥檚 Chinese community since the Greater Toronto Area is home to one of the largest Chinese communities in the world outside of China. With a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the researchers launched a two-year study of a group they feared would 鈥渂ear the brunt鈥 of the virus鈥檚 social impact.

 

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