Prejudices and Discrimination Toward Asians and Hispanics During and After COVID-19

Prejudices and Discrimination Toward Asians and Hispanics During and After COVID-19 Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has led to growing concerns of racism and xenophobia. Results from our nationally representative online survey experiment of 5,000 Americans, conducted in August 2020, show that, when reminded of the adversities of COVID-19, respondents reported heightened prejudice and discrimination toward ethnic minorities, particularly Asians and Hispanics. The ensuing questions are: will such racism and xenophobia abate when the society and economy return to normal, what mechanisms will moderate changes in racist attitudes, and what are the implications of these attitudinal shifts for the well-being of minorities? We propose to investigate these questions with longitudinal data collection and analyses. Specifically, we will collect a second wave of nationally representative online survey experiment to study changes in prejudice and discrimination against minorities as the nation recovers from COVID-19. Further, we will study the economic and psychological well-being of minority groups before, during, and after COVID-19 using our survey data, which includes a new module of retrospective measures for an oversample of minority groups. At the theoretical level, our project adds to theories of racism and inter-group relations by examining (i) insecurities and threats triggered by the pandemic and their impacts on attitudes and behavioral orientations toward minorities; (ii) the abatement of these prejudices and discrimination as the society recovers; (iii) the factors that moderate the abatement process; and (iv) the economic and psychological effects of COVID-19 on minority groups using retrospective history data starting a year prior to the pandemic. At the empirical level, this project builds on a nationally representative longitudinal online survey experiment conducted during and after the pandemic, which is a novel contribution. The nationally representative sample allows for generalization of the findings. The longitudinal design strengthens causal inference and facilitates assessment of changes in attitudes and behavioral intent over time, and factors shaping such change. Findings from our proposed research will inform policymakers and the society at large about the extent and urgency of the issue that can facilitate the development of initiatives to reduce racism and xenophobia toward minorities. Our data on histories of minority experiences during and after the pandemic will provide important information for policy and research on the vulnerabilities and resilience of minorities during and post-societal crises. In particular, the moderation analyses will be beneficial for public policies as they help identify factors that can be leveraged to reduce racism and xenophobia in workplace and social settings.