EXPANDING THE NARRATIVE ON ANTI-CHINESE STIGMA DURING COVID-19 - Initial Report.pdf

Due to the geographic origins of the first major outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, there have been reports of Asians around the world experiencing discrimination, xenophobia, or racism. Such reports have been prevalent in Toronto, Canada and in Nairobi, Kenya, two global urban centres that have significant Chinese diaspora communities. Discriminatory actions have ranged from outright physical aggression to subtle microaggressions. While reports (both media and academic) have highlighted such incidents, we argue that when the conversation starts and stops at the reporting of experiences of stigma, the narrative remains the victimization of the community. While the emerging story of the instances of COVID-19 stigma and discrimination are only one aspect of this story, other aspects include a deeper understanding of the community itself along with an awareness of the capacity the Chinese diaspora community brings forward to help us all overcome COVID-19.

By better understanding the complexity as well as the capacity of communities, emergency managers and public health officials can better implement social countermeasures aimed at preventing the unfair targeting of specific ethnic groups during infectious disease outbreaks.