4 in 10 Asian and Black Americans Have Experienced Racism During COVID-19 Pandemic, Survey Says

July 3, 2020

Asian Americans and African Americans have experienced more

The survey: Polling 9,654 U.S. adults, the survey found that about four in 10 Asian and Black people noticed someone act “uncomfortable” around them since the outbreak started.

Pew conducted the survey from June 4-10, just around the height of protests for Black Lives Matter and against police brutality.
39% of Asian, 38% of Black and 27% of Hispanic respondents said that “someone has acted uncomfortable around them because of their race or ethnicity since the coronavirus outbreak” — compared to 13% of White people.
Additionally, 42% of Black and 36% of Asian respondents said that they “worry a great deal or a fair amount that other people might be suspicious of them because of their race or ethnicity if they wear a mask or face covering when in stores or other businesses.”
Asians came on top for being subjected to slurs or jokes (31%), while Black people most reported having someone express support for them (51%).
Pew noted that the relatively small sample size of Asian American respondents may not represent the entire group — since they only included those who spoke English — but they are still important to report.

Why this matters: The survey does not only echo the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the beginning of the pandemic, but they also reveal how much other racial groups have been affected.

The survey also showed that Asians (26%) and Black people (20%) most feared the possibility of someone threatening or physically attacking them, more than the shares of Hispanic (10%) and White (9%) respondents.
The survey also revealed that Black people under 50 are more likely than older Black adults to have such experiences since the latter are more likely to stay home and avoid crowds.
Asian Americans have made headlines for supporting Black Lives in multiple ways, such as participating in events, contributing to fundraisers and calling on elected officials to take action.

Read the full report of the survey here.

Feature Images via @AntiKarenLeague (left) and Chevy Chen (right)

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