Asian New Zealanders' experiences of racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with life satisfaction.

Abstract

Racism is an important social determinant of wellbeing. This study describes New Zealand Asians' experience of racism and the association between their racism experiences and their impacts on life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study collected 1,452 responses by the cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2021. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses yielded the prevalent types and settings of racism, identified subgroups exposed more to racism and its association with life satisfaction. Results show that nearly 40% (37.7-42.9%) of participants experienced racism, mainly in public places, social media and mainstream media. Verbal attacks and microaggressions were predominant types of racism. Younger, student, temporary visa holding, and rural area participants were more likely to experience racism. Associations between not experiencing racism and high life satisfaction were significant. This study identified two under-represented subgroups, students and migrants, who were disproportionately exposed to racism. It also revealed that experiences of COVID-era racism are associated with life satisfaction. These findings inform us where anti-racism interventions are most needed, and that such interventions are needed to ensure the wellbeing of Asian communities in a COVID-19 world.