When Perceptions Are Fragile But Also Enduring: An Asian American Reflection on COVID-19

Abstract

With the increasing death tolls and economic downfall, COVID-19 has also unearthed anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in the United States and globally. In this article, we examine how the current anti-Asian sentiments are not new occurrences risen with COVID-19. Instead, the perceptions about people of Asian descent as foreign threats have become more visible due to the pandemic. As we grapple with and heal from the traumas of COVID-19, there is a great need to acknowledge not only the shared humanity and interconnectedness among people but also to note the legacies of racialization and inequity that affect the experiences of the current pandemic that are lived differently.