From fear to hate: Sources of anti-Asian sentiment during COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: This paper seeks to explain and empirically test how a public health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, might lead to discriminatory attitudes and behaviors against marginalized groups. Method: We identify four causal mechanisms that may account for the increase in anti-Asian racism during COVID-19. Using a large data set of geolocated COVID-19-related tweets in the U.S., we examine the spatiotemporal pattern of anti-Asian sentiment on Twitter and test all four mechanisms that link the crisis to the behaviors of “othering” and “scapegoating.”. Results: We find evidence consistent with the elite cueing, perceived threat, and grievance mechanisms. The president's scapegoating rhetoric significantly increased anti-Asian hate tweets across all counties. In addition, high COVID-19 infection rates and grievances from containment policies are also associated with greater numbers of anti-Asian hate tweets. On the other hand, counties with larger vulnerable populations do not seem to have more anti-Asian hate tweets. Conclusions: We demonstrate that a crisis alone does not necessarily lead to othering behavior, while elite rhetoric can significantly influence the public's opinion and behavior during a crisis.