Pandemic racism and sexism in Australia: Responses and reflections among Asian women

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have emerged to address either racism or women’s issues. Studies that address the intersection of pandemic racism and sexism are lacking and the experiences of Asian women have been neglected. Drawing on interviews with 20 Asian women living in Victoria, Australia, this article aims to bridge the gap between studies of pandemic racism and the issues women faced during the pandemic. The article’s intervention is threefold, we ask: first, how have Asian women in Australia experienced racism? Second, how have their experiences of racism intersected with sexism? Third, how do they make sense of their experiences and thoughts about the future? Our analysis argues three points: first, the lack of attention to Asian women’s experiences of racism obscures the fact that Asian women can encounter racism more than their male counterparts. Second, the lack of attention to how sexism intersects with Asian women’s experiences of racism causes them the inability to make sense of their experiences and prevents them from stopping mistreatment. Third, participants’ reflections show that there is potential for women of colour in general to form coalitions based on sharing intersectionality and offer valuable insights for feminist and antiracist studies and initiatives.