Asian Americans Have Experienced High Rates Of Discrimination Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Finds

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    Baltimore, MD (WJZ) — Findings from a new study done at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County show a majority of Asian Americans have experienced racial discrimination because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new study done by psychology professor Charissa Cheah at UMBC is showing an increase in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic.

The study focused on Chinese-American families and their experiences with racial description between mid-March and the end of May.

The study found three in four people said they witnessed discrimination on a weekly or monthly basis because of the pandemic.

“We’ve heard families in our sample in our study talk about being shouted at, told to go back to their country, told that they were the cause of the virus,” Cheah said.

Over half of those surveyed agreed Americans believed Chinese people and culture were a threat to public health in the country.

It’s also having an impact on anxiety and depression in these families.

“The more experiences of discrimination that you have, the more likely you were to report having mental health difficulties and challenges during this period,” Cheah said.

50 percent of children said they’re worried about being targeted, and some locally have, according to Elizabeth Chung of the Asian-American center of Frederick.

“I have one young sixth-grader, he wrote down something like being Asian doesn’t mean that you bring the virus. Now, for a sixth-grader, 11, 12-years-old it’s very sad,” Chung said.

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