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Background: This study examined longitudinal trends in discrimination experiences and racism-related vigilance among Chinese Americans in New York City during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023). Despite the growing awareness of the importance of anti-Asian discrimination during the epidemic, few studies have consistently tracked these experiences after the outbreak to observe changes in them. Using data from the Poverty Tracker study with a Chinese oversample, we investigated whether discrimination experiences targeted at this population subsided as COVID-19-related concerns diminished or persisted as a broader and ongoing social issue.
Methods: We analyzed data collected from participants of Chinese descent in the Poverty Tracker study across four years (2020-2023), with sample sizes of N₂₀₂₀=436, N₂₀₂₁=406, N₂₀₂₂=654, and N₂₀₂₃=600. Surveys were administered online and via phone interviews in English or Mandarin. We tracked three primary indicators: (1) everyday discrimination experiences using the Williams Everyday Discrimination Scale; (2) specific bias and hate incidents using a 7-item scale; and (3) racism-related vigilance using a 3-item scale. We also measured psychological distress and neighborhood safety perceptions, comparing Chinese New Yorkers to citywide averages in 2022 and analyzing differences between those who experienced discrimination versus those who did not. Two-sample t-tests and chi-square tests were used to detect significant difference.
Results: Our longitudinal analysis yielded three key findings: (1) Chinese New Yorkers' daily experiences of discrimination steadily increased from 58% in 2020 to 75% in 2023, most commonly in the form of “being treated with less respect than others”; (2) Bias and hate incidents rose from 33% in 2020 to 42% in 2023, with verbal harassment remaining the most common type; (3) Racism-related vigilance remained consistently high (over 80% from 2020 to 2023), with a large portion of participants fearing for their family's safety from hate crimes. In addition, comparative analyses from 2022 revealed that Chinese New Yorkers reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress and feelings of neighborhood unsafety than citywide averages. Participants who experienced discrimination consistently reported more severe psychological distress and higher neighborhood safety concerns than those who did not, suggesting a direct impact of discrimination on mental health and perceptions of safety beyond usual pandemic-related stressors.
Implications: The experience of discrimination against Chinese New Yorkers persisted and even increased after pandemic, suggesting anti-Asian racism become entrenched and is shifting from a temporary phenomenon to a lasting pattern. Such discrimination has clearly negative effect on safety, mental health status and quality of daily life of Chinese New Yorkers. These findings emphasize the need for sustained policy interventions and community support mechanisms to address anti-Asian discrimination. Social workers should recognize the ongoing nature of these experiences when working with Chinese American clients and communities, and advocate for culturally sensitive mental health services and anti-discrimination programs. Future research should examine protective factors and effective intervention strategies, particularly ways to reduce the emotional burden of discriminatory behaviors to contribute to long-term improvements in community well-being.