Discrimination and Stress Among Asian Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the USA

Abstract

Objectives To measure COVID-19 pandemic-related discrimination and stress among Bhutanese and Burmese refugees in the USA and to identify characteristics associated with these two measures. Methods From 5/15–6/1/2020, Bhutanese and Burmese refugee community leaders were invited to complete an anonymous, online survey and shared the link with other community members who were English-proficient, ≥18 years old, and currently living in the USA. We identified characteristics associated with pandemic-related discrimination and stress applying ordinal logistic regression models. Results Among 218 refugees from 23 states, nearly one third of participants reported experiencing at least one type of discrimination, and more than two-thirds experienced at least one type of pandemic-related stress. Having had COVID-19, having a family member with COVID-19, and being an essential worker were associated with discrimination. Discrimination, financial crisis, and female gender were associated with stress. Conclusions Reducing pandemic-related discrimination should remain a priority, as should the promotion of social support and coping strategies. Noting that this is a nonrepresentative sample, we recommend that larger national studies tracking experiences with pandemic-related discrimination and stress include Asian American subgroups with limited English proficiency.

The Association Between Discriminatory Experiences and Self-Reported Health Status among Asian Americans and Its Subethnic Group Variations

“…Further, using two separate typologies for racial microaggression (behavioral aggression and verbal aggression) and discrimination (workplace discrimination and institutional racism), I found that South Asian Americans experienced the most racial discrimination (e.g., verbal aggression, workplace discrimination, and institutional racism) across three Asian American ethnic groups, though the Southeast Asia group experienced the most behavioral aggression. The multivariate findings support prior studies [9,10,[18][19][20][21] showing that increased racial discrimination was associated with worse health status among Asian populations in America. For NAAS respondents, increased workplace discrimination and institutional racism yielded decreased odds of reporting good health status.…”

“…Asians and Asian Americans, regardless of their connection to China, have been blamed for the pandemic [21,40,41]. As a mechanism of aggression, discrimination, and even hate crimes, this racialized condemnation may have far-reaching effects on Asian populations [40], including worsening health conditions [21,41]. This study may also provide implications to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellness of Asian American populations.…”

“…In recent days, the COVID-19 pandemic may threaten the status quo of Asian populations in the USA. Asians and Asian Americans, regardless of their connection to China, have been blamed for the pandemic [21,40,41]. As a mechanism of aggression, discrimination, and even hate crimes, this racialized condemnation may have far-reaching effects on Asian populations [40], including worsening health conditions [21,41].…”

“…Asian populations often experience racism ranging from more subtle forms of microaggression to more overt types of discrimination [11,[14][15][16][17]. These experiences can have significant negative effects on physical and psychological wellbeing [9,10,[18][19][20][21]. In particular, using cross-sectional social survey data with Asian Americans, prior research showed that the more experiences of discrimination [10] and racial microaggressions [9] are linked to the worse selfreported health status for Asian populations.…”

Health care disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Poverty, language barriers, and multigenerational living situations likely exacerbate the risk. One study evaluating refugees from Bhutan and Myanmar, representing 14% and 21% (respectively) of resettled refugee communities in the United States used questionnaires to determine COVID-19 incidence in essential and nonessential workers 12 . Not surprisingly, essential workers had higher self-reported infection, which may be underestimated given the nature of the survey.…”