Parents’ Perspectives Regarding Anti-Asian Racism During COVID-19: Supporting Elementary Students at School

The voices of Chinese American parents during COVID-19: Recommendations for addressing anti-Asian racism and supporting adolescents in school.

“…Similarly, in a quantitative study conducted in the Spring of 2020, Chinese American parents infrequently talked to their children about COVID-19 discrimination (Ren et al, 2022). A different group of Chinese American parents with elementary school-aged children also worried that putting too much emphasis on race, racism, and discrimination could lead to the poorer treatment of Asian American children (Wang et al, 2022). Although race talk is difficult for many ethnic minority parents, there is empirical evidence that color blindness, the approach of minimizing or denying intergroup differences, is counterproductive and perpetuates racial inequality by diminishing children's ability to identify overt instances of discrimination and call upon help from adults (Apfelbaum et al, 2010).…”

“…However, one recent study explored 40 Chinese American parents' beliefs about what schools should do to address anti-Asian discrimination following school reopenings (Wang et al, 2022). These parents of elementary school children recommended that schools promote scientific understanding about the COVID-19 virus; establish clear guidelines and consequences for handling bullying and discrimination; promote multiculturalism, diversity, and Asian American perspectives in classrooms; and increase collaborations with Asian American families.…”

“…These parents of elementary school children recommended that schools promote scientific understanding about the COVID-19 virus; establish clear guidelines and consequences for handling bullying and discrimination; promote multiculturalism, diversity, and Asian American perspectives in classrooms; and increase collaborations with Asian American families. Parents feared that excessive, explicit discussions about racial discrimination would trigger negative attitudes and more discrimination against Asian American children (Wang et al, 2022). Adolescents may be especially vulnerable to unfair racial discrimination and racial stereotypes given this developmental period's importance in identity development (Erikson, 1968).…”

Asian American parenting in a racialized world: The role of ideological contexts and intergenerational gaps

“…Asian Americans are often viewed as “foreigners” who cannot be integrated into the United States, regardless of their official citizenship, nativity, or generational status (Goto et al, 2002; Tseng & Lee, 2021). Consequently, Asian Americans to this day often experience identity denial and are frequently questioned about whether they are “real Americans.” These ideological and pragmatic exclusions have led Asian Americans to be less represented in social and political domains, more marginalized, and more invisible (C. Wang et al, 2023). This status as forever “foreigners”—and thus, frequently, “opponents”—has rendered Asian Americans recurring targets of explicit acts of racism, such as the Islamophobic and anti‐Muslim hate crimes after 9/11 and the anti‐Asian hate crimes during the COVID‐19 pandemic (Tseng & Lee, 2021).…”

“…They identified that this rise in anti‐Asian sentiment brought increased awareness of racism to Asian American parents, which was then correlated with higher levels of identity exploration and lower levels of minimization of race when socializing their children. However, Wang et al (2023) found that, although the majority of the Asian American parents in their study showed concerns about racism against their children, 70% of these parents still chose not to discuss racism with their children. Interviewing Japanese parents in the United States, Kayama and Haight (2022) also found that despite parents' awareness of increased anti‐Asian racism, many responded by placing the responsibility on themselves and their children to fit in.…”