Journal Article

COVID-19–Related Discrimination Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Other Marginalized Communities in the United States

Nápoles, Anna María, Forde, Allana T., Stewart, Anita L., Bonilla, Jackie, Strassle, Paula D., Santana-Ufret, Verónica, Quintero, Stephanie M., Maldonado, Ana I., Alhomsi, Alia

2022

Overview

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of COVID-19–related discrimination among major US racial/ethnic groups and estimate associations between discrimination, race/ethnicity, and other sociodemographic characteristics. Methods. We conducted a nationally representative online survey of 5500 American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino (English and Spanish speaking), White, and multiracial adults from December 2020 to February 2021. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19–related discrimination were estimated via multinomial logistic regression. Results. A total of 22.1% of the participants reported experiencing discriminatory behaviors, and 42.7% reported that people acted afraid of them. All racial/ethnic minorities were more likely than White adults to experience COVID-19–related discrimination, with Asian and American Indian/Alaska Native adults being most likely to experience such discrimination (discriminatory behaviors: adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.73, 3.89; and AOR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.76, 4.04; people acting afraid: AOR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.15, 2.07; and AOR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.34, 2.51). Limited English proficiency, lower education, lower income, and residing in a big city or the East South Central census division also increased the prevalence of discrimination. Conclusions. COVID-19–related discrimination is common, and it appears that the pandemic has exacerbated preexisting resentment against racial/ethnic minorities and marginalized communities. Efforts are needed to minimize and discredit racially driven language and discrimination around COVID-19 and future epidemics. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(3):453–466. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306594 )

• Publisher: American Public Health Association
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Adults / African Americans / Age / Aged / American Indians / Censuses / Competence / Confidence intervals / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - ethnology / Discrimination / Disease / Education / Epidemics / Epidemiology / Ethnic and Racial Minorities - psychology / Ethnic groups / Ethnicity / Female / Gender / Humans / Immigration policy / Indigenous peoples / Internet / Language / Limited English proficiency / Low income groups / Male / Marginality / Medical research / Middle Aged / Minority & ethnic groups / Minority groups / Native North Americans / Non-binary gender / Non-English speakers / Other Race/Ethnicity / Pacific Islander people / Pandemics / Prevalence / Public health / Race / Racial discrimination / Racism / Racism - psychology / Regression analysis / Research & Analysis / Resentment / SARS-CoV-2 / Secondary schools / Sociodemographic Factors / Sociodemographics / Socioeconomic Factors / Statistical analysis / Xenophobia / Young Adult