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Pandemic prejudice
Study finds Asian- Australians ‘ trusted ’ yet still discriminated against .
By Wade Zaglas
A survey conducted by the Australian National University has found that four in five Asian-Australians have experienced instances of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The ANU survey , which involved 3000 people , found that 84.5 per cent of Asian- Australians reported at least one instance of discrimination between January and October this year . This contrasts with 82 per cent of survey respondents reporting an incident of discrimination in August 2019 . However , it ’ s not all bad news . Professor Nicholas Biddle , study coauthor from the ANU Centre for Social Research Methods , also found that discrimination towards Asian-Australians dipped and peaked during different periods of the year , with a 12.3 per cent drop between January and April 2020 .
“ This was when lockdowns were in full force and there was less exposure to potential sources of discrimination ,” Biddle said .
“ But we then found an almost equal increase in instances of discrimination between April and October 2020 , when lockdowns were easing .
“ Our findings also show Australians are no more likely to think that people from a different ethnic background to the majority of the Australian population should be restricted from moving to Australia than they did prior to the pandemic .
“ There has also been a slight decline in support for migration in general , but this does not appear to have been targeted towards particular ethnic groups .”
While the overall incidents of discrimination towards Asian-Australians during the pandemic has been concerning , Biddle also noted that social cohesion has actually improved during the pandemic .
“ What is perhaps more interesting though is that Australians are more likely to think that Asian-Australians can be trusted , are fair , and are helpful than they are to think the same thing of Anglo-Australians ,” Biddle said .
“ Around 65 per cent of the Australian population has high trust in Asian- Australians , compared to 55 per cent who have high trust in Anglo-Australians .”
The study was a collaboration between the ANU Centre for Social Research Methods and the ANU Centre for Asian- Australian Leadership ( CAAL ).
“ We know that sadly many Asian- Australians still face and experience discrimination every day ,” CAAL Director Mr Jieh-Yung Lo said .
“ This survey shines an important light on the experiences of Asian-Australians , particularly in a very distinct moment in our history , as well as the work we must still all do to make sure our nation is free from discrimination .”
The study also focused on the experiences of Asian Australians , including employment .
“ Asian-Australians are more likely to be anxious and worried due to COVID-19 than the rest of the Australian population ,” Biddle said .
“ The biggest difference though has been in terms of economics . The drop in hours worked for Asian-Australians between February and April 2020 ( 5.0 hours ) was more than twice the drop for the rest of the Australian population ( 2.4 hours ).”
Lo added that Asian-Australians “ fared worse ” during the COVID-19 period than the wider Australian population , emphasising the “ source of this disparity ” must be understood , and appropriate policy responses implemented .
“ In addition to anti-racism strategies , one of the most effective ways to combat discrimination is by increasing Asian- Australian representation in senior leadership positions across our public and private institutions . Having more Asian-Australians in leadership roles changes perceptions , breaks down stereotypes and instils greater trust and confidence across our society ,” he said .
Asked whether the study is more negative than positive or vice-versa , Biddle said “ that is quite difficult to answer ”.
“ On the one hand , there has been a significant amount of concern that levels of discrimination would increase during the pandemic . We don ’ t find any evidence for that , which is positive news ,” he told Campus Review .
“ On the other hand though , discrimination levels are still very high , and much of the decline in discrimination early in the pandemic appears to be due to reductions in exposure .
“ Furthermore , the most worrying finding is the large drop in hours worked for Asian- Australians . We do not know whether this is due to discrimination or not .
“ However , it is large and statistically significant , so we know that economically the COVID-recession has hit Asian- Australians the hardest . On balance , the findings are not as bad as we might have feared , but still show a worsening in outcomes for Asian-Australians relative to the rest of the population .”
The study ’ s co-author is also unsure as to whether the discrimination experienced by Asian-Australians would have an impact on international student numbers .
“ It is hard to predict what the circumstances will be like for students who return to study in Australia next year . Discrimination levels are high , but at least haven ’ t increased substantially ,” Biddle said .
The study is part of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods COVID-19 monitoring program . ■
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