Chinese Canadians' Experiences of the Dual Pandemics of COVID-19 and Racism: Implications for Identity, Negative Emotion, and Anti-Racism Incident Reporting

Many Chinese Canadians (CCs) have experienced increased racism and xenophobia since the beginning of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study focused on how this rise of anti-Chinese discrimination, in addition to the threats posed by the pandemic itself, affects not only CCs' well-being, but also their Chinese and Canadian identities. We surveyed 874 CC adults from across Canada, Mage = 42.09; 47.7% females; 628 foreign-born, first-generation (G1) and 246 Canadian-born, second or later generation (G2). The reported rates of discriminatory experiences were alarming: More than half of the respondents reported that they had been treated with less respect because of their ethnicity (G1: 60.6%; G2: 56.8%), and over a third reported that they had been personally threatened or intimidated (G1: 35.2%; G2: 39.8%). Generational status moderated CCs' pandemic experiences, such that G1 CCs perceived more health, financial, and cultural threats due to the pandemic, but G2 CCs reported more personal and group discrimination. Perceived discrimination was associated with CCs' negative affect even after controlling for pandemic threats. The type of discrimination had different implications for heritage and mainstream cultural identities. For both groups, personal discrimination was negatively associated with Canadian identity, whereas group discrimination was positively associated with Chinese identity. Only about 10% of CCs who experienced harassment reported their encounters to authorities or on social media; CCs' perceptions that others saw them as perpetual foreigners undermined their reporting of harassment. The findings' implications for acculturation, identity, anti-racism strategies, and empowerment in reporting harassment are discussed. De nombreux Canadiens d'origine chinoise ont connu un plus grand nombre d'incidents de racisme et de xénophobie depuis le début de la pandémie de coronavirus (COVID-19). La présente étude porte sur cette discrimination accrue à l'égard des Chinois et en quoi celle-ci et les menaces liées à la pandémie elle-même nuisent au bien-être des Canadiens d'origine chinoise ainsi qu'à leur identité chinoise et canadienne. Nous avons interrogé 874 adultes d'origine chinoise de partout au Canada - MÂge = 42,09; 47,7 % de femmes; 628 nés à l'étranger, de première génération (G1), et 246 nés au Canada, de deuxième génération (G2) au moins. Les taux rapportés d'expériences discriminatoires sont alarmants : plus de la moitié des ré