Story outline
- A new report from Coqual details the impact of Asian violence and emotions on Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander professionals.
- More than 60% of respondents say ongoing violence has a negative impact on their fear of racism.
- The study also assessed how well workplaces meet the needs of Asian workers.
Rising rates of violence and anti-Asian sentiment are taking a toll on the mental health of Asian and Asian American professionals, according to new research from Coqual, a global think tank on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said the ongoing violence had a negative impact on their mental health, and 45% said it affected their physical health. A total of 2,634 full-time, college-educated professionals responded to the survey.
To address the diversity of experience within cohorts of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander professionals, researchers grouped findings by regional context whenever possible.
Of the 824 Asian participants who completed the survey, 405 were identified as East Asian, 227 as South Asian, 167 as Southeast Asian and 25 as having multiple Asian backgrounds. The study’s small sample size allowed researchers to capture the experiences of Pacific Islanders through focus groups and interviews.
More than 60% of Asian and Asian American respondents said violence negatively impacted their sense of well-being while commuting, and half reported a decrease in their ability to focus on work.
For some experts, “commuting by public transport has gone from being a daily practice to something to be avoided at all costs in urban areas,” the report’s authors write.
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After the COVID-19 outbreak, hybrid and fully remote work was welcomed by many Asian and Asian American professionals. Some feared being harassed or assaulted if they left their homes. But Coqual’s vice president of research, Sy Stokes, said in an interview with Changing America, “Only 33% of them said the remote work option met their personal needs.” was,” he explains.
“There is a big difference between people who have access to remote work options from their companies and those who actually feel that it addresses their needs.”
Findings were also more pronounced for female professionals in Asia. “When it came to living in a city like New York, San Francisco, or any other big city, commuting as a woman already involved a lot of stress, fear, and uncertainty. As far as it goes, all this, on top of the anti-Asian violence that followed, only exacerbated the problem,” Stokes said.
Findings showed that younger generations, on average, discuss issues related to mental health more openly because older professionals may view the topic as taboo or more unfamiliar. rice field. According to Stokes, these older professionals “didn’t really have the privilege of being as knowledgeable and educated about racism and mental health as the current generation.”
“While the younger generation recognizes the importance of mental health, it is also very important to remember that access to this knowledge was given to them through the sacrifice of our elders.
Nearly 60% of respondents said their company provides mental health resources, but three said these resources met their needs very or very well was only one person.
More than 60% of Asian respondents report that ongoing violence has a negative impact on their fear of racism.
One in six Asian American adults will have experienced a hate crime or incident in 2021, and they will say the same in 2020, according to the latest report from AAPI Data, a demographic and policy research group. has increased from 1 in 8.
When asked about their experiences at work, nearly half of Asian and Asian American respondents said their company was very concerned about addressing violence against Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. Or answered that it is very important. However, only 26% feel their company is speaking out on the issue.
Asians and Asian Americans were also the least likely of the racial groups surveyed to say they had role models and strong networks at their companies.
“As a black and Chinese expert, this study has been heartbreaking and positive. It has helped me formulate a language that helps explain the injustices we are witnessing in today’s society.” “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced a surge in anti-Asian violence, leaving us in a constant state of fear, uncertainty and frustration. ”
More than one in three professionals say they have experienced racial bias at their current or previous employer. Some stereotypes that affect the workplace experience of these employees include seeing Asians and Asian Americans as quiet, hard-working outsiders, the report said. shown in the data.
The organization also conducted focus groups and interviews with Pacific Island experts.
Results indicated that these individuals shared some disabilities with Asian and Asian-American professionals, but lack of representation was invisible, as opposed to stereotypes and microaggressions. For some, it led to sex, erasure, and exclusion from the DEI.
‗The 2021 Stop AAPI Hate report found that one in five Pacific Islanders experienced a hate incident between 2020 and 2021, making Pacific Islanders more likely to face ‘anti-Asian’ violence in 2020 and beyond. It was also a little-known victim of the surge,” the researchers wrote.
