Twenty percent of Americans say Asian Americans are to blame for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report released Wednesday, and a larger percentage don't trust Asian Americans' loyalty to the United States.
According to a study by the nonprofits Leading Asian Americans United for Change (LAAUNCH) and the Asian American Foundation (TAAF), 21 percent of American adults say Asian Americans are at least partially responsible for COVID-19. 33% believe that "Asian Americans are more loyal to their country than the United States."
Asians, who make up 7 percent of the U.S. population, feel increasingly isolated and discriminated against amid the ongoing wave of anti-Asian violence and growing anti-Chinese political rhetoric.
According to the poll, only 29 percent of Asian-American respondents said they "completely agree" that they are accepted and belong in the United States. Meanwhile, 71 percent said they were discriminated against in the United States.
TAAF CEO and LAAUNCH co-founder Norman Chen said the increase in distrust of Asians was partly due to the increased use of anti-China rhetoric on both sides of the aisle.
He pointed out: “The superficial reason (Asians are not trusted) is the new crown virus and Trump. But at a deeper level, it is related to the myth of the model minority and the permanent foreigner stereotype. Going further, it shows (shows) There is deep-rooted systemic racism against Asian Americans in this country."
"All this China-bashing ... politicians need to be very careful because it directly affects how Americans see and treat Asians," Chen said.
