Asian Americans and the impact of anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic: Part II

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives around the world. For Asian Americans, the disruptions due to illness, as well as isolation and economic insecurity, have been compounded by the rise in anti-Asian racism. In response, the Asian American Journal of Psychology has curated a special issue on Asian America and the COVID-19 Pandemic, spread over two issues. Part I showcased a collection of articles that described the impact of the pandemic and the rise in anti-Asian violence on Asian Americans, guiding readers through the protective factors that helped attenuate the negative impact of the pandemic. In this Part II of the special issue, we bring together a collection of articles that focus on the experiences of Asian Americans during the pandemic. The first set of articles explores the differences in impact when anti-Asian racism is experienced in myriad ways (direct, vicarious, etc.). The second set of articles investigates the impact of anti-Asian violence on the identity development of Asian Americans, from identity exploration to the types of ethnic-racial socialization practiced by the parents. The last set of articles provides not only a review of the research on supporting the mental health of Asian Americans but also provides guidelines for practitioners and nonpractitioners moving forward. Taken together, these articles bring together a wide range of articles that explore the lasting impact of the pandemic but also offer glimpses of what the future might hold for Asian American mental health and racial-ethnic identity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement What is the public significance of this article?-Asian Americans have had to struggle with not just the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but also contend with the rise in anti-Asian racism. The special issue on Asian America and the COVID-19 Pandemic spotlights the impact of these struggles. This article provides a summary and introduction to Part II of this special double issue. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)