Using AsianCrit Theory to assess Asian prejudice in policymakers’ statements on Twitter
Keywords:
Asian Critical Race Theory, China Virus, 116th U.S. Congress, TwitterAbstract
When the COVID-19 coronavirus spread worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using terms like “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese virus” to avoid a backlash against Asians. Former U.S. President Donald Trump rejected such a notion and tweeted more than 20 times from March 16 to March 30, 2020, calling COVID-19 a “Chinese Virus.” After his first tweet, #chinesevirus tweets climbed more than 10 times, causing backlash against Asian Americans. This study employed AsianCrit Theory to examine messages sent by 116th U.S. Congress members who tweeted about the pandemic using stereotypical terminology such as “China Virus,” “Kung Flu,” “Foreign Virus,” “Wuhan Virus,” and “Chinese Virus.” Trump and Congress members who used derogatory words or had blaming-China sentiments contributed to Asianization, one of the seven tenets of AsianCrit Theory. Additionally, Asian American members of U.S. Congress shared their experiences, perspectives, and policy initiatives in a way that aligned with the AsianCrit tenet of (re)constructive history, where marginalized voices shape historical narratives and perspectives for future generations.
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