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Leigh JP, Moss SJ, Tiifu F, FitzGerald E, Brundin-Mathers R, Dodds A, Brar A, de Grood CM, Stelfox HT, Fiest KM, Ng-Kamstra J. Lived experiences of Asian Canadians encountering discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study. CMAJ Open 2022; 10:E539-E545. [PMID: 35700997 PMCID: PMC9343119 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asian Canadians have experienced increased cases of racialized discrimination after the first emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in China. This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Asian Canadians' sense of safety and belonging in their Canadian (i.e., geographical) communities. METHODS We applied a qualitative description study design in which semistructured interviews were conducted from Mar. 23 to May 27, 2021. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit Asian Canadians diverse in region, gender and age. Interviews were conducted through Zoom videoconference or telephone, and independent qualitative thematic analysis in duplicate was used to derive primary themes and subthemes. RESULTS Thirty-two Asian Canadians (median age 35 [interquartile range 24-46] yr, 56% female, 44% East Asian) participated in the study. We identified 5 predominant themes associated with how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the participants' sense of security and belonging to their communities: relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and exposure to discrimination (i.e., how SES insulates or exposes individuals to increased discrimination); politics, media and the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., the key role that politicians and media played in enabling spread of discrimination against and fear of Asian people); effect of discrimination on mental and social health (i.e., people's ability to interact and form meaningful relationships with others); coping with the impact of discrimination (i.e., the way people appraise and move forward in identity-threatening situations); and implications for sense of safety and sense of belonging (i.e., people feeling unable to safely use public spaces in person, including the need to remain alert in anticipation of harm, leading to distress and exhaustion). INTERPRETATION During the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Canadians in our study felt unsafe owing to the uncertain, unexpected and unpredictable nature of discrimination, but also felt a strong sense of belonging to Canadian society and felt well connected to their Asian Canadian communities. Future work should seek to explore the influence of social media on treatment of and attitudes toward Asian Canadians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanna Parsons Leigh
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Stephana Julia Moss
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Faizah Tiifu
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Emily FitzGerald
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Rebecca Brundin-Mathers
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Alexandra Dodds
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Amanpreet Brar
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Chloe Moira de Grood
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Henry T Stelfox
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Kirsten M Fiest
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
| | - Josh Ng-Kamstra
- School of Health Administration (Parsons Leigh, Moss, Tiifu, FitzGerald, Brundin-Mathers, De Grood), Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Dodds, Stelfox, Fiest, Ng-Kamstra), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; Department of Surgery (Brar), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; O'Brien Institute for Public Health (Stelfox), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.; The Queen's Medical Center (Ng-Kamstra), Honolulu, HI; Department of Surgery (Ng-Kamstra), University of Hawaii at Manoa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI
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