From fear to hate: Sources of anti‐Asian sentiment during COVID‐19

Objective This paper seeks to explain and empirically test how a public health crisis, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, might lead to discriminatory attitudes and behaviors against marginalized groups. Method We identify four causal mechanisms that may account for the increase in anti‐Asian racism during COVID‐19. Using a large data set of geolocated COVID‐19‐related tweets in the U.S., we examine the spatiotemporal pattern of anti‐Asian sentiment on Twitter and test all four mechanisms that link the crisis to the behaviors of “othering” and “scapegoating.” Results We find evidence consistent with the elite cueing, perceived threat, and grievance mechanisms. The president's scapegoating rhetoric significantly increased anti‐Asian hate tweets across all counties. In addition, high COVID‐19 infection rates and grievances from containment policies are also associated with greater numbers of anti‐Asian hate tweets. On the other hand, counties with larger vulnerable populations do not seem to have more anti‐Asian hate tweets. Conclusions We demonstrate that a crisis alone does not necessarily lead to othering behavior, while elite rhetoric can significantly influence the public's opinion and behavior during a crisis.