Identifying China as an economic or national security threats feeds and encourages expression of anti-Asian racism

[Tobita, “How China threat narratives feed anti-Asian racism and how to fight back” Justice is Global, July 3, 2021, https://peoplesaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/JIG_AntiAsianRacismReport_2021_0608.pdf, Accessed 7.21.24 GDI-HB]

“CHINA THREAT” NARRATIVES FEED ANTI-ASIAN RACISM

There are a number of narratives about China that feed anti-Asian racism. Attracting the greatest amount of attention is former President Trump’s use of phrases such as “Chinese virus” or “Kung flu.” This was part of a broader narrative strategy to scapegoat China for the pandemic and to displace blame for Trump’s catastrophic mishandling of this public health crisis. The point was not only to claim that COVID-19 came from China, but also that China should take all the blame for its impacts on the US. This contributed to many people in the US blaming anyone in the US who is of Chinese descent, or who “looks Chinese.” A significant proportion of incidents of anti-Asian racism have included language from the perpetrators that assign blame for the pandemic on the victims, or otherwise identify the victims as sources of disease.³

There are also a number of other narratives that, in different ways, identify China as a threat to the US and to ordinary Americans, and thereby feed racism. In addition to blaming China for the pandemic, leaders in US politics and media speak about China as an economic threat and/or a national security threat (through military power, espionage, or so-called “influence” campaigns), and accuse China of “cheating” the US. These narratives are not limited to Republicans or figures on the right like Trump, but are also popular among many Democratic and liberal figures.

When these “China threat” narratives are repeated by leaders here in the US, it creates an environment in which many Americans feel encouraged to imagine that these threats are emanating not only from China (as in the country or the government) but also from individual people who are of Chinese descent, or who are perceived to be so. And it creates a sense of license for people to express these racist sentiments in both words and actions.

The following table shows examples of “China threat” narratives and corresponding sentiments that have been expressed in reports of incidents of anti-Asian racism.

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