The Second Pandemic: Understanding and Challenging the Rise in Anti-Asian Racism in the Wake of COVID-19

In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Asian Americans and Asians around the world have experienced heightened levels of verbal and physical aggression and attacks. Nationally, our country is seeing hate crimes against Asian and Asian American folks increase at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a public health crisis has been conflated with pre-existing bias, and it has been heavily noted by historians that throughout history, disease and racism have gone hand-in-hand. Join the Office of Student Life Multicultural Center, The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences for the workshop, The Second Pandemic: Understanding and Challenging the Rise in Anti-Asian Racism in the Wake of COVID-19.

This workshop will address the ways different types of bias against the Asian and Asian American communities are reiterating themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll begin by discussing the types of bias most commonly seen and how these biases have influenced the impacts of COVID-19 on Asian/Asian American communities both here at Ohio State and nationwide. Shifting the conversation to concrete examples, we’ll raise awareness about the ways anti-Asian racism has manifested since the pandemic, and the history Asian Americans have with this type of racial oppression. We’ll conclude with bias intervention strategies for folks to use to advocate for themselves if they identify as Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Desi American (APIDA), and for others to strive for allyship with the APIDA community.

Presenters

  • Sophia Antoun (she/her), Intercultural Specialist for Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Student Intiatives, Multicultural Center Office of Student Life
  • Lena Tenney (they/them), Coordinator of Public Engagement, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
  • Dr. Leo Taylor (he/him), Program Manager for Faculty and Staff Affairs, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Presented by The Student Life Multicultural Center, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences