Psychological Impact of Anti-Asian Violence on Asian Americans under COVID-19 in Rural South Alabama

Abstract

This study analyzed the effect of anti-Asian American violence on Asian Americans’ daily lives because the hate crimes or sentiment was not salient in the early stage of the pandemic in rural Alabama. The survey was conducted from April to May 2020. A total of 234 Laotians and 119 Cambodians participated, and multiple regression models were employed. Two communities demonstrated distinctive sociodemographic characteristics. The younger Cambodians were more concerned about anti-Asian violence, which made sense considering that Cambodians gained new community members through international marriage brides from Cambodia. They were more likely to obtain limited information due to the language barrier and depend on advice from leaders they could trust. These results explained the higher worry about the infection for younger Cambodians, the significant influence of community leaders’ recommendations, and the higher fear by the educated. Laotians showed an overall moderating effect of age. Laotian fifties demonstrated that older adults handled better on the perceived disruption of COVID-19. They utilized various media sources to reduce their worry and help more appropriate damage-avoiding behavior for community members.