Asian and Black Americans report increased discrimination amid coronavirus pandemic, survey finds

LOS ANGELES - A report published by Pew Research on July 1 surveying the effects of the racial and ethnic discrimination during the coronavirus pandemic found that Asian and Black Americans are more likely than other groups to report negative experiences based on the color of their skin since the pandemic began.

According to the report, which surveyed 9,654 American adults from June 4-10, 2020, four-in-ten Black and Asian respondents said people have acted uncomfortable around them because of their race or ethnicity since the early days of the outbreak. 

Since the start of the survey, 42% of Black Americans and 36% of Asian Americans say they worry that others may perceive them as suspicious because of the color of their skin during the pandemic.

RELATED: Poll: Black Americans most likely to know a COVID-19 victim

 The report argues that while the pandemic has created serious medical and financial concerns for many Americans, a majority of Hispanic, Black and Asian residents have expressed negative effects that go way beyond economic and health concerns. 

Approximately three-in-ten Asian adults (31%) said they have been the subject of offensive jokes and racial slurs since the pandemic first erupted. 

Back in April, the FBI reported an uptick in hate crimes and harassment against Asian Americans since the outbreak of COVID-19, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, late last year.

Some people have blamed China and Asians in general for the spread of coronavirus; President Donald Trump at times has called it the “Chinese virus.”

Despite repeated criticisms, Trump has continuously stirred up controversy with a variety of publicly aired pent-up grievances in which he has referred to the virus as “Kung Flu,” a racist term for COVID-19. 

Roughly 58% of Asian Americans say it is more common for people to express racist views towards them during the pandemic than before. 

Additionally, 21% of Black adults and 15% of Hispanic adults have reported experiencing racial slurs within the time of the coronavirus pandemic. 

RELATED: Coronavirus death rate higher for African Americans

African Americans are also disproportionately more likely to say a family member or close friend has died of COVID-19 or respiratory illness since March, according to a separate series of surveys conducted since April that lays bare how black Americans have borne the brunt of the pandemic.

Eleven percent of African Americans say they were close with someone who has died from the coronavirus, compared with 5% of Americans overall and 4% of white Americans.

The findings are based on data from three COVID Impact surveys conducted between April and June by NORC at the University of Chicago for the Data Foundation about the pandemic’s effect on the physical, mental and social health of Americans.

The Pew Research survey also looked at how some communities have received support during this time and found that nearly half of Black respondents reported that someone has expressed support for them because of their race or ethnicity during the pandemic.

Authors of the report add that the survey was conducted during the new coverage of George Floyd’s killing, an African-American who was killed on May 25, when a white Minneapolis police officer keeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.