File photo of Rep. Chu on the steps of Pasadena Post Office (Photo – video screengrab)
A new Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report shows a rise in anti-Asian bigotry on Twitter following the President’s first tweet about his positive coronavirus diagnosis and his remarks at the first presidential debate linking COVID-19 to China.
By News Desk
Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and CAPAC First Vice Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) joined Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), and John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), for the release of the new study of Twitter conversations and activity, conducted by ADL’s Center for Technology and Society.
The study found that in the 12 hours after the president’s initial tweet about his and the first lady’s COVID-19 diagnosis, there was an 85 percent increase in anti-Asian language and conspiracy theories tracked on the platform. Similarly, the rate of discussions about various conspiracy theories increased 41 percent, with some of those conversations also taking on antisemitic overtones. From October 2-5, the percentage of anti-Asian language on Twitter remained higher than usual.
According to the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, associating a virus with a specific geographic region, country, or people creates stigma and can lead to xenophobia and bigotry. This has been seen in the over 2,600 anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents reported in recent months as the President and members of his administration use slurs like “Chinese virus” and “Kung flu.”
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