Anti-Asian Racism and COVID-19 Impact on Older Adults: The Voices of Social Workers

ABSTRACT

Heightened anti-Asian racism and hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted older adults and the social workers who supported them. Yet, the experiences of Asian and Asian American (AAA) social workers are unknown. This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of social workers focusing on the aging population during the anti-Asian racism climate and the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by a qualitative approach, seventeen AAA social workers participated in semi-structured interviews. Based on thematic analysis, the following themes were identified: concerns about safety and discrimination, perceived service and support needs for older adults, and perceived generational gaps in advocacy. Social work practice, policy, and research implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• anti-Asian racism
• social workers
• qualitative methods
• older adults

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The authors of this study have selected to use the terminology of Asians and Asian Americans (AAA) in describing individuals from the Asian diaspora residing in the U.S. While some Asians in the U.S. may self-identify as Asian “American,” others may not elect to describe themselves in this way due to their citizenship status, preferred disassociation with such a panethnic “American” identity, or a variety of other reasons. AAA will be used in an effort to be inclusive..

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Hawaiʻi Diversity and Equity Initiative administered by the Office of Student Equity Excellence and Diversity (SEED) grant.