← Back to Volume 5

The COVID-19 Pandemic's Stigma Effects on Chinese International Students' Lives and Mental Health

Jialu Tang
pp.149-155 DOI: 10.62051/x4p63k71 April 1, 2024
Download PDF
Abstract: As COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, spreads globally in 2019, there has been a surge in discrimination against people of Chinese descent. Negative labels such as "disease carrier" and "potential threat" have become closely associated with the Chinese community, resulting in social segregation characterized by exclusion, discrimination, and, in some cases, physical harm. This study aims to explore whether the stigma against Chinese international students still exists today when the epidemic has ended. This study collected 100 questionnaires from Chinese international students in Western countries regarding personally identifiable information, personal experiences of stigma, and reactions to stigma. By analyzing the questionnaire data, the stigmatization experiences of Chinese international students after the epidemic were summarized. Stereotypes such as "virus carriers" that arose during the epidemic still existed and continued to affect the 324dc health of Chinese students who study abroad. At this same time, many Chinese students were able to recover from the trauma quickly, but there are still some students who have difficulty or are unable to fully recover from the trauma. This paper hopes to draw the attention of more overseas universities to this current situation and create a healthier and more inclusive learning environment for international students.
Keywords: Stigma; Covid-19; Chinese international students.
APA Citation: Jialu Tang (2024). The COVID-19 Pandemic's Stigma Effects on Chinese International Students' Lives and Mental Health. Transactions on Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 5(1), 149-155. https://doi.org/10.62051/x4p63k71

References

  1. Devakumar, D., Shannon, G., Bhopal, S. S., & Abubakar, I. (2020). Racism and discrimination in COVID-19 responses. The Lancet, 395(10231), 1194. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30792-3
  2. Gray, C., & Hansen, K. (2021). Did covid-19 lead to an increase in hate crimes toward Chinese people in London? Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 37(4), 569–588. https://doi.org/10.1177/10439862211027994
  3. California Department of Justice. (2020). (rep.). Anti-Asian Hate Crime Events During the COVID-19 Pandemic (pp. 1–20). California, US.
  4. Gover, A. R., Harper, S. B., & Langton, L. (2020). Anti-Asian hate crime during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring the reproduction of inequality. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 647–667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09545-1
  5. Link, B. G. & Phelan, J. C. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 363-385. doi: 10. 1146/annurev. Soc. 27. 1. 363
  6. Major, B., & O’Brien, L. T. (2005). The Social Psychology of Stigma. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 393-421. doi: 10. 1146/annurev. psych. 56. 091103. 070137
  7. Carter, R. T. (2007). Racism and psychological and emotional injury. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(1), 13–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006292033
  8. Klonoff, E. A., & Landrine, H. (1999). Cross-validation of the schedule of racist events. Journal of Black Psychology, 25(2), 231–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798499025002006
  9. Lee, S., & Waters, S. F. (2021). Asians and Asian Americans’ experiences of racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on health outcomes and the buffering role of social support. Stigma and Health, 6(1), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000275
  10. Wei, M., Heppner, P. P., Mallen, M. J., Ku, T.-Y., Liao, K. Y.-H., & Wu, T.-F. (2007). Acculturative stress, perfectionism, years in the United States, and depression among Chinese international students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54(4), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.54.4.385
  11. Maeshima, L. S., & Parent, M. C. (2020). Mental health stigma and professional help-seeking behaviors among Asian American and Asian International Students. Journal of American College Health, 70(6), 1761–1767. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1819820
  12. Han, X., Han, X., Luo, Q., Jacobs, S., & Jean-Baptiste, M. (2013). Report of a mental health survey among Chinese international students at Yale University. Journal of American College Health, 61(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2012.738267
  13. Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674
  14. Abdelhafiz, A. S., & Alorabi, M. (2020). Social stigma: The hidden threat of covid-19. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00429
  15. Bhanot, D., Singh, T., Verma, S. K., & Sharad, S. (2021). Stigma and discrimination during COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.577018
  16. Villa, S., Jaramillo, E., Mangioni, D., Bandera, A., Gori, A., & Raviglione, M. C. (2020). Stigma at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 26(11), 1450–1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2020.08.001
  17. Geng, L. (2010). A discussion of “snowball” sampling methods. China Statistics, 57–58.