Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2023 Jan 17;18(1):e0280341. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280341. eCollection 2023.
Infectious disease outbreaks have historically been associated with stigmatisation towards minority groups, specifically those associated with the geographical region that the disease was first identified. We aimed to investigate how the emerging COVID-19 pandemic was experienced by UK-resident individuals of Chinese ethnicity: how their perceived cultural and ethnic identity influenced their experiences, and how early insights into the pandemic in China influenced attitudes and behaviours. We undertook in-depth semi-structured interviews with individuals who self-identified as UK-Chinese. Participants were recruited from three cities in the UK. Interviews were undertaken over the telephone between 9th April 2020 and 16th July 2020. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded using NVivo software and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Sixteen individuals were interviewed. Three main themes were identified: (1) Attribution of stigma, (2) Pandemic legacies, and (3) Individual versus societal responses. These reflected six sub-themes: (1) Stigmatisation through (mis)identity, (2) Markers of pandemic awareness, (3) Legacies of previous pandemics, (4) Ascription of blame, (5) Extent of freedom, and (6) Implicit faith in government. Experiences of xenophobia included accounts of physical violence. UK-Chinese individuals experienced and perceived widespread xenophobia, in the context of media representations that ascribed blame and exacerbated stigmatisation. Prior experience of respiratory epidemics, and insight into the governmental and societal response in China, contributed to the early adoption of face masks. This in turn marked UK-Chinese individuals as targets for abuse. Awareness is needed to safeguard stigmatized groups from social and economic harm in future infectious disease pandemics.
传染病疫情爆发历来与对少数群体的污名化有关，特别是那些与首次发现该疾病的地理区域有关的群体。我们旨在调查在英国居住的华裔个体如何体验到新兴的 COVID-19 大流行：他们的文化和族裔认同如何影响他们的经历，以及对中国大流行的早期了解如何影响态度和行为。我们对自认为是英国华人的个体进行了深入的半结构化访谈。参与者是从英国的三个城市招募的。访谈于 2020 年 4 月 9 日至 7 月 16 日通过电话进行。访谈以数字方式录制并逐字转录。使用 NVivo 软件对转录本进行编码，并使用归纳主题分析进行分析。共采访了 16 人。确定了三个主要主题：（1）污名的归因，（2）大流行的遗产，（3）个人与社会的反应。这反映了六个子主题：（1）通过（错误）身份进行污名化，（2）大流行意识的标志，（3）以前大流行的遗产，（4）归咎于责任，（5）自由程度，以及（6）对政府的隐含信念。仇外经历包括身体暴力的描述。在媒体将责任归咎于并加剧污名化的背景下，英国华人个体经历并感知到了广泛的仇外情绪。以前经历过呼吸道传染病，并了解中国政府和社会对疫情的反应，促使他们及早采用口罩。这反过来又使英国华人个体成为受攻击的目标。需要提高认识，以保护受污名化的群体在未来的传染病大流行中免受社会和经济伤害。
