Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented global crisis, instilling fear and devastation through infecting and taking lives worldwide. Fuelled by political and social discourse, the virus was associated with Chinese residents, increasing anti-Chinese and xenophobic sentiment and marginalising Chinese communities, as exclusionary nationalisms reinforced local imaginations of citizenship. In the context of the settler society of Aotearoa New Zealand with a long-standing history of Chinese migration, the pandemic reignited racism towards Chinese New Zealanders as news spread of the subtle othering of the Chinese community, the persistence of everyday racism, and violent racial attacks. This research provides an empirical contribution to the emerging literature on the COVID-19 pandemic exploring local outcomes for Chinese communities with a focus on Aotearoa New Zealand. Nine Chinese New Zealanders were interviewed to gain a perspective on national, regional, and individual observations and experiences of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in March of 2020, to explore the diversity of identities, experiences, and biographies across the Chinese New Zealand community. While many participants gained a heightened sense of awareness of their racial visibility choosing to adapt and conform to a ‘Kiwi’ identity, those with a long history in Aotearoa found themselves long accepted into their local communities highlighting the differences across cohorts of Chinese migrants. Beyond common trends and experiences, the participants highlighted their intersection of social identities, contributing to the nuance in the interpretations and perceptions of their experiences of lockdown and emphasised the persistence of racism towards the Chinese community long before the COVID-19 pandemic.
