The Dual Pandemic: Covid-19 and AAPI Hate in Oakland Chinatown

Abstract

This thesis examines how the intersection of Covid-19 and AAPI Hate affects healthcare access in Oakland Chinatown. Based on a two-month ethnography with Asian Health Services and other community organizations in Oakland, it links the dual pandemic of AAPI Hate and Covid-19 to histories of medical scapegoating, structural racism, and a weakening social safety net. To accommodate for stigmatization, organizations such as Asian Health Services have utilized methods of care such as interpreter services, outreach, and collaboration with community organizations. These methods also have the added effect of building neighborhood solidarity, which acts as a buffer against stigmatization and improves healthcare access. Key to the revitalization of Chinatown is the assurance of public safety and socio-economic support. Covid-19 and AAPI Hate have exposed the failures of our medical and social system in supporting low-income, minority communities and reveals how solidarity has emerged as resistance.