Race and Ethnicity in the Pandemic

Venkat Pulla; Rituparna Bhattacharyya; Rachel  Lafain

doi:10.20896/saci.v10i3.1264

Authors

Venkat Pulla Foundation Professor of Strengths-Based-Social Work Practice, Brisbane Institute of Strengths-Based Practice; Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the College of Arts, Society & Education, James Cook University, Inaugural Fellow, Australian College of Researchers; Editor-in-Chief (joint), Space and Culture, India & Life Member, Australian Institute of International Affairs
Rituparna Bhattacharyya Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India; Independent Research Consultant and Senior Fellow, Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy), United Kingdom and Editor-in-Chief (joint), Space and Culture, India
Rachel Lafain Social Worker, Adelaide, Australia & Research Associate, Brisbane Institute of Strengths-based Practice &Field Education, University of South Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v10i3.1264

Keywords:

COVID-19, Racism, Ethnic Minorities, Discrimination, Health Disparities, Indigenous Communities

Abstract

This study begins with the historical understanding of race and its modern perspectives as a social construct amid social identity and critical race theories. Next, race and ethnicity are explored within the context of COVID-19, whereby those of non-white backgrounds are seeing different disastrous health outcomes and experiencing heightened levels of racism in the pandemic. Examples and analyses from around the world are then provided, which have resulted in health disparities and increased racism against non-white people, such as the high-rise apartment building disasters, rural Indigenous communities, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Adding fuel to the fire, there have been rumours internationally of certain ethnic groups carrying and spreading COVID-19.

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