ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A newly published study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University shows a link between an increase of racism toward Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased purchasing of firearms.
The study looked at the impacts of racism, alcohol abuse, and mental distress on the number of gun purchases.
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Titled “Understanding the Intersectionality of COVID-19 Racism, Mental Distress, Alcohol Use, and Firearm Purchase Behavior Among Asian Americans,” the study is the first of its kind, according to Eastern Michigan University officials.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have experienced multiple threats, including hostile rhetoric, abuses (or the word, invectives) shown in the media, and anti-Asian hate and incidents,” said lead researcher Tsu-Yin Wu in a release. “With existing xenophobia and economic challenges, our study is the first to show the compounded effects of racism on health-related outcomes and firearm purchases.”
The Associated Press stated there were 9,081 incident reports of anti-Asian and racially motivated violence between March 2020 and June 2021 due to the coronavirus being associated with China.
Researchers from U-M and EMU gathered data in 2021 from more than 916 Asian American participants. Results showed a direct and indirect connection between an increase in alcohol use, gun purchases and increased mental stress to racist experiences, Wu added.
Data showed men, individuals between 51-64 years old and those over 65 years old were more likely to buy guns than women and those between the ages of 18-30. Married couples were also more likely to buy firearms than those who were single, divorced or at other marital statuses.
“Our study findings give us insight into how racial discrimination and firearm purchase during the COVID-19 pandemic are connected”, said Hsing-Fang Hsieh of the National Center for School Safety’s Evaluation Director in a release.
Hsieh added that study results could help create ways to address the impacts of racism on mental health and firearm risks.
The article was published in the December edition of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.