Racism and sexism during pandemic times: Experiences, narratives and coping mechanisms among Chinese women in the Netherlands.

This article presents findings from a qualitative study on the intersecting experiences of racism and sexism faced by Chinese-origin women living in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how the pandemic intensified anti-Asian racism, fueled by the labeling of COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus," and how gendered stereotypes—such as Asian women being quiet, submissive, exotic, and oversexualized—exacerbated their vulnerability to racialized and sexist harassment. The study, based on in-depth interviews with 15 Chinese women and key community actors in major Dutch cities, reveals that Chinese women experienced more frequent and severe racism than Chinese men and employed various coping strategies, including digital activism through social media platforms. Additionally, the research underscores the role of the model minority myth in obscuring anti-Asian discrimination in the Netherlands prior to the pandemic and notes that the crisis has increased public awareness and mobilization against such racism.