Othering in Everyday Life: Anti-Chinese Bias in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The article investigates the emergence of anti-Chinese bias in everyday behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing Yelp restaurant reviews in eight major U.S. metropolitan areas with significant Asian populations. Using a difference-in-differences approach, the study finds that Chinese restaurants experienced a significant decline in Yelp ratings relative to American restaurants shortly after the national COVID-19 emergency declaration on March 13, 2020, an effect not observed for other Asian ethnic restaurants. This decline in ratings, which persisted for several months before fading by September 2020, suggests the influence of pandemic-related scapegoating and elite political rhetoric on consumer behavior in ostensibly apolitical settings. The findings highlight how public health crises can trigger "othering" and prejudice with tangible economic consequences for targeted communities.