Panethnic Fate Unlinked: Who Finds the Term “Chinese Virus” Acceptable?

Duy Trinh and Milkie Vu

Social Science Quarterly, 2025, vol. 106, issue 2

Abstract: Objective We explain why some immigrants tolerate or even support discrimination against members of their own panethnic groups. We propose that such attitudes are shaped by an individual's acculturation to both their origin and host cultures. Specifically, acculturation affects susceptibility to discrimination faced by panethnic in‐groups and moderates beliefs in panethnic‐linked fate and solidarity. Methods We conducted an original survey of Vietnamese immigrants in the United States during a surge in anti‐Chinese discrimination. The survey assessed perceptions of the discriminatory term “Chinese virus,” focusing on variations in cultural identity and language use as dimensions of acculturation. Results Respondents with stronger Vietnamese and weaker American acculturation in internal dimensions, such as cultural identity, were more likely to reject the term. Conversely, higher Vietnamese acculturation in external dimensions, such as language use, correlated with greater tolerance of the term. Meanwhile, experiencing discrimination had no significant effect. The findings are robust to alternate model specifications and controls for demographics, nativity, socioeconomic status, partisanship, social support, and negative experiences with the COVID‐19 pandemic. Conclusion Our findings highlight the complex ways in which acculturation shapes immigrant attitudes toward ethnically charged discrimination, with important implications for understanding panethnic solidarity and responses to prejudice.

Date: 2025
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