Madeleine DeGrace

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on many different aspects of our lives. It brought out the best in humanity - singing “Imagine” on balconies, taking care of our loved ones from behind a mask - but it also opened doors for divisions among communities, with prejudices running amok. During the pandemic, there has been a stark rise in racism directed towards Asian communities worldwide, fueled by the understanding that the virus originated from China. But these anti-Asian sentiments are not new, especially in France, given its history of colonization in Southeast Asia. The research project will thus explore whether and how the pandemic has perpetuated anti-Asian racism in France, through both contemporary and historical lenses.