Double Jeopardy: Asian Students’ Experiences of Sexual Violence and Xenophobia during COVID-19

Despite the high number Asian students in the U.S. higher education system, substantial gaps have been identified in the availability of culturally appropriate and accessible services for Asian student-survivors on many college campuses across the nation (Daigle, Hoffman, & Johnson, 2018). University of California(UC) system have 285,862 students enrolled in 2020, with 41% of the students identified themselves as either Asian Americans/Pacific Islander or Asian International students.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders, we hypothesize that Asian students’ risk for experiencing sexual violence (particularly, intimate partner violence) has increased due to discrimination and isolation. Moreover, we believe it is likely that the presence of anti-Asian xenophobia due toCOVID-19 and visa restrictions applied to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) have further inhibited Asian American and Asian international students’ willingness to seek essential advocacy and support services available on and off campus. The feminist theory concept of intersectionality is at the core of our proposed research paradigm. Intersectionality has become the predominant perspective when conceptualizing the complex systems of oppression that impact marginalized populations through their multiple social identities. Asian American and Asian international students commonly experience oppression due to their ascribed race, gender and immigration background.

We are seeking female Asian UC students who are 18 years or older and have experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) to participate in a short survey and a confidential, 1-hour Zoom interview. SVSH includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, dating and/or intimate partner violence. Students from all 10 UC campuses are eligible to participate.