Documenting the impact of COVID-19 on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities through voice and image

With the U.S.’s declaration of a public health emergency on COVID-19 ending soon, disaggregated quantitative data on the impact of COVID-19 on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) is only now becoming more available. Data points like how Asian Americans have higher mortality rates and lower testing rates compared to non-Hispanic whites can help public health practitioners plan better interventions. However, the data does not truly reveal the lived experiences AAPIs faced during the racialized pandemic. 

In a paper published in the journal of Health Promotion Practice, senior author Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, MPH, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and equity advisor at the UCI Program in Public Health, and team documented the spread of hate and racism during the height of the pandemic directed toward the AAPI community using digital story archival methods. 

In recognition of the impact of this study’s findings, the journal’s editorial board awarded Tanjasiri and her team the Sarah Mazelis 2022 Paper of the Year. All 60 members of their editorial leadership reviewed over 150 articles published in that year and chose their favored publication for its merit, inspiration to others and demonstration of its discipline and creativity of effective health promotion while using accessible and transparent language. 

Our photographs revealed the pain, anxiety and stress our AAPI community has faced during this pandemic that data alone cannot articulate.”

– Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, MPH

“Our photographs revealed the pain, anxiety and stress our AAPI community has faced during this pandemic that data alone cannot articulate,” says Tanjasiri. “What is more beautiful to see is the resilience and resistance of AAPI communities in combating these attacks. Our team is looking forward to sharing our photos and continuing to uplift our community – we are honored to have received the 2022 Sarah Mazelis Paper of the Year.”

It is said that a picture can tell a thousand words, which rang true throughout this project. The collaboration between the research coordinating team, student researchers, and community members over the course of 10 weeks yielded a total of 48 annotated photographs that were donated to the UCI Libraries. The photographs were paired with a “SHOWed” analysis to pull deeper meaning from the photos. What do you See here? What is really Happening here? How does this relate to Our lives? Why does this condition Exist? What can we Do about it?

The images and stories covered four general themes: racialization, health care, economic impact, and familial/community resilience. 

“The stories allowed for deep reflection on the impact of COVID-19, not only for the community impacted, but for our entire research team,” said corresponding author Phuc Duy Nhu To, MA, formerly with the Orange County Asian & Pacific Islander Community Alliance. “The photos enabled us to analyze our own mental health in an insightful way we had not done before.” 

Additional team members from UCI include Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, PhD, Cevadne Lee, MPH and collaborators also included Thuy Vo Dang, PhD, and Julia Huynh, MA, and Phuc To, MA.

This study was supported by a grant from the UC Irvine Office of Inclusive Excellence to advance equity in the age of COVID-19.