Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/331715 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 18151
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
There is a growing literature that provides concrete evidence of the effects of the pandemic on both health and socioeconomic outcomes. While the general negative effects of the pandemic were felt across race, gender, social status, and age, there is emerging literature suggesting a disproportionate negative effect on people of Asian heritage, referred to by some as an "Asian chilling effect". There is documented evidence that the origin of the COVID-19 virus in Asia led to increased discrimination and xenophobia against individuals of Asian descent, which resulted in an unprecedented rise in anti-Asian hate during COVID. In this paper, we estimate the impact of this treatment on reported health status in the U.S. Using a difference-in-differences (DD) approach, we provide evidence that COVID-induced discrimination against Asians led to a "chilling effect" in the U.S. In particular, we find a decrease in the health status of Asians compared to comparable non-Hispanic Whites from the pandemic onward. Our results are consistent across alternative measures of health. We also conduct multiple tests to ensure the robustness of our results and provide a potential pathway for this effect.
Subjects: 
health disparities
health status
COVID-19
physical disabilities
asian discrimination
JEL: 
I10
I14
J15
J10
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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