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Dr. Borja studies Asian American history, refugee policy, and religion and has spent the past year researching anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said this is something she has personally experienced since she was born. She said she grew up in an era when there was a lot of anti-Asian sentiment and says her family was sometimes concerned about their safety. But she said that situation helped her learn about the importance of standing up for justice and calling for change and organizing.
Dr. Borja says referring to the coronavirus as the "China virus" can cause racist backlash and stigmatisation of those communities. She said research has found that anti-Asian bias has increased significantly because of the use of that term and reversed a decade-long, downward trend. She says her own research has shown a direct connection of Asian American people being blamed for the Coronavirus. She says many Asian Americans have become more concerned about their own safety due to recent events and are being harassed while going about their daily lives in public places.