Asian Healthcare Workers and Their Experiences of Racism in North America: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background The rising rates of anti-Asian sentiments has recently been called into question by several community activists and scholars. While this collective work has heightened awareness to address anti-Asian racism, the experiences of Asian healthcare workers in particular remains limited. Purpose To map the existing literature on anti-Asian racism experienced by Asian healthcare workers in North American healthcare settings, identify gaps in the current literature base, and inform future areas of anti-Asian racism research. Methods A scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley’s (2005) methodology with updated guidance by Levac et al. (2010) and Peters et al. (2020) was undertaken. Findings A total of 3565 articles from database searches were identified from eight databases, with 64 full text articles screened and 15 articles included in this review. Anti-Asian racism amongst healthcare workers has been conceptualized, studied, and understood in three broad categories: levels of racism, descriptions of anti-Asian racism, and the impact of racism. In 60% of the included articles, interpersonal level of racism was solely studied, while 40% articles simultaneously studied interpersonal and institutional levels of racism. Anti-Asian racism was described through three key perspectives: otherness, inferior professional status, and general racial discrimination. Lastly, the impact of Asian healthcare workers’ experiences of anti-Asian racism was studied by exploring the impact on mental health and barriers to career advancement. Conclusion Despite the presence of anti-Asian racism, the limited literature examining the complexities of the experiences of anti-Asian racism for Asian healthcare workers is concerning. Future scholarship requires further investigation that comprehensively explores the multiple pathways of anti-Asian racism, the contestation of monolithic stereotypes, and how Asian healthcare workers negotiate both hypervisibility and invisibility within healthcare spaces.