Racism provoked during the COVID-19 pandemic is directly tied to increased firearm purchases among Asian Americans, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.
The study, published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, is believed to be the first to examine the relationship between racism, mental distress, alcohol use and firearm purchasing behavior among Asian Americans during the pandemic.
In an effort to better understand these associations, researchers collected data from a national sample of 916 Asian Americans in 2021, using geographical information to determine regional clusters with higher-than-average Asian American populations.
Evaluation of the data showed that experiencing racism was both directly and indirectly related to firearm purchases.
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