eGirl Power Comments on Olympic Gold Medalist Chloe Kim's Experience with Cyberbullying; AAPI Institute Research to #StopAsianHate Finds Over 75% of AAPI Girls are Impacted by Online Discrimination

Korean-American Chloe Kim is an Olympic gold medalist and X Games gold medalist in snowboarding, winner of three ESPYs for Best Female Athlete, and was featured in Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2018. Despite these accolades and accomplishments, Chloe Kim is a target of anti-AAPI harassment and cyberbullying.

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Photo Credit: Pietro Montanarella

In an interview by ESPN, Chloe explained that despite being "a professional athlete" or winning in the Olympics, she is not "exempt" from anti-AAPI racism. Chloe shared that she received "hundreds" of anti-Asian hate messages monthly and saw "maybe 30 a day." Just after winning her first gold medal in the 2014 X Games, Chloe was inundated with messages like "Go back to China," and how she took "medals away from white American girls on the team." Rather than celebrating her achievement, Chloe cried because of these hateful messages.

Chloe is a high-profile example of the type of cyberbullying that young Asian females encounter online. In a survey conducted by the AAPI Institute, over 75% of AAPI girls between the ages of 12 and 18 have encountered anti-AAPI discrimination online. As a result of these negative social media experiences, more than 80% responded that they had increased anxiety. The mental health impact of AAPI hate cannot be overlooked and includes anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and even suicide ideation.

Members of the eGirl Power Junior Council shared their own personal experiences with anti-AAPI discrimination. A common thread throughout their experiences was typical stereotypes and racist jokes, from pulling eyes in a mocking manner to taunts of "dog eater". Such microaggressions and hate incidents result in feelings of alienation and self-consciousness for AAPI girls.

Another common experience among the eGirl Power Junior Council was being dismissed when attempting to communicate feelings, and being told they were being too "dramatic" and that it was "no big deal". Sharing and connecting with like-minded individuals and discussing these incidents with other fellow eGirls helped to validate their feelings about these experiences which all too frequently had been invalidated by others who told them that it was okay and normal. In addition, several members expressed uncertainty on how to respond when confronted with discrimination.

eGirl Power is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that helps girls cope with anti-AAPI discrimination. In the wake of the March 16, 2021 hate crime murder of six Asian women as well as the rise of Asian hate since the start of the Covid pandemic, eGirl Power expanded its AAPI initiative to establish one of the first AAPI think tanks in the United States.

The AAPI Institute is a nonpartisan 501(c)3 research institute that focuses on the mental health, well-being and security of the AAPI community to educate the public, foster understanding, and raise awareness of these issues.

Visit the AAPI Institute to see how you can help #StopAsianHate by bringing awareness of anti-AAPI discrimination in the workplace and schools across America and work towards solutions.