Crisis and bias: Exploring ethnic prejudice among Chinese-Dutch children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Interethnic prejudice in children has been studied mostly among White and Black populations in the United States, but less among East Asian populations and Europe. Given that interethnic prejudice is sensitive to populations and contexts, research on previously neglected groups is needed. In the current study, interethnic prejudice is examined among Chinese-Dutch children aged 7–11 years (N = 80, 42 girls and 38 boys), focusing on their preference for and rejection of East Asian, White, Southwest Asian and North African, and Black peers. In addition, interethnic prejudice is examined in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, a global crisis that has led to anti-Asian racism. The results revealed that Chinese-Dutch children evaluated their ethnic ingroup and the White outgroup most positively, and the Black outgroup least positively. Moreover, stronger ingroup affinity (in terms of lower ingroup rejection) among Chinese-Dutch children was found during than before the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of situational influences on children's interethnic prejudice.