“Please Love Our Asian American Neighbors”: Christian Responses to Anti-Asian Racism during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

How have American religious groups engaged in the issue of contemporary anti-Asian racism? This article examines statements issued by Christian denominations in the United States to understand how American Christians have responded to the recent rise in racist and violent attacks on Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that while all of the statements condemned anti-Asian racism, Christian responses varied in significant ways: in how they understood the problem of racism, in what they prescribed as solutions, and in the degree to which they engaged in the particular experiences of Asian Americans.

In May 2020, two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Keith Kilgore, a pastor at Oxbow Presbyterian Church in Antwerp, New York, took to Facebook to blame Chinese people for the COVID-19 pandemic. “We wouldn't be in this mess if the Chinks would have kept Kosher,” he declared. Elsewhere on Facebook, he called COVID-19 “kung flu,” a term widely regarded as stigmatizing and harmful to Asian and Asian American people.¹ Kilgore's messages unsettled some members of his congregation, including Nicole Richards, whose predecessors had helped to establish Oxbow Presbyterian Church two centuries ago. Richards was a dedicated member of the church, where she sang in the choir and spent whole Sundays with her friends and family. She was also troubled by Kilgore's actions, which, in addition to referring to using derogatory terms for Chinese people, included delivering a sermon in which he described slavery as an institution that benefited Black people and saying on social media that “Allah sucks.” Richards and two other church members took the initiative to report Kilgore to the Committee on Ministry at the Northern New York Presbytery, which oversees Presbyterian churches. “The messages that Keith is sending are just not in Jesus's name,” Richards told The Watertown Daily Times. “I feel the aggression and the content of his sermon are disgraceful to the church, to the Presbytery and to Christianity as a whole.”² The Committee on Ministry eventually revoked Kilgore's authority to preach, which settled the most immediate matter, but the incident invited broader reflections that reach beyond the specific comments Kilgore made about Chinese, Black, and Muslim people.³ Kilgore and Richards belonged to the same congregation but held starkly different views about how, as Christians, they should draw on their faith to address racism. The incident raised a critical question: how have American Christians responded to the problem of racism including the problem of anti-Asian racism?

At the same time that Kilgore's comments provoked anger at Oxbow Presbyterian Church, acts of racism and violence targeting people of Asian descent were rising in the United States and around the world, as Asian and Asian American people were scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic. Hate crimes against Asian Americans increased 149 percent in sixteen American cities.⁴ The advocacy organization Stop AAPI Hate received over 9,000 reports of anti-Asian hate incidents through its online system between March 19, 2020 and June 30, 2021.⁵ Finally, news media reported on over 679 incidents in which Asian and Asian American people experienced violence, verbal harassment, vandalism, and others forms of racism and discrimination in the United States in 2020.⁶

As the differences between Kilgore and Richards suggest, American Christians have a mixed record on the matter of anti-Asian racism. On one hand, some American Christian groups, including predominantly White ones, opposed racial discrimination against Asian Americans at critical moments in American history. In the nineteenth century, for example, some Christian missionaries opposed Chinese exclusion, and in the twentieth century, Christian churches contested the government's wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.⁷ Christian denominations, congregations, and organizations were also institutions through which Asian Americans worked for racial equality and other forms of justice. Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese foreign students worked through Christian organizations to contest racial discrimination and advocate for fair immigration laws and improved working conditions for laborers.⁸ On the other hand, American Christians have a long history of actively supporting policies that discriminated against Asian Americans on the basis of both race and religion. While some Christians opposed Chinese exclusion, others supported it because they regarded Chinese people as heathens who threatened the racial and religious purity of the United States.⁹

Less is known about how American Christians have addressed the rise of racism and violence against Asian Americans in the current moment. There has been some research and commentary about how Christians have abetted contemporary anti-Asian racism. Most notably, Lucas Kwong has criticized the “sanctified Sinophobia” of church leaders who have not condemned the Sinophobic rhetoric of Christian politicians and have thus offered tacit support for the anti-Asian sentiment of their church members.¹⁰ Kwong's work builds on the growing research on Christian nationalism and its relationship to racism and White supremacy.¹¹ In the fields of religious studies and theology, there have also been historically informed theological reflections on the enduring orientalism that undergirds current anti-Asian racism.¹²

There remains a need for more research on how American religious groups have engaged in the issue of contemporary anti-Asian racism. Scholars who have studied anti-Asian racism during the pandemic have tended to focus on political, social, and academic responses.¹³ Nobody has yet offered a comprehensive and comparative examination of the responses of American religious communities, even though religious groups have been involved in campaigns for racial justice throughout American history.

This article investigates how American Christians have responded to the rise in racist and violent attacks on Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, we analyzed the public statements about anti-Asian racism issued by Christian denominations in the United States during the first year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guiding this article are a few key questions. Which denominations spoke up on this issue? Which events compelled them to raise their voices and express their concern? What do the statements reveal about how they understood the issue of anti-Asian racism, and what actions and solutions did they encourage members of their community to pursue? Finally, how did Christian beliefs inform their responses, and how did they engage in the issue of anti-Asian racism as Christians, drawing on Christian teachings?

Using the list of the denomination websites compiled by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research as a starting point, we searched the websites and social media feeds of religious denominations and religious organizations in the United States for the eighteen-month period between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.¹⁴ We looked specifically for institutional statements or messages that directly discussed the issue of racism and violence against Asian Americans. Aware of the diverse ways that people communicate in a digital age, we had a broad definition of a “statement,” which we defined as any type of public commentary about the issue of anti-Asian racism that was shared through the official communication channels of a Christian denomination. Most of the communications that we analyzed were traditional statements and press releases issued by clergy and denominational leadership. However, we also considered short articles or commentaries published in denominational publications, as well as messages and videos shared on social media. We analyzed not only what was said in these statements, but also who issued them, and at what point during the pandemic.

We chose to analyze statements for a few reasons. First, public statements articulate a community's values, and they are highly visible (and sometimes hotly contested) expressions of a community's position on controversial issues, including racism. This fact was particularly clear during the mass protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the summer of 2020, when institutions ranging from clothing companies to childcare centers issued statements on racial justice. But even before 2020, statements about racism were an important and established means of communicating an organization's position. For example, other researchers have studied the statements issued by university presidents in response to racial incidents on campus.¹⁵

We searched the websites and social media feeds of eighty-four religious denominations and organizations, including seventy-two Christian denominations and organizations. We counted forty-three statements that explicitly condemned anti-Asian racism and violence and expressed religious organizations’ commitment to support and show solidarity with Asian Americans. Among these statements, thirty-six statements were from Christian organizations some of which issued more than one statement. In total, twenty-five Christian denominations and two Christian ecumenical organizations issued statements. These Christian organizations varied in demographic makeup and theological orientation (see Appendix).

Despite their different origins, these denominational statements had much in common. First, they appeared at roughly the same time: while some statements appeared early in the pandemic, the vast majority appeared in the wake of the mass shooting in Atlanta that claimed the lives of eight people, including six Asian American women, on March 16, 2021. Second, in explaining their condemnation of racism and violence against Asian Americans, they drew explicitly on Christian teachings about love, discipleship, and lamentation. Many also referenced or quoted passages from the Bible.

The responses varied in significant ways. In particular, they differed in how they understood the problem of racism and what Christians should do about it. Some denominations discussed anti-Asian racism in relation to White supremacy and advocated for public policy changes. In contrast, other Christian denominations framed racism primarily as an individual sin, rather than a collective wrong and a systemic problem, and they emphasized private, individual solutions, such as prayer and interpersonal demonstrations of care.

In addition, they differed in the degree to which they considered the particular experiences of Asian Americans. All of the statements condemned racism against Asian Americans, but not all did so in a way that demonstrated deep engagement with Asian American experiences, focused on Asian American people, or made space for Asian American church members to share their stories. Those that centered Asian American voices reflect important changes in American Christianity—most significantly, the changing demographics in American Christian denominations and in the United States overall, as well as the increased presence of Asian Americans in positions of church leadership. These broad and gradual transformations, which have been underway for over half a century, offer a critical context for understanding how diverse American Christians are addressing contemporary anti-Asian racism in the present and also how they might handle it in the future.

Ultimately, despite frequent appeals to the virtue of unity, there was no unified American Christian response to the issue of anti-Asian racism. While two dozen Christian denominations chose to issue a public statement about anti-Asian racism, the majority of the denominations we searched said nothing at all. Among those who did say something, what they said varied widely. Altogether, the statements illuminate the substantial differences among American Christians about how to understand and respond to racism and other social problems. These differences relate, in turn, to the long-standing demographic, theological, and political diversity within American Christianity.

This article makes two main scholarly interventions. First, it highlights the religious dimensions of contemporary anti-racism work. Research on anti-racism activism has tended to focus on the work of secular community organizations, with the involvement of religious groups often overlooked. The one exception to this pattern is the attention to Black churches and their involvement in racial justice in both the past and present. Our research shows that many American Christians, along with other religious groups, have been vocal in their condemnation of anti-Asian racism and their calls for change. Importantly, their form of anti-racism activism has been distinctively religious: they work in religious spaces, they speak to religious people, and they make appeals for justice and equity by using religious language, drawing on religious beliefs, and referencing religious texts. Put simply, they have seen their anti-racism work as religious work, and their actions, in turn, remind scholars to consider religious work when they study anti-racism work.

By taking a comparative approach, this article also illuminates the wide range of responses to the problem of Christianity within American Christianity. Denominations that often take similar positions on social issues—for example, denominations typically grouped together as mainline Protestant or evangelical—understood and addressed the issue of anti-Asian racism in distinctive ways, and their statements reflected their different histories, theologies, and communities. Overall, it suggests that scholars must not only pay attention to the involvement of religious people in anti-racism activism but should do so with careful attention to the very different forms of religious anti-racism activism.

Sources of Statements on Anti-Asian Racism

The issue of anti-Asian racism engaged the attention of many different Christian denominations across the theological spectrum. Of the thirty-six public statements that we were able to find issued by the Christian groups we studied, we found two statements from ecumenical organizations, three statements issued by Catholic organizations, nine statements from evangelical denominations, two statements from historically Black Protestant denominations, 16 statements from mainline Protestant denominations, one statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one statement from the Church of Christ, Scientist, and two statements from Unitarian Universalists.¹⁶ In total, 25 Christian denominations issued statements: seven evangelical denominations, two historically Black Protestant denominations, 12 mainline Protestant denominations, as well as the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Unitarian Universalist Association. We also found statements issued by organizations representing Muslims, Jews, and others.

The leadership of the national denominations were not the only Christian institutions that addressed this issue. The major Christian ecumenical organizations—the National Council of Churches and the National Association of Evangelicals—issued statements. Finally, organizations within the denomination—for example, the Subcommittee of the Asian and Pacific Island Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Episcopal Bishops of African Descent—issued statements. Although this article did not consider statements from individual congregations, news media coverage of anti-Asian racism often identified local religious leaders and their communities discussing this issue, which suggests that concern for Asian Americans was not just at the highest levels of denominational leadership but found at all levels.

Support came from some of the most prominent and populous denominations in the country. Of the fifteen largest Protestant denominations in the United States, the majority (nine) issued statements (see Table 1).¹⁷ Christian denominations were not equally vocal about this issue. Among the fifteen largest Protestant denominations, the denominations that issued statements were predominantly mainline Protestant, and of the six that did not, all but one were evangelical. Moreover, all of the mainline Protestant denominations that we searched had issued statements, whereas a minority of the evangelical denominations that we searched had issued statements. Overall, it appears that mainline Protestants have been more likely than evangelicals to issue statements regarding anti-Asian racism. We acknowledge that many evangelicals belong to non-denominational churches, so the broader sentiment of evangelicals is not necessarily well reflected by patterns in denominational statements.

Table 1.

Fifteen largest Protestant denominations in the United States and statements on anti-Asian racism in 2020 and 2021

Denomination	Denomination type	Issued a statement on anti-Asian racism?
Southern Baptist Convention	Evangelical	No
United Methodist Church	Mainline	Yes
American Baptist Church	Mainline	Yes
Church of Christ	Evangelical	No
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America	Mainline	Yes
National Baptist Convention	Historically Black Protestant	No
Assemblies of God	Evangelical	No
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod	Evangelical	No
Presbyterian Church (USA)	Mainline	Yes
Episcopal Church	Mainline	Yes
Church of God in Christ	Historically Black Protestant	Yes
Seventh-Day Adventist	Evangelical	Yes
United Church of Christ	Mainline	Yes
Presbyterian Church in America	Evangelical	Yes
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)	Evangelical	No

Timeline of Statements on Anti-Asian Racism

Racist incidents targeting Asian Americans caught the media’s attention even before COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and some denominations issued statements in the early months of that year. Six Christian denominations issued statements in the winter and early spring of 2020, when acts of anti-Asian racism and violence began to alarm the public. On March 9, 2020, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was the first to issue a statement, in which it discussed the “outbreak of xenophobic attacks on Asian Americans” as “a tragic extension of the fear and misinformation regarding the origins and spread of the virus.” The ELCA framed the rise in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic as “another manifestation of the viral racism that infects our body politic.”¹⁸

Most denominations issued statements after the mass shooting in Atlanta and made explicit reference to that event, which suggests that it was a pivotal moment in religious communities’ engagement in the issue of anti-Asian racism. Some denominations that had issued statements about COVID-related anti-Asian racism one year earlier issued a second statement in spring 2021 to respond specifically to the massacre in Atlanta. That the event gave rise to such a significant response indicates the important of incidents of mass violence in shaping public engagement in the issue of racism. In addition, the rise in interest in anti-Asian racism in March 2021 may have owed in part to a general increase in concern about issues of racial justice, especially after the global protests against racism and police brutality during the summer of 2020. In numerous ways, the public conversation about anti-Asian racism has been intertwined with discussions about anti-Black racism and other forms of racial oppression during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁹

Only one denomination, the Church of God in Christ, issued a statement about anti-Asian racism that mentioned the mass shooting at the FedEx in Indianapolis, where a shooter killed nine people, including four Asian American individuals who identified as Sikh. The comparative lack of attention to the mass shooting in Indianapolis suggests, in part, that American Christians (and Americans in general) might be less likely to see Sikh Americans as Asian Americans. Moreover, the Church of God in Christ engaged in the issue of anti-Asian violence and racism with a specific interest in stopping mass shootings. A historically Black Protestant denomination, this denomination connected the mass shooting in Indianapolis to the killings of Adam Toledo in Chicago, Illinois, and of Duante Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and emphasized that all three incidents were the consequence of an epidemic of gun violence.²⁰

Common Themes

Although they were issued by diverse denominations and at different points in time, the denominations that issued statements on anti-Asian racism addressed a few common themes, the most common of which was unity. The Christian Reformed Church, for example, spoke of “seeking and expressing the oneness of all who follow Jesus.”²¹ The Episcopal Bishops of African Descent similarly emphasized the importance of a shared identity as Christians:

Just as we affirm our conviction in One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism, let us prove our identity as One Beloved Community, One human Family with One Heartbeat, and raise each other to our full humanity in Christ! Out of many, we are one. We rise and fall together. Let us, therefore, suffer together and raise each other!²²

The denominations that discussed unity believed that it was critical for Christians to speak with a unified voice on the particular issue of anti-Asian racism and to act in solidarity with their Asian American members. In addition, the call for coming together and overcoming divisions reflected the broader hunger for unity at a moment when the United States was mired in extreme political partisanship and intense culture-war battles over responses to the ongoing pandemic.

Denominational statements also frequently discussed the importance of love. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) issued a statement that drew on multiple passages from the Bible to make the case that condemning anti-Asian racism reflected their Christian obligation to show Christ-like love to their neighbors and community:

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must hold ourselves accountable to the Biblical commandment to love God by loving neighbor (Mark 12:31, 1 John 4:21), and to affirm that all are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Jesus teaches us that we are to love one another as he has loved us, and that such love will say to the world that we are his disciples. (John 13:34–35) … For the sake of the common good (Jeremiah 29:7), we urge [leaders] to pursue justice and peace (1 Timothy 2:2).²³

The Seventh-day Adventist Church also discussed how Christians should show care and compassion for Asian Americans because they are called to love all people. However, they chose to discuss this love in relation to themes of “diversity” and “differences”:

God calls us to love all His children, no matter our differences. Our diversity makes us stronger as a people, and the variety of cultures making up our territory are a direct reflection of His creative power. We need to celebrate our differences and embrace the uniqueness of each and every person. We want all Asian-Americans to know we stand with them and beside them during this season where they are being unfairly targeted.²⁴

Finally, most statements discussed grieving and mourning with Asian Americans in the wake of the Atlanta shooting, often through sacred lament. The Moravian Church, for example, offered a lament about how the pandemic laid bare that “suffering has been unequal” in the United States, and the Christian and Missionary Alliance even shared a lament written in verse form: “God, we lament that Your image is treated with such disrespect and disregard / That the cries of our Asian brothers and sisters / Fall silent on ears that should be listening.”²⁵

Understanding Anti-Asian Racism

One of the most significant differences among the statements on anti-Asian racism concerned the denominations’ framing of the problem of racism. Most statements explicitly identified racism as a problem in the United States, and the widespread engagement in this issue reflected the particular historical moment of 2020 and 2021, when global events—from the murder of George Floyd to the racial inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic—highlighted the ongoing problem of racial injustice. However, there were notable dissimilarities in how Christian denominations discussed racism and envisioned solutions for it.

Some denominations framed the violence and racism targeting Asian Americans in stark religious terms—as sin. The statement from the Christian Reformed Church quoted Charles Kim, ethnic diversity leader for Resonate Global Mission, who put the matter plainly: “Racism is sin,” he said.²⁶ But denominations diverged in how they understand the nature of the sin of racism. Of the statements that discussed racism as sin, most portrayed it as an individual sin. In contrast a few denominations—notably both historically Black Protestant denominations, as well as Black groups within mainline Protestant denominations—understood racism as an evil enacted not simply by an individual, but by institutions and by society and nation as whole. The Episcopal Bishops of African Descent described racism as “a particularly insidious disease and sin that has corrupted our knowledge systems, our national identity, our institutions, and our very soul as a human community,” and the Progressive National Baptist Convention urged “that Americans stand against the original sin of America—White Supremacy!”²⁷

The Progressive National Baptist Convention was one of several denominations that discussed the theme of White supremacy and systemic racism, especially in relation to government policies and politicians’ rhetoric. Vineyard USA, for example, featured reflections of one of its pastors, Dennis Liu, who spoke of the need to “take important steps towards justice and uprooting systematic racism by uncovering and actively fighting against racial prejudices, both in ourselves and in the institutions we are part of.”²⁸ Several denominations—including the Church of the Brethren, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Catholic Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association—discussed systemic racism as deeply rooted in American history. Situating contemporary anti-Asian racism in the long history of discrimination against people of Asian descent, these denominations mentioned the Page Act of 1875, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during the Second World War.²⁹ Others, like the New Federation of Asian American United Methodists of the United Methodist Church, focused on current events and criticized politicians that advanced racist policies and used stigmatizing rhetoric about COVID-19 that contributes to anti-Asian prejudice:

These acts of hate are neither sporadic nor haphazard. They reflect a larger systemic trend of anti-Asian American animosity brought on during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been exacerbated by documented xenophobic policies and racist rhetoric disseminated by the previous Administration. Politically charged racist rhetoric has fomented the hate against Asian Americans. The people who have perpetrated these acts of violence have used racist language including phrases like: Wuhan Virus, Kung Flu, China Virus, China Plague. This dangerous scapegoating is fabricated and must stop.³⁰

The statement by this group in the United Methodist Church not only reflected the denomination's response to the Atlanta shootings and to the upsurge in anti-Asian attacks during the pandemic, but also referenced several years of liberal Christian opposition to the Trump Administration's handling of issues related to race and migration.

Finally, the denominations that discussed anti-Asian racism in relation to systemic racism often emphasized how Asian Americans’ experiences, while distinctive, intersected with other forms of oppression. The Society of Friends, for example, noted that the attack on women in Atlanta was “both racist and sexist” and “also targeted low-wage workers, who are frequently treated as disposable in our society.”³¹ Many other denominations also discussed how the experiences of Asian Americans intertwined with that of other communities experiencing racial oppression. The Church of the Brethren observed that “[s]uffering communities are holding each other up,” citing how Asian American Christians marched with Black Americans after the murder of George Floyd and how Black Americans showed support for Asian Americans after the Atlanta shooting.³² The Episcopal Bishops of African Descent similarly emphasized the shared interests of people of color and urged them to act in solidarity:

The problem of blaming issues on another has been further escalated as peoples of color have been pitted against each other to distract from the source of the problems of inequality in America—systemic racism … Often unreported and unnoticed, we bear witness to the daily and much appreciated acts of friendship and solidarity between Asians, Blacks, and all other communities of color. In the racial reckoning that this past year has called us all to engage in, the Episcopal Bishops of African Descent stand with all efforts to build cross-racial alliances in order to make our common witness against the race-baiting, scapegoating and demonizing madness that wants to create enmity between people.³³

Addressing Racism

There were even bigger differences in how Christian denominations proposed to remedy the problem of anti-Asian racism. The vast majority of statements framed racism as a problem that religious people could address through acts of love and compassion—in particular, through prayer, gestures of care for Asian American community members, humble conversations about difficult topics and improved education about Asian American experiences. Denominations across the theological spectrum of American Christianity recommended these types of responses to racism. The National Association of Evangelicals, for example, stated that it “encourages our communities of faith to seek understanding of the historical and contemporary facets of racism in our country, to enter into hard conversations, and to humbly listen to the hurt and pain of others.”³⁴ The National Council of Churches urged Christians to “dedicate ourselves to changing the hearts, minds, and behaviors of people in our churches and society to bring healing and wholeness to all.”³⁵ And the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote that “the reality of the times and all the suffering caused by this pandemic call for a stronger resolve towards unity, demonstrated through acts of solidarity, kindness and love toward one another, so that we can emerge from this crisis renewed and stronger as one American people.”³⁶ The Ethnos Coalition of the Presbyterian Church in America articulated this approach to addressing anti-Asian racism in the simplest, clearest terms: “Please love our Asian American neighbors.”³⁷

The call to respond to anti-Asian racism by showing love to Asian American neighbors had broad ecumenical support, but it did not translate easily to specific policy proposals. Moreover, it framed racism as a problem that can be addressed with private, individual action. But what about public, collective action? If, as many denominations argued, racism is a systemic problem embedded in institutions—indeed, as America's “original sin,” manifest in the nation's past and present laws and policies—what forms of government action did Christian denominations support? On this front, the recommendations offered by Christian denominations varied widely and reflected the different ways that their own concerns connected to the issue of anti-Asian racism.

For example, such differences were on clear display in how the denominations discussed seeking justice for the Atlanta shooting. The Progressive National Baptist Convention made a point of criticizing what they saw as racist behavior on the part of local law enforcement in the press conference held the morning after the Atlanta shootings:

We further express our righteous indignation against the statements made by Capt. Jay Baker which provided a narrative of protection, understanding, and humanity for the cold-blooded acts of Robert Aaron Long. Although there was a clear attack on a specific minority group, Capt. Baker refused to even accept the possibility of Long's actions being a hate crime, instead, he paints the picture of a lost, confused child who was “just having a bad day.” This is consciously or unconsciously the effects of the supremacist attitude that there is a different system, interpretation, and understanding for whites than the rest of America.³⁸

These words reflect not only widespread criticism of Capt. Baker's statements, but the priorities of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a historically Black Protestant denomination that has condemned law enforcement's discriminatory treatment of Black and Brown people.

Some denominations—primarily mainline Protestant denominations—issued statements that urged specific government action, although the types of actions and policies that they recommended differed. Some focused on hate crimes. The National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Church, for example, urged government leaders to “[p]ass legislation that expands the definition of a hate crime and increases the punishment of individuals convicted of committing them” and “[i]mplement strategies that will deter violence and increase security in neighborhoods with a higher AAPI demographic.”³⁹ Others, like the Church of God in Christ, focused on gun violence and expressed their hope that “government leaders will swiftly implement immediate and impactful efforts to help cease the senseless killings of Americans at the hand of law enforcement and mass shooters.”⁴⁰ The Society of Friends urged Quakers to work with local governments to improve public awareness about existing community safety resources and to make official condemnations of anti-Asian racism.⁴¹ Finally, several denominations, such as the Disciples of Christ and the United Methodist Church, urged all people, including government officials, to avoid stigmatizing rhetoric about COVID-19 that scapegoats and contributes to bias against Asian and Asian American people.⁴² Some organizations, like the National Council of Churches, made all of these recommendations for government action.⁴³

Centering Asian American Perspectives

Finally, Christian denominations differed in how they included the voices and stories of Asian American church members in their statements on anti-Asian racism. Many denominational statements on anti-Asian racism involved non-Asian American leaders speaking on behalf of Asian Americans. However, several denominations wrote statements—arguably, the most compelling ones—that made space for Asian American people to speak on the issue and share first-person stories about being Asian American in the church and in the United States overall. The Asian American Christians who contributed to these statements emphasized two main issues: first, that Asian Americans regularly experience racism, and, second, that Asian Americans often feel that their experiences, even their mere existence, are invisible and overlooked.

In their statements, Christian denominations featured stories from Asian American people of different ages, ethnicities, genders, and positions in the church, but when they talked about anti-Asian racism, they all made clear that anti-Asian racism is pervasive and that no Asian American person is safe from its reach. Moreover, they stressed that anti-Asian racism has been a problem for a long time and that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the problem. Vineyard USA's statement featured Dennis Liu, a pastor of Vineyard of Harvest Church and Leader of the Vineyard Asian American Network. Liu shared how even in a predominantly Asian American community, he experienced anti-Asian racism:

Growing up in an area of New Jersey with relatively few Asians at the time, I faced racism every single day. But the prevailing sentiment demanded us to be “colorblind” and “just all get along.” I felt stifled as I had no choice but to suppress deep emotions stemming from daily discrimination, prejudice, and even blatant racism. But then I moved to Los Angeles where my neighborhood is 65% Asian. I thought I was safe—but I was wrong! Last year, soon after the onset of COVID-19, I was out for a walk with my wife and my 4 young children. One of my neighbors walked out on the lawn and yelled a racial slur at us. I was deeply hurt and troubled. Is there nowhere safe in this country for Asian Americans like me and my family? Will I consistently and everywhere be targeted simply because of my Asian features?⁴⁴

Ruby Colby, writing in the “Teenconnect” section of the Sentinel, the magazine of the Church of Christ, Scientist, also discussed how experiencing anti-Asian racism was a regular part of her life, but that the rise in anti-Asian racism and violence during the pandemic also was a turning point for her:

As an Asian American, I’ve faced various forms of microaggression (everyday actions and comments that harm minority groups) my whole life. Even though they haven't always been intended to be mean, I knew they weren't right long before I knew the term, because they always left me feeling hurt. With the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes this past year, my first reaction was to turn away from the news. I told myself that I was “protecting my thought” by not fixating on the displays of hate. Then I learned that a man had taken a swing at my aunt as she got off public transportation. My sister, who lives in a city where there have been many recent attacks, shared that she's afraid to leave her apartment without another adult. It wasn't until I heard my friends’ and family's accounts that I realized I wasn't protecting myself by turning away; I was choosing to stick my head in the sand.⁴⁵

The final words of her reflection revealed an important point: that the pandemic not only precipitated a rise in attacks on Asian Americans, but also compelled Asian Americans to raise their voices and refuse to ignore the problem.

Part of the reason the problem of anti-Asian racism has been ignored is that Asian American people have been ignored. This point was made by Asian American Christians in at least two statements. Wendy McFadden from the Church of the Brethren described how institutions regularly forget that Asian Americans exist. “On a form I once filled out, the demographic choices were White, Black, Hispanic, and Other,” she said. “Over the decades, that disheartening message of invisibility remained true. That is still the list I often hear. Asians in America occupy territory that is both quietly unseen and perpetually foreign.”⁴⁶

But Asian Americans are no longer easy to be left out. After the past half century, which has seen the steady “de-Europeanization of American Christianity,” Asian Americans have become a significant demographic in many denominations.⁴⁷ The Christian Reformed Church directly acknowledged this fact in its statement, where it noted that its denomination is home to approximately 120 Korean congregations.⁴⁸ Indeed, the context of a growing Asian American Christian population is critical to understanding the decision by some denominations to feature Asian American people and perspectives in their statements on anti-Asian racism, and it suggests a future for American Christianity in which Asian Americans will have a greater role in guiding how American churches engage in all matters, including the issue of racism.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of American Christian denominations expressed concern about the rise in racist and violent attacks on Asian Americans, especially in the wake of the Atlanta shooting. Across the denominational and theological spectrum, Christian groups made impassioned pleas for Christians to unite, to show love and compassion for Asian Americans, and to lament acts of violence and racism. To do so, they argued, was to practice Christian discipleship and follow biblical teachings.

Despite these shared commitments, American Christian denominations understood the problem of anti-Asian racism in very different ways and urged a wide range of Christian solutions. Some denominations focused on an understanding of racism as an interpersonal sin that should be addressed primarily through private acts of education, prayer, and neighborly love. Others viewed racism as a sin, but as a national sin, and they saw anti-Asian racism as rooted in White supremacy. Focused on racism as a systemic problem that touched every aspect of American life and institutions, these denominations were more inclined to call for robust collective responses and government action.

Finally, American Christian denominations differed in whom they elevated as speaking about anti-Asian racism for their community. While some denominations had non-Asian American leaders speak on behalf of Asian Americans, others put Asian American Christians front and center in their statements and responses to the problem. The effort to prioritize the voices and stories of Asian Americans speaks to the growing prominence and presence of Asian Americans in American Christian communities overall.

To be sure, the findings of this article come with some important qualifications. First, we focused on statements issued by Christian denominations, and we did not consider the responses of individual congregations. As a result, we did not consider statements by megachurches that are prominent and influential in evangelical communities. Moreover, we focused on statements that were written and publicly available, and the article does not reflect sermons or speeches on this topic that were not published. Finally, statements typically reflect the viewpoint of individuals in positions of power in the denomination—in particular, clergy and national-level leaders—and are less useful in determining the opinions and attitudes of lay people. For all of these reasons and more, the statements analyzed in this article do not reflect the totality of American Christian engagement on the issue of anti-Asian racism.

At the very least, it raises many questions for further study. To begin, there is the matter of the diverse opinions that exist within denominations. How are lay people thinking about the issue of anti-Asian racism? Many denominations did not issue a statement—why? And how did non-Christian religious communities address this issue? A comparison of Christian responses to those of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other communities would be fruitful. Finally, there is the matter of action. The statements that this article analyzed were simply that—statements. Words matter, of course, but the degree to which Christian denominations put their ideals into practice through programs, policy advocacy, and more ultimately matter more than anything else.

Author Biographies

Dr. Melissa Borja is Assistant Professor of American Culture at the University of Michigan, where she teaches in the Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program. She is lead investigator of the Virulent Hate Project.

Kayla Zhang is a student at the University of Michigan.

Appendix

Statements against Anti-Asian Racism Issued by Christian Denominations and Organizations in the United States

Christian Ecumenical Organizations

National Association of Evangelicals. “NAE Grieves Anti-Asian Violence, Calls for Understanding.” March 18, 2021. https://www.nae.org/nae-grieves-anti-asian-violence-calls-understanding/.

National Council of Churches. “Statement on the Shooting Deaths in Atlanta.” March 17, 2021. https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/statement-on-the-shooting-deaths-in-atlanta/.

Catholic Organizations

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Bishop Chairmen Condemn Racism and Xenophobia in the Context of the Coronavirus Pandemic.” May 5, 2020. https://www.usccb.org/news/2020/bishop-chairmen-condemn-racism-and-xenophobia-context-coronavirus-pandemic.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Statement of U.S. Bishops’ Chairman for Asian and Pacific Island Affairs on Discrimination Against the Asian Community.” March 22, 2021. https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/statement-us-bishops-chairman-asian-and-pacific-island-affairs-discrimination-against.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Asian and Pacific Catholic Network. “Asian Pacific Catholic Network Expresses Solidarity with the Victims of Racial Violence.” August 18, 2020. https://www.usccb.org/resources/APCN%20Statement%20on%20%20Racism-Aug-18-2020.pdf.

Evangelical Protestant Denominations and Organizations

Association of Vineyard Churches. Liu, Dennis. “A Response to the Rise of Anti-Asian Racism in America.” https://vineyardusa.org/library/a-response-to-the-rise-of-anti-asian-racism-in-america/.

Christian and Missionary Alliance. Stumbo, John. “A Lament for Our Asian Brothers and Sisters.” March 24, 2021. https://legacy.cmalliance.org/news/2021/03/24/a-lament-for-our-asian-sisters-and-brothers/.

Christian Reformed Church in North America. “A Statement about the Atlanta Shooting.” March 18, 2021. https://www.crcna.org/news-and-events/news/statement-about-atlanta-shooting.

Christian Reformed Church in North America. “Mourning Violence against Asian American Women.” March 24, 2021. https://www.crcna.org/news-and-events/news/mourning-violence-against-asian-american-women.

Grace Communion International. Greg Williams. “Lament for the Asian-American Community.” April 7, 2021. https://update.gci.org/2021/04/lament-for-the-asian-american-community/.

Mennonite Church USA. “Mennonite Church USA Statement on Anti-Asian Racism and COVID-19.” April 2, 2020. https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/mcusa-statement-anti-asian-racism-covid-19/.

Mennonite Church USA. “Statement on Increased Violence and Hate Crimes against Asian American Pacific Islander People.” March 23, 2021. https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/aapi-statement/.

Presbyterian Church in America. “A Case for Love and Mercy in the Midst of the Pandemic.” December 11, 2020. https://resources.pcamna.org/resource/a-case-for-love-and-mercy-in-the-midst-of-the-pandemic/.

Seventh-day Adventist Church. “North American Division Leaders Call for Support of Asian-American Community.” March 18, 2021. https://www.nadadventist.org/news/north-american-division-leaders-call-support-asian-american-community.

Historically Black Protestant Denominations

Church of God in Christ. “Presiding Bishop Sheard's Statement on Recent Shootings. April 19, 2021. https://www.cogic.org/blog/presiding-bishop-sheards-statement-on-recent-shootings/?fbclid=IwAR22kVZxP_FsLWNr2oQylbN_2heSQLljpWSxGEchxZYtqnKdMurFqN4GYtk.

Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. “Solidarity with the Asian Community.” April 14, 2021. https://pnbc.org/2021/04/14/solidarity-with-the-asian-community/.

Mainline Protestant Denominations and Organizations

American Baptist Churches in the USA. “Asian-American Leadership Training Acknowledges Recent Tragedies.” March 26, 2021. https://www.abc-usa.org/2021/03/asian-american-leadership-training-acknowledges-recent-tragedies/.

Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. “Church Leaders Speak on Anti-Asian Violence.” March 18, 2021. https://disciples.org/congregations/church-leaders-speak-on-anti-asian-violence/.

Church of the Brethren. McFadden, Wendy. “Asian and American.” April 21, 2021. https://www.brethren.org/messenger/from-the-publisher/asian-and-american/.

Episcopal Church. Asiamerica Ministries. “Stop Asian Hate: A Gathering of Episcopal Asians and Allies.” March 29, 2021. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/asiamerica/stop-asian-hate-a-gathering-of-episcopal-asians-and-allies/.

Episcopal Church. Episcopal Bishops of African Descent. “Episcopal Bishops of African Descent Issues Open Letter against Racism and Anti-Asian Violence.” March 31, 2021. https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/episcopal-bishops-of-african-descent-issues-open-letter-against-racism-and-anti-asian-violence/.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Amy Reumann. “Virus Fears and Viral Fears: Standing With, Not Targeting, People.” March 9, 2020. https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/virus-fears-and-viral-fears-standing-with-not-targeting-people/?_ga=2.54471137.838865999.1623278442–772909052.1622431249.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Elizabeth Eaton. “Bishop Eaton Issues Statement Addressing Anti-Asian Racism. March 19, 2021. https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8095?_ga=2.54471137.838865999.1623278442-772909052.1622431249.

Friends General Conference. “FGC's Anti-Racism Ministry: April 2021 – Confronting Anti-Asian Hatred.” March 23, 2021. https://www.fgcquaker.org/2021/03/23/fgcs-anti-racism-ministry-april-2021-confronting-anti-asian-hatred/.

Moravian Church in America. “Lament and Mourn 100,000: A Day of Remembrance and Prayer.” May 2020. https://www.moravian.org/2020/05/lament-and-mourn-100000-a-day-of-remembrance-and-prayer/.

Presbyterian Church (USA). “‘We See You among Us.’” March 25, 2021. https://www.pcusa.org/news/2021/3/25/we-see-you-among-us/.

Reformed Church in America. “A Call to Stand With Asians and Against Racism.” April 2, 2020. https://www.rca.org/a-call-to-stand-with-asians-and-against-racism/?fbclid=IwAR39Y8VBf0lA6xvw7sONeImD0IoSaKbxsrd9tK5g8JqDqN2mn40vojRlryY.

United Church of Christ. “#StopTheHate.” The Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries (PAAM). April 15, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKsiph3bnCM.

United Church of Christ. The Pacific Islander & Asian American Ministries (PAAM). “Hate Has No Place Here!” http://www.new.uccfiles.com/pdf/Hate%20Has%20No%20Place%20Here.pdf.

United Methodist Church. “How Can United Methodists Address Racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders?” https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-addressing-racism-against-asian-americans-pacific-islanders.

United Methodist Church. New Federation of Asian American United Methodists. “Statement against Anti-Asian Violence Mar 2021.” March 16, 2021. https://www.nfaaum.org/2021/03/16/statement-against-anti-asian-violence-mar-2021/.

Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. “A Statement from Rev. Cecilia Eggleston on Atlanta Attacks.” March 19, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/MCCNortheastNetwork/posts/3779823288722274.

Other

Church of Christ, Scientist. Ruth Colby. “What Can I Do About Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans?” April 6, 2021. https://sentinel.christianscience.com/web-originals/2021/what-can-i-do-about-hate-crimes-against-asian-americans.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twitter post. April 3, 2021. https://twitter.com/Ch_JesusChrist/status/1378394283615600642?s=20.

Unitarian Universalist Association. “The UUA Decries Anti-Asian Violence.” March 17, 2021. https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/antiasian-violence.

Unitarian Universalist Association. Asian Pacific Islander UU Caucus. “Denouncing Anti-Asian Violence.” March 2021. https://druummapic.wordpress.com/denouncing-anti-asian-violence/.