Health Inspector Ratings of Asian Restaurants During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

In “Health Inspector Ratings of Asian Restaurants During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic,” Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, Martha Moreno, and Jia-Lin Liu analyze New York City restaurant health inspection data from January 2017 to February 2020 to identify potential biases against Asian restaurants. The authors contextualize these findings within the history of Asian cuisine in the U.S., which has long been racialized as culturally unsanitary. Despite its popularity and frequent appropriation by white Americans—whose adaptations are viewed as culinary improvements—Asian cuisine remains stigmatized. This paradox reflects broader tensions in immigrant assimilation, contrasting the stereotype of Asian Americans as a “model minority” in professional fields with persistent discrimination in other sectors.

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian restaurants faced increased discrimination, evidenced by racist graffiti, vandalism, and a higher rate of health inspector citations in January and February 2020. The authors suggest that cultural and language barriers, alongside racial stereotypes, contributed to these biased citations. Their research highlights the need for improved training and education among inspectors to mitigate systemic bias. The study exposes how routine regulatory practices can embody racial discrimination and challenges the model minority myth by revealing the vulnerabilities Asian Americans encounter in certain industries despite broader socioeconomic success.