Dr. Yifeng Hu Receives Outstanding Book Chapter Award from ICA
At the 75th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference, held June 12–16, 2025 in Denver, CO, Dr. Yifeng Hu was honored with the Outstanding Book Chapter Award from the Ethnicity and Race in Communication (ERIC) Division.
Co-authored with Dr. Vincent Pham, Professor of Civic Communication and Media at Willamette University, the award-winning chapter is titled “‘I Don’t Want to Work with Her Anyway Because She’s Some Asian’: Racially Stereotyping Asian American Healthcare Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Published in Communicated Stereotypes at Work (edited by Anastacia Kurylo and Yifeng Hu, 2024), the chapter examines the racialized experiences of Asian and Asian American healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid rising xenophobia and anti-Asian violence, the research documents how longstanding stereotypes—such as the “model minority” myth and the “perpetual foreigner” trope—were intensified. Drawing on firsthand narratives, the study reveals how Asian healthcare workers often served simultaneously as frontline caregivers and as targets of bias from both patients and colleagues. The chapter broadens the field’s understanding of racial and ethnic discrimination, highlighting the urgent need for anti-racist organizational policies and deeper societal reflection at the intersection of race, labor, and public health.
In its commendation, the ERIC Division praised the chapter as:
“Foregrounding highly relevant and timely issues that critically advance thought on ethnicity and race in communication. The committee was deeply impressed by the originality and significance of this contribution. The chapter not only provides a compelling and well-theorized analysis of racial stereotyping during the pandemic but also offers an important intervention in the broader literature on race, identity, and healthcare communication. Reviewers commended its use of evidence, conceptual clarity, and broader implications for anti-racist communication research.”
Reflecting on the honor, Dr. Hu shared:
“I am especially gratified that this original study on Asian American experiences has been recognized by the largest association in the communication field. This award encourages me to continue advocating for Asian American voices and visibility.”