LOWELL — A new research report, “Getting Through a Dual Pandemic: Hardship and Social Resiliency in a Cambodian American Community,” revealed a pattern of unreported incidents of heightened anti-Asian hate directed at Cambodian Americans in Lowell during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Racial incidents described in this report include racist slurs, threats, a physical assault in a public park, property vandalism, hostile stares, intentional coughing, and throwing of objects at persons in public spaces,” said Carolyn Wong, a research associate at the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, about the report that was released Nov. 13.

Almost half of the persons surveyed reported feeling afraid for the safety of themselves or family members because of racism. About 28% reported that they had experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly, while about 38% reported having witnessed another Asian person being treated unfairly because of race, national origin or cultural background.

Respondents told researchers that they did not report racially motivated abusive or threatening behavior incidents because “they felt authorities would not remedy the harm.”

Several participants told a story about a racial incident in a park in which residents aided a Cambodian American woman who was thrown to the ground by a man who yelled racist comments at her. Observers called the police, but officers arrived too late to intervene.

The research was the result of a two-year-long academic-community partnership between the Institute for Asian American Studies and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell that collected 205 bilingual surveys from Cambodian Americans residing in Lowell. The data was collected from spring 2023 through summer 2024.

In addition to filling out a questionnaire, respondents attended focus groups and participated in interviews during which they shared their personal accounts of pandemic hardship, as well as stories of resilience in the face of a global public health, economic, mental health and community crisis.

For some, the COVID-related trauma of lockdowns and generalized fear and anxiety surrounding the pandemic triggered traumatic memories of mass death for Cambodian Americans who came to the U.S. after surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide. An estimated 2 million Cambodians were murdered from 1975 to 1979. Many of the refugees fled to the United States, ultimately ending up in Lowell.

Both younger and older Cambodian Americans described how their own, their parents’ or grandparents’ worsening mental health went untreated for a variety of economic, language and social barriers.

“Several young adult participants shared concerns that mental health problems in their family were not understood or treated because strong stigma and taboos are attached to mental health problems, particularly among older generations,” the report said.

Although 93% of the survey respondents had health insurance, this did not ensure culturally competent care.

“Among respondents, about 38 percent reported difficulty communicating with their doctor or nurse during medical visits because of language differences,” the report said. “A prior survey conducted in 2022 by the Greater Lowell Health Alliance revealed that Asian Americans in Lowell faced not only language barriers but discrimination and a lack of respect for their culture.”

One exception to the dual pandemic hardships experienced by members of Lowell’s Cambodian American community was in educational spaces such as schools and other academic programming. Respondents who attended Lowell High School found support and understanding from staff and students.

“The racial climate at their school was comparatively better because the student population is racially and ethnically diverse,” said the report.

Students in Lowell Public Schools come from family backgrounds with more than 70 different languages. Lowell is home to the second-largest community of Cambodian Americans in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census, about 17,000 Cambodian Americans resided in Lowell in 2020. The city’s Department of Planning and Development estimated a slightly larger count of about 20,000 Cambodian American residents of the city in 2020.

In spite of the difficulties experienced by members of the Cambodian American community during the pandemic, the report also found stories of social, spiritual and community resiliency and relief.

“Their leadership was demonstrated when Cambodian Americans rallied to assist each other to gain access to vaccines, services, and emergency aid,” the report said. “Many joined together to speak out against anti-Asian racism and in support of Black Lives Matter at several public events. College and K-12 teachers collaborated to develop new school-based programs to train teachers and students to recognize and combat discrimination.”

The report’s recommendations include training officers and other liaison staff to assist in reporting crimes that violate personal or community safety; make channels accessible for reporting incidents of racial harassment anonymously or by self-identification; expanded training programs for K-12 teachers to learn how to identify racism of various types and respond in ways that prevent or reduce harm in the moment, as well as other supportive services and education; and mental health services tailored to Cambodian American cultural concepts of health and well-being in the Khmer language.

Sothea Chiemruom, the executive director of CMAA and an author with Wong on the report, said further research was needed to examine the report’s findings.

“The findings on anti-Asian hate are deeply disheartening, revealing a troubling silence within the Cambodian community,” Chiemruom said by email on Friday. “Past trauma has left many unable to recognize racism and hate crimes, often dismissing them as mere acts of violence. Now armed with this data, we are committed to working with the City, the Lowell Public Schools, elected officials, and organizations to drive meaningful change and ensure our community feels seen, heard, and protected.”