A recent study shows that rampant use of the "China virus" to refer to the coronavirus, particularly by conservative outlets, had a profound impact on how those in the United States see Asian Americans. "Research suggests that when people see Asian Americans as being more 'foreign,' they are more likely to express hostility toward them and engage in acts of violence and discrimination," said Rucker Johnson, a public policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the study.