The Hidden Epidemic of Untruths
How conspiracy theories and misinformation are tearing through Asian diasporas
By Clinton Chan
12 minute read
When we think of “conspiracy theories”, we probably think of Illuminati preachers, YouTube documentaries about the “inside job” that was 9/11, and more recently, thuggish anti-vaxxers roaming the streets of Melbourne and Sydney.
Whilst apps like WeChat and WhatsApp have helped to connect diaspora, they’ve helped catalyze the spread of misinformation from the motherland to the new land.
It’s not exactly a phrase we associate with your trolley-pushing granny or close family members. However, conspiracy theories have become far more pervasive than we might like to think. In the Asian diaspora communities in particular, the “fake news” endemic was a significant malaise in 2020 to spread even more widely than COVID-19 - and it’s been spreading for a while now.
Whether you use WeChat, WhatsApp, Line, or just Messenger, you’ve experienced it - it starts off with “FYI” articles and odd memes in family chat group chats about health “advice” or political gossip, before escalating to alarmist comments, and eventually hair-splitting debates at the next family gathering.
It’s also not limited to Australia or the US, nor is it limited to Chinese or HK-diasporas. There have also been significant rises in the spread of conspiracy theories amongst Korean, Vietnamese and Indian diasporas, with many communities both sourcing and sharing these theories with family members overseas, creating a cross-border echo chamber of fake news.
In this article we’ll explore the extent of “conspiracy theories” and “fake news” in global Asian and South Asian diasporas, the false theories themselves, get to the root of “why” conspiracies seem to have hit these communities, and whether Asian diasporas are truly more prone to falling victim.
Traditionally conspiracy theories have been isolated to fringe communities, however in the modern attention economy, misinformation is evermore prevalent.
What are conspiracy theories?
Conspiracy theories are perspectives or explanations of a particular social or political phenomenon that oppose a normalised definition. These theories also often involve the furthering of a negative agenda by a powerful organisation. Similarly, “fake news” constitutes misinformation used to actively sway public opinion by constructing a false narrative (posing as “news media”) for a malicious agenda.
In some ways, conspiracy theories can be seen as the message, whilst “fake news” is more the format or medium of how these conspiracy theories are peddled.
Conspiracy theories aren’t a recent invention though, nor are they always related to a sinister organisation - from the government being behind the assassination of JFK, the faked Moon landing of 1969, to theories that Elvis Presley is still alive and rockin’, humans sure have a wicked imagination.
So what tall tales are being shared? Where do they come from?
There are a tonne of conspiracy theories being shared and the ones affecting Asian diasporas broadly seem to fit into a small handful:
Pro-China theories: These aren’t just theories about how great the Chinese Communist Party is - throughout 2021 the fake news activities here have ranged from discrediting the Australian government, to rebranding the “lab-leak” theory as an act of racism, and piggy-backing off the “#stopasianhate” movement.
Pro-Trump theories: Trump might be gone, but his believers aren’t. From 2016 until now, Asian diasporas (mostly in the US) have fallen victim to some of the pro-Trump crowd’s most abhorent beliefs, including a need to curtail the BLM movement.
COVID-19 theories: 2021 is coming to a close (bring on 2022?) but COVID-19 hoaxes and fake remedies continue to find audiences, especially in South Asian communities it seems.
Let’s dive a little deeper into them...
As the CCP becomes more emboldened, it’s not surprise its propaganda machine is trying to sway opinion abroad - starting with the diaspora.
1. Pro-China theories
Australian and US diasporas seem to be the biggest audiences for pro-China fake news or conspiracy theories, and it’s no surprise. In Australia, trade arguments between Australian and Chinese governments have caused heightened friction, and the presence of around three million WeChat users, a majority of whom are Chinese diaspora or international students, means that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has an interest in shaping the voice of these social media users. Though no clear conspiracy theories have emerged, the Australia Strategic Policy Institute showed that the CCP has a strong hand in controlling the opinions of the local diaspora, with up to four privately-owned Chinese-Australian media organisations displaying CCP Ownership or financial support. These outlets not only promote staunchly pro-CCP stances in the local business sector, but also restrict criticism of the CCP to shape a pro-China stance within the diaspora. This influence has become so far reaching that in the past, even the ABC and SBS have been found to be influenced by the CCP, though on a much smaller scale.
The same infiltration isn’t seen in the US however, where the CCP has rallied against accusations and investigations into the origins of COVID-19 and tried to discredit research or commentary in favour of the “lab-leak” theory. The CCP’s efforts here also involved creating a counter-narrative both amongst US-Chinese diaspora and international audiences that COVID-19 was American made, even going so far as to piggyback off the #StopAsianHate movement in mid-2021 to paint any opinions on the contrary as purely racist.
It’s unsurprising that some Asian diaspora communities, particularly migrants escaping communist regimes, find a political strongman in Trump.
2. Pro-Trump theories
Whilst the stench of the Trump Presidency is gone, the seeds of misinformation, especially amongst hardlined conspiracists, may not have faded. The Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese diasporas in the US in particular have tangoed with these theories since 2016, many of which were curated for these audiences on social media platforms like WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, and WeChat.
Using fake news as the prime conduit, pro-Trump messaging campaigns have tried to peddle theories including Hunter Biden’s supposedly questionable business dealings with China, the CCP’s meddling in the 2020 US election, George Soros and Bill Gates’ control of Joe Biden, and the socialist cause of the Democratic Party. This fake news, media analysts say, originates from a range of different far-right actors but most notably the “Falun Gong”, a staunchly anti-CCP diaspora-led spiritual movement. The “New Federal State of China” a media outlet led by Guo Wengui, a Chinese fugitive and billionaire who has teamed up with conspiracy extraordinaire and former Trump aide Steve Bannon.
These theories are not limited to Chinese diasporas however. Notably, Vietnamese, Korea, and Taiwanese immigrants, particularly older generations, are key consumers of this misinformation.
For Indian diasporas, COVID-19 misinformation has often spread from the motherland
COVID-19 Theories
Misinformation about COVID-19 seems to have affected all Asian and South Asian diasporas, however South Asian diasporas seem to be hit hardest by fake news, and to devastating effect.
In India, prior to the Delta variant’s deathly spread in May this year, misinformation about false herbal cures and the COVID-19 virus being a simple “bacteria” ran rampant across India, with some of this also heading to the South Asian diaspora in the UK. This echo chamber of misinformation between Indian and UK-based Indian communities was so strong that a January 2021 study by the University of Oxford found that just 56% of British Indians were planning to get vaccinated, compared to the national average of 79%. This blaze of COVID-19 misinformation was also partially fuelled by the Sino-Indian border dispute of 2020, leading to an explosion of Sinophobia and mistrust of all things China and COVID-19.
Are Asian diasporas more susceptible than non-Asian communities? Why?
Asian diasporas can be incredibly linguistically, politically, and culturally diverse leading to divides and isolation between different groups, making them prone to falling for misinformation
An important question we will be asking by now is whether Asian diasporas are more susceptible to conspiracy theories. Whilst this largely depends on the theory in question, it’s likely that these communities are slightly more vulnerable, though the strong White-American support for the Trump campaign and associated far-right conspiracies (e.g. QAnon followers) suggests otherwise.
Whilst we can’t draw conclusions, there are reasons why Asian diasporas are likely to fall prey:
Divide and Conquer: Each diaspora and sub-diaspora has its own social media platform which leads to splintering. If you’re South Asian, it’s probably WhatsApp or Telegram, WeChat if your family is from Mainland China, but Line or WhatsApp if you’re rooted from Hong Kong or Taiwan, the list goes on. This has not only led to cultural or language-based echo chambers, it has also meant that the broader Asian diaspora conspiracy movement has become more difficult to recognise as a “movement” since the cultural and linguistic environment is extremely diverse and there is little crossover between cultural groups. This makes a unified information “audit” by technology companies or national governments and law enforcement difficult.
Lack of Official Representation and “Wild West” Platforms: In countries like the US, the Asian American community is often referred to as just that, not an intricate patchwork of unique diasporas, but a homogenous whole. There is no centralised socio-political governance, leaving each community to govern itself. This also means that their communications and platforms are a bit of a “Wild West” made up of social-interest or local business groups and extended family networks, but also anybody who registers for an account. When faced with more organised and well-funded conspiratorial media outlets like the Falun Gong, and aided by the fact that platforms like WeChat or WhatsApp are not audited like Twitter for misinformation, it’s easy to see why diasporas flock to fake news in droves.
A History of Anti-Socialist Sentiment: Moderate commentators and political analysts have long assumed that new migrants are likely to favour the political parties that were pro-immigration, the parties who “let them in” in the first place. Whilst this can often be true, a majority of new migrants, especially those from socialist countries, favour conservative and right-wing parties and beliefs that they deem to be pro-business and libertarian. This is especially the case for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese migrants, many of whom fled to Western nations as refugees or political asylum seekers escaping authoritarian socialist governments. As a result, first generation migrants from these backgrounds are more likely to favour hardline far-right theories, especially those that rally against a pro-CCP or socialist conspiracy.
Tendency for Natural Therapies: In the case of COVID-19 conspiracy theories in India earlier this year, some of this can be accredited to cultural undercurrents and beliefs in “alternative medicine” and natural immunity booster therapies. In India and Indian diaspora communities, 80% of citizens report having experience using Ayurvedic therapies, an ancient system of belief advocating vegetarianism and herbs and spices for medical benefits, much of which is also embedded in Hindu teachings. The Modi government’s latest push for greater Hindu-nationalist supremacy has also likely spurned this endorsement in alternative remedies. However, so-called natural remedies are not restricted to India. Most Asian and South Asian cultures maintain their own form of it, leading to some countries like Thailand advocating for herbal medicine as a treatment.
Practically all Asian diasporas have some form of non-Western medicine.
How do you support your friends/family through this? Can you/should you?
Helping others be conscious of their reading habits and the right source material can make a big difference
If you’ve read this far down you’re probably thinking: “Wow that’s almost exactly my family/friend situation”, or you’ve at least seen extended family members fall into similar rabbit holes. So what do you do about it? Here are some tips about how to approach the situation:
Patiently discuss and inquire: It’s not going to be easy. I’ve personally lost my cool plenty of times speaking to my dad about his weirdly pro-CCP opinions about George Soros. Ask them what their stance is, and what source or information they’re drawing on to substantiate. Dig a little deeper and continue to ask questions like “why is that”, “how can you be certain”, or “why don’t you think ‘experts’ hold this position”?. The idea is to get them to elaborate and to define what the core tenets of their beliefs are based on.
Don’t be abrasive: It’s tempting to feel as though you are the enlightened one and to belittle the other person. More often than not people who turn to conspiracies in the first place have done so because they are drawn to a counter-narrative that validates how they feel, and makes them feel heard or seen. Your job is to do the same, doing so will lower their emotional defences and hopefully allow you to speak to them over time in a more rational way
Encourage critical thinking and credible reading: If you’re like my parents, you’re at a disadvantage. You grew up in a largely socialist education system or in a developing country. In these economies, arts, the humanities, and critical thinking always took the back seat in favour of rote learning and STEM subjects (without the critical hypothesis testing). Your family members likely don’t do much critical thinking so it’s important to encourage them to question things they read and ask “why” often. For my own parents, I tried to make things even easier by suggesting that they hold off forming an opinion before they “fact checked” by reading the ABC, SBS, or another credible news source (e.g. Sydney Morning Herald or more reputable newspapers in their native language like the “Ming Pao” Cantonese newspaper (HK)). These days when my mother shares a wack theory with me, before I continue entertaining her thoughts I ask “Was this also reported in the same way in the ABC/SBS?”. It also helps that SBS provides news in a wide range of languages too.
Is it worth it? One question we forget to ask ourselves is “is it worth it?”. Not every opinion is entirely harmful and not every family member needs the same convincing. If your family member is like my 70-something uncle who is a bit of a “black sheep” and goes to the TAB to gamble every second day, is the juice worth the squeeze? Unless the opinion-holder is likely to cause grave damage to themselves or another family member by holding this belief (e.g. preventing someone from vaccination), you have to pick your battles. It’s also not great for your family’s connectedness or your own mental health if you’re constantly stressing about what information others are consuming on YouTube - nobody wants to look at every family gathering as a potential drunk Oxford Debate.
All in all, it’s important to note that what I wrote above are actually tools for gradual change. Don’t expect things to change in a month or two, and remember to keep yourself sane even if those around you aren’t. For more tips, consider reading this blog from the BBC.
Conclusion
The Trump presidency and COVID-19 will not be the last frontiers of misinformation. So long as digital and social media remain the most convenient ways to communicate and share information, the dark hand of misinformation and conspiracy theories will be just around the corner, evolving and finding new ways to bend the truth.
