ABSTRACT
The number of hate messages on social media platforms against the Asian and Asian American communities has increased, especially with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. While some studies discussed the increasing number of such hate speech in social media, few studies systematically explored the nature of online anti-Asian hate and counterspeech and the characteristics of online users. By the social network analysis (SNA) method, the present study examines the diffusion of opinions toward #VeryAsian on Twitter that spread anti-Asian hate content and the responses to it. The results demonstrate that the number of #VeryAsian-related tweets decreased gradually over time, but there are also certain influential agenda-setters and opinion leaders to advocate for other users. Positive and neutral sentiments dominated the #VeryAsian tweets, which reveal that the use of public counterspeech messaging campaigns might be a potential solution against hateful sentiment on social media. This research has theoretical, practical, and methodological implications informing further intercultural communication within a heated political environment.
