Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is set in New York City in the early months of the pandemic, and the heart of the story is a series of murders in which East Asian women are primarily the victims. This storyline is steeped in the reality of the rise in xenophobia, violence, and discrimination against the Asian community in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the Covid-19 virus believed to have originated in China, there was an inordinate rise in violence and anti-Asian sentiment across the United States, while numerous other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and a number of European nations, reported an increase in hate crimes that mostly white people perpetrated against Asian communities during the pandemic months (“Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide.” Human Rights Watch, 16 Aug. 2022). The negative attitudes and behaviors towards East Asians and Asian Americans ranged from verbal abuse to physical harm and even death (Haynes, Suyin. “Anti-Asian Attacks and Hate Crimes on the Rise Worldwide.” Time, 22 Mar. 2021). This is mirrored in the events of the book, such as passers-by calling out racial slurs at the characters; an unprovoked attack on an Asian establishment in Chinatown; and the murders themselves.

A large amount of this anti-Asian sentiment was fueled in the early months of the pandemic by the racist or xenophobic language of high-ranking officials and politicians, including offensive terms such as the “China virus” (“Covid ‘Hate Crimes’ Against Asian Americans on Rise.” BBC, 21 May 2021). Baker’s novel reflects these racist attitudes and instances as well, such as Aunt Lois’s thoughtless comments calling the virus this exact term, and Mayor Webb callously ordering the mass killings of East Asians swept under the rug to further his own political agenda.

While many Western countries witnessed a wave of anti-Asian hate, other marginalized communities were scapegoated and targeted in Asian countries during the pandemic. For instance, discrimination against Muslims, an oft-targeted minority community in countries like India and Sri Lanka, rose during the pandemic. Similarly, it was the African community in China that faced discrimination and violence (“Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism”).

While Baker largely focuses the narrative on the violence faced by the East Asian community in New York City, she doesn’t shy away from underlining the universality of the problem. Yifei’s backstory shines a light on societal violence towards women in China, while Mayor Webb’s badly-received yet aggressively pro-police agenda reflects rising tensions around police violence during this time. Ultimately, Baker underlines how the problem of xenophobia and the scapegoating of marginalized communities in any society—especially during a time of crisis—is a serious issue.