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.