Covid-19 took hold of the world in 2020, even though early occurrences of the virus appeared in late-2019. The virus has proven to be deadly, claiming the lives of nearly 3.4 million individuals worldwide and inflicting another 165 million (Worldometer, May 18th). However, though the virus has been scientifically proven to be easily transmittable and potentially deadly, there have been many different public reactions to the pandemic and its severity. Some have denied that Covid-19 can cause death or even health concerns. Some have acknowledged Covid-19’s threat to human health, but believe economic concerns should take precedence over an unpredictable virus. Others took positions on Covid-19 that fell in line with their politics, disregarding many biological or economic factors in favor of personal freedom - feeling the certain mask mandates, vaccines, and other regulations threatened their freedom.

In January 2021, concerned about the soaring Covid-19 rates in Los Angeles, California where I live, I went to the island of Kauai, in Hawaii. In Hawaii, the Covid-19 rates are exceedingly low compared to the rest of the United States. For example, Los Angeles alone has exceeded over 1.2 million cases (Public Health Los Angeles County, 2021). On my first visit to Kauai, I had a curious encounter.  A tall man – who I later found out was named Michael – was wearing no face mask, while biking alongside a local reservoir. Stopping to talk with my friends and I, he said, “Covid sucks, doesn't it?” He pointed to my quarantine wristband. I, agreeing, said the pandemic had caused stress for many people across the world. However, I was surprised to hear him say “Covid is a scam!” with an aggravated tone. With less than six feet between us, the man inched towards me. I slowly stepped backward. With an air of confidence, the man complained, “the federal government has intentionally ruined my home island by forcing unnecessary regulations on my community.” As a liberal Los Angeles resident I was shocked, as I was accustomed to people strictly adhering to Covid-19 rules. I immediately was cautious of the man, assuming his beliefs had formed out of conservative political views. However, he seemed to consistently disparage the “mainland’s politics and government,” which didn’t logically follow my initial assumptions – that he was a Conservative and a supporter of President Trump. Reflecting on this discussion later, I came to the realization that my own insular viewpoints were obscuring realities: not everyone follows the stereotypical political party standpoint. And, although Covid-19 is a heavily politicized issue, there are numerous other factors that shape how people view and respond to Covid-19. 

Los Angeles was hit with one of America's worst surges of the coronavirus (Public Health Los Angeles County, 2022) and is only just, according to Gavin Newton, the governor of California, finally plateauing in May of 2021. Los Angeles is still the hotspot for the virus and is experiencing damaging side effects, one year later. While the city reopened restaurants and most stores in July of 2020, the cases peaked in the winter, amassing more than 15,000 cases a day in January, causing another stay-at-home order. While other schools have continued to go back in person throughout the year, LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) as of April 2021 is issuing that schools can safely return, with mask mandates and staggered schedules. In contrast to this, Kauai, Hawaii, has been one of the few places in American that hasn’t been hit hard by Covid-19. Hawaii alone has only had 36,314 cases of Covid-19 overall as of June 2021, and Kauai has had the fewest covid cases of the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of 361 cases as of June 2021. (New York Times, 2021) While other islands only require a negative test within the past 72 hours for inter-island traveling, Kauai is the only island that continues to issue strict tourism rules. They require tourists to undertake a 72-hour mandatory quarantine at a participating “resort bubble” – an exclusive hotel containing only newly incoming tourists and confining them to the boundaries of the hotel until they provide a negative Covid-19 test result. Schools on Kauai opened in-person learning in August of 2020 and have stayed open full time. Judging by the fact that people in both contexts have experienced Covid-19 in many different ways, I am curious to investigate how people in these two places view the common issue of Covid-19, how these opinions of the pandemic were formed, and if the people in these two contexts follow stereotypical political party perspectives on the virus. 

In this article, I will analyze a number of the various factors that impact an individual’s perceptions of Covid-19. As my encounter with Michael challenged my assumptions on the influence on “party politics”, I wanted to see if my interviewees' opinions on Covid-19 followed party lines. In an effort to understand the rationale behind people’s thinking, I selected a diverse range of interviewees and asked them what their opinions were about the pandemic, to reflect on their own experience in life, what sources of information they accessed with regard to Covid-19, and why they believe they came to their conclusions. The subjects I selected were all from either Hawaii or California, as I wanted to compare and contrast people's perceptions from these two very different contexts.

While on the island of Kauai, I interviewed Henry, a 57-year-old farmer – originally from Germany who has resided in Kauai for over 50 years; Andrew, a 36-year-old surf teacher, born in Kauai; and Laila, a 16-year-old indigenous Hawaiian. From Los Angeles, I interviewed Tina, a 55-year-old film producer living in Los Angeles (LA); Emma, a 16-year-old LA resident; and Taylor, a 55-year-old producer from LA. 

Beyond Party Politics: How Do People View COVID-19?

Initially, I wrongly thought that a person's political affiliation was the only variable that affects their opinion on covid-19. However, after interviewing a number of people, it is not just party political affiliation that shapes an individual's points of view when regarding the pandemic. That said, certain people did tend to follow some of their party politics, interestingly my interviewees largely dispelled this notion. Although political affiliation did affect the individual's response to covid, there were other political reasons such as the relationship to the government as an institution that affected their response. Emma, a liberal teenager from Los Angeles, expressed high dissatisfaction with both the federal and local government’s handling of the virus. Emma passionately  stated, “Key information was withheld from the public, which amplified the sense of distrust the public already harbored against the government.” Though she still believes in liberal ideals, she believes both liberalism and conservatism impacted the way in which the public both accessed and understood the pandemic. Emma stated that “my friends and I often found ways to rebel against the governmental secrecy by protesting,” as they felt betrayed by the government’s initial insistence that Covid-19 was not going to be disastrous. Henry echoed similar sentiments, though he was much more critical of the federal government rather than local governments – it was clear Henry’s prior relationship to the government impacted his response – Henry, attested that the Island “did its own thing” and that though people of Hawaii have been oppressed by their government, they had a natural respect for authority and order so there were very few protests or acts of rebellion. Unlike Henry, Emma’s initial response to Covid-19 seemed like it stemmed from disbelief rather than immediate caution, as she said that she initially found the masks mandates to be “stupid,” and people in her community throughout the first quarantine “kind of broke the rules too soon” and thinks this had to do with the spike in Los Angeles. Henry said that “the people of Hawaii are self-reliant against the mainland,” and “everyone is protective over the elders and the community’s overall health,” indicating that when the news of Covid-19 first spread, no matter the uncertainty of the issue, people felt prompted to act fast in order to protect their elders – “an important part of the island’s culture and community.” He attributes the islands’ success to their isolation from federal news and policies, and reliance on their own previously established “ways of life.” In fact, Hawaii was one of the first states to go into voluntary lockdown, as the islands were already accustomed to differentiating themselves from the rest of the United States and protecting their own people and territories. Though my interviewees in California did not credit their community’s strength to an “us versus them” mentality, the LA residents that I interviewed similarly echoed Henry’s opinion that the federal government – particularly the Trump Administration – could not be trusted.  Overall, according to my interviews, the different respondents’ preconceived opinions and historical relationships with the government shifted the way in which they responded to the virus, and while one's political affiliation definitely had an impact, clearly, there were other variables such as personal relationships with the government and cultural tradition that affected how they responded to the pandemic. 

Information Sources, Party Politics, and Perspectives on Covid-19

“How could you not watch the news? Watching the news means you’re an active member of society,” Tina, a 55-year-old Los Angeles film producer expressed. Tina, a Los Angeles resident Democrat, seemed initially perplexed when I asked her while talking about Covid-19 if watching the news was important. She believes that the news is a dominant factor in her community members’ lives. Interestingly, Henry, a 57-year-old Hawaiian resident, also a Democrat, contradicted Tina’s belief by saying, “information and the news aren’t power.” While interviewing a range of individuals from both Kauai and Los Angeles, I kept encountering an interesting trend. The LA residents I interviewed seemed more driven to follow party-driven politics, whereas people from Kauai seemed to be more inclined to listen to local perspectives, and follow less party political beliefs promoted by the media. People like Henry and Tina seemed to have a strong perspective on the news – and issues that are presented on the media – based on their geographical location. Also, their preferences in methods of obtaining the news varied greatly, as Hawaiians typically relied on a word-of-mouth approach whereas Los Angeles residents preferred news media companies.

Both methods of accessing information posed interesting dilemmas. Hawaiians were fiercely protective of the islands and had a natural mistrust of the “mainland’s” politics while LA residents shunned news acquired through the community in favor of news presented on seemingly reputable news channels and/or papers. Emma, a 16-year-old from Los Angeles, attested to her community members’ strong trust of political news commentary sources by saying “the adults in [her] life make it clear what news sources are to be trusted, and what is not to be trusted when talking about Covid-19.”  Emma confidently reassured me that it is strongly embedded in her family that “CNN is the one and only news source that seems to be credible.” This shows through Emma’s perspective that the LA residents with the same political belief as her, follow their “party line” when it comes to accumulating information on Covid-19, as CNN is ostensibly closely aligned with liberal ideas. There is a clear separation between how people on Kauai and people in LA see what news sources can be trusted. Source preferences created “bubbles,” in which people in Hawaii liked to affirm the viewpoints of their neighbors and people in LA liked to subscribe to news being hosted on channels that already aligned with their political party choices. Henry, and Andrew, both democrats living on the island of Kauai, attested to trusting their communities’ perspectives, and a more word-of-mouth approach rather than the political news outlets that LA residents watch. When I asked Henry if he watches political party news sources, he answered immediately, saying,“ People on the island trust each other more than CNN, because that already has an opinion embedded in it.” Andrew, when asked the same question if he watches the news, said, “Why would I?” Jokingly Andrew chuckled, “The only time I watch the news is to see how high the surf is?”  It is clear that when asking about the media sources people watch, one cannot assume that every person affiliated with a certain party follows that exact party line when looking at Covid-19. Los Angeles residents did watch news according to their political affiliation however democrats in Kauai did not, proving that not everyone watched their news according to their political affiliation, even though a number of respondents interviewed were in the same political party. 

Economic Concerns, Party Politics, and Perspectives on Covid-19 

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, economic concerns, related to the impacts of lockdown, seemingly have followed political lines. I, as a liberal from LA, have assumed the lockdowns are necessary, and although the economy is going through hardship, that is no excuse to break Covid-19 mandates. I have found myself assuming more right-leaning individuals would follow a different party line: “if you care about the economy, you value reopening the world over lockdowns.” However, after interviewing a number of people regarding the pandemic, more liberals than I thought voiced concerns for the economy, even when not personally affected by the economic downturn brought on by lockdowns. Others who were actually economically affected did not have an “anti-masker” attitude. I also encountered people who believed Covid-19 was a scam, but attested their belief to economic concerns, and were in fact not Trump supporters. I realize individuals' concerns regarding Covid-19 involving the economy stem less from their assumed party line, and more from personal opinions, senses of privilege, and personal impact. Economic concerns had a heavy impact on Covid-19 compliance or rejection. Emma, a liberal teen from Los Angeles, when asked about why she thinks some people dismiss the validity of Covid-19 said, “a lot of small businesses and corporations in the city of Los Angeles have been greatly affected as widespread restrictions have led to business failures and financial troubles.” Emma mentioned that a lot of the business owners she knows do not follow Covid-19 guidelines because they “care about themselves and their businesses that have thrived for so long.” This suggests that Emma believes that all small business owners do not necessarily shun the health impacts of Covid-19, but rather that their primary and fixed priority is on their ability to sustain their businesses. Henry said that his community’s businesses were largely shut down because of high tourism numbers, but businesses and community members weren't too resistant because “nobody wanted to be the person who got their grandmother sick.” However, Andrew, from the same island as Henry, said that he lost his surf instructing job due to Covid-19 and that it was difficult for him to get back on his feet. Michael, the man I met on arrival to Kauai expressed huge concerns about the lockdown, and he openly said he was NOT a trump supporter. Tina, a film producer, was only minimally impacted by Covid-19; though the film industry was put on hiatus, she was still able to comfortably sustain herself, and therefore did not have to worry about how Covid-19 would alter her economic circumstances. The information dispels notions such as economic concerns are not just held by Republicans, but indicates that people's privileges and circumstances contribute to their opinion on the severity of the economic crisis the worldwide shutdown prompted. 

Calling Attention to the Virus Through A Racial Lens

While conducting my interviews, I noticed another factor that played into how people viewed Covid-19. Some respondents, more than others, when asked about what aspects of their life affect their opinions on Covid-19, reflected on their identity. Taylor, a black woman from Los Angeles, remarked, "white people in affluent neighborhoods feel more comfortable to go out because they can trust the fact that their peers can be consistently tested." Taylor here is attesting to the level of privilege commonly associated with Caucasian people and how a person's level of risk to Covid-19 affects how much they ‘believe' in the severity of the virus. She also said, "My race is definitely a factor, [when viewing Covid-19], and I know that the reality of Covid may be a lot harsher to black communities and therefore people of color may have to believe in it more than others." Tina, a white woman from Los Angeles, attested to the fact that she has never really been worried about her health if contracting the virus, and it seems throughout her interviews never touched on her race, because to her, her race didn't affect how she related to the virus. She may have leaned more towards political affiliation and followed more of an assumed lens when viewing the virus. Laila, however, a 16-year old Indonesian, also a person of color, says her race didn't affect how she viewed the virus. Laila confidently said, "Hawaii is a very diverse place, so nobody here is concerned about what you look like, and everybody's economic status is relatively similar." It seems that because Laila does not perceive herself as a "minority" in her environment, she does not view her race as a factor in relation to her opinions on Covid-19. This differs from Taylor’s notion, and we can infer that people who view themselves as minorities look at Covid-19 through a racial lens, such as with some members of the African American population in Los Angeles. This section proves that if an individual's racial identity affects their day-to-day life, their response may differ from the majority response. 

Conclusion: Many Lenses, Complex Views

COVID is not a white or black issue, but perhaps each person experiencing the pandemic aligns with many shades of grey.

The quote outlined above, by Tina from Los Angeles, captures the essence of my conclusion. My primary assumption that political divides were most influential in individual’s reactions to Covid-19 was proven incorrect. Each section of this article has discussed different variables that factored into an individual's opinion on Covid-19. There were many niche reasons why a person felt that Covid-19 was not a large health risk or why they believed that despite its threat, other socioeconomic factors were more important to their livelihood or sense of well-being. Reasons like distrust in the federal government, race, and economic status were just as, if not more, impactful on the way a person processed the pandemic. Dissecting this topic through a multi-perspective lens widened my views and allowed me to create a more accurate portrayal of the world. There is a need for bridging Americans across the political divide and this article demonstrates it may be politics and the media that has divided them, not necessarily the different perspectives. The series of interviews allude to the fact that by deepening efforts to show that the US isn’t a country of Republicans and Democrats with two different sets of issues, but a country made up of Americans with many different perspectives, most of which are shared by people on both sides of the political divide. In our differences, we are all the same, so to speak. For us to make meaningful global progress and more easily come to a consensus, we have to acknowledge the intersectional elements that shift universal or widespread acceptance and agreement, yet simultaneously realize the only way to become united is to stop using the “right or left” side as the dividing sectors of our country. 

Sources

Los Angeles Unified School District (2021). Safe Steps to Safe Schools. Available at:

publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/. Accessed on May 28, 2021.

Public Health Los Angeles County (2021). COVID-19 DATA. Available at:

publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/. Accessed on May 16, 2021.

Worldometer (2020). COVID Global Death Toll. Available at:

www.worldometer/covid. Accessed May 17, 2021.

Worldometer (2020). COVID Live-Update. Available at:

worldometers.info/coronavirus/. Accessed on May 18, 2021.