This article presents findings from a multimethod qualitative study on the intersectional experiences of discrimination for Asian American women. Participants included 94 women from various Asian American ethnic groups (Mdn age ϭ 25) who participated in an online survey analyzed through consensual qualitative research-modified and 13 women (Mdn age ϭ 29) from different Asian American ethnic groups who participated in focus group interviews analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results revealed 15 themes that illuminated the types of discrimination experienced by participants as Asian American women, namely, tokenist representative of Asian Americans, mislabeled/assumed ethnicity, foreigner, excluded, smart and/or inevitably successful, culture-based discrimination, criminal, bad driver, denying experiences of discrimination, exotic, not a leader, submissive and passive, cute and small, invisible, and service worker. Experiences of discrimination occurred in a variety of personal and professional contexts. Research and clinical implications as well as directions for future research are discussed.
What is the public significance of this article?This research focused on experiences of discrimination for Asian American women. Asian American women face subtle and blatant discrimination from the public as well as those they know well in their professional and personal lives. Experiences include being considered exotic, submissive, invisible, and foreign and being excluded. These experiences can limit professional growth and personal opportunities and lead to mental health difficulties.
While most recent research has disproved the idea that normal adolescence is characterized by "storm and stress," 10% to 20% of adolescents exhibit severe emotional disturbance. One behavior that expresses this disturbance and is particularly prevalent in adolescents is self-mutilation. An examination of the literature suggested eight differentiable theoretical models addressing why adolescents might engage in selfmutilation: behavioral, systemic, avoidance of suicide, sexual, expression of affect, control of affect, ending depersonalization, and creating boundaries. These models were evaluated by surveying a nationwide sample of psychologists and social workers. Related developmental issues were also investigated. Results indicated that therapists found the expression, control, depersonalization, and boundaries models most useful in understanding and treating selfmutilating adolescents. There was little support for the sexual or suicide models.
In this study the authors explored the relation of physical appearance, perception of group belonging, and perception of group exclusion to racial/ethnic identity in multiracial Japanese European Americans. Results indicate that physical appearance and social variables of sense of belonging and exclusion related to one monoracial racial/ethnic group significantly predicted self-identity with the corresponding monoracial group. There was also a significant relationship between Japanese American identity and multiracial appearance and social variables. Feelings of exclusion were shown to be the primary influence on all three racial/ethnic identities.
This qualitative study explored how White youth understand structural racism on an abstract and personalized level and the process of developing these understandings. Structural racism encompasses both institutional racism and the broader effects of racism embedded within social structures. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 White youth in seventh or eighth grade in a suburban school. Grounded theory qualitative analysis indicated that developing structural racism understanding for White youth involved a process of (a) developing an initial understanding of the existence and meaning of structural racism, (b) reflecting on this awareness independently and with others, (c) developing emotional connections to these issues (sympathy), (d) developing perspective taking skills and empathy, and (e) engaging and struggling with one's identity as a White person. Results also provided support for the importance of parental racial socialization practices and multicultural antibias education in the process of developing structural racism understanding for White youth.
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