Advancing Research Within Asian American Psychology Using Asian Critical Race Theory and an Asian Americanist Perspective

Abstract

Research within Asian American psychology continually grows to include a range of topics that expand on the heterogeneity, hybridity, and multiplicity of the Asian American psychological experience. Still, research focused on distinct racialization and psychological processes of Asians in America is limited. To advance scientific knowledge on the study of race and racism in the lives of Asian Americans, we draw on Asian critical race theory and an Asian Americanist perspective that emphasizes the unique history of oppression, resilience, and resistance among Asian Americans. First, we discuss the rationale and significance of applying Asian critical race theory to Asian American psychology. Second, we review the racialized history of Asians in America, including the dissemination of essentialist stereotypes (e.g., perpetual foreigner, model minority, and sexual deviants) and the political formation of an Asian American racial identity beginning in the late 1960s. We emphasize that this history is inextricably linked to how race and racism is understood and studied today in Asian American psychology. Finally, we discuss the implications of Asian critical race theory and an Asian Americanist perspective to research within Asian American psychology and conclude with suggestions for future research to advance current theory and methodology.

Familial critical consciousness socialization: How key family theories can expand racial‐ethnic socialization research among Asian American families

“…Asian Americans occupy a unique racial position in the United States, in that they are perceived as foreigners yet experience some privileges compared to Black, Latinx, and Native Americans due to the model minority myth (i.e., the stereotype that Asian Americans are highly economically and educationally successful through hard work and assimilation) and being non‐Black in an anti‐Black, white supremacist society (Kim, 2018; Shih et al, 2019; Tuan, 1999; Yoo et al, 2022; Zou & Cheryan, 2017). This racial positioning may shape Asian American individuals' and families' patterns of critical consciousness socialization in various ways, depending on their experiences of simultaneous advantage and disadvantage (i.e., as represented by net stress engagement), whether families respond to this stress by ignoring or acknowledging racism (i.e., as represented by reactive coping mechanisms), and so forth.…”

“…In some cases, parents may teach children history and facts about oppression and encourage children to engage in critical and reflexive thought processes to analyze, connect, and situate themselves amidst social systems. In other cases, especially among Asian American parents who highly internalize the model minority myth, parents may transmit messages that pit Asian Americans against other people of color, aligning with the stereotype's initial propagandist use to negate Black Americans' experiences with racism and racial disparities (Yoo et al, 2022). Other Asian American parents might also discourage children's critical action through cultural socialization messages that value harmony, social cohesion, and deference to authority despite social problems (Ahn et al, 2021; Baptist & Hamon, 2022; Litam & Chan, 2021); discouraging critical action may also be an attempt to protect homeostasis if such action is viewed as an unnecessary disruption to the family's stability and safety.…”

“…Within this matrix, Asian Americans are strategically portrayed by U.S. society as superior to other minoritized racial groups, particularly Black Americans. The logic of the model minority myth suggests that, if Asian Americans can be successful in the United States, then other racially minoritized groups have little to blame but themselves for their lesser degrees of success (Shih et al, 2019; Yoo et al, 2022). Such an argument is used to refute the influence of systemic racism on racial disparities between White communities and Black and Brown communities.…”

Alternate Cultural Paradigms in Psychology: Long Overdue Recognition and Further Articulations

“…The fourth contribution, by Yoo et al (this issue) on behalf of the AAPA, focuses on race, racialization, and racism in the lived experiences of Asian Americans, in an effort to go beyond the traditional concerns for culture and ethnicity. Their article is directed primarily at researchers.…”

Four Principles for Cultivating Alternate Cultural Paradigms in Psychology: Summary Reflections on Innovative Contributions

“…Blume (this issue) championed an Indigenous worldview—grounded in a holistic system of co-equal partners—that diverges from the mainstream emphasis on independence, autonomy, and hierarchy, which pervades society and psychology to the detriment of both the human and natural worlds. Yoo and colleagues (this issue) applied Asian Critical Race Theory to Asian American Psychology to unpack the striking and nuanced implications of racialization for these communities beyond the disciplinarily familiar concern with cultural traditions, customs, and values. Finally, Awad and colleagues (this issue) review the commonalities among Arab/MENA Americans that give rise to particular psychological concerns such as identity, recognition, discrimination, trauma, acculturation, and cultural values.…”