Foreigner objectification, cultural assets, and psychological adjustment in Asian American college students.

Abstract

Asian Americans have historically been subjected to foreigner objectification, a form of racial discrimination rooted in the "perpetual foreigner" stereotype. Foreigner objectification is related to multiple indicators of negative psychological adjustment and may be particularly salient for U.S.-born Asian Americans. This study examined whether cultural asset profiles (composed of ethnic-racial identity, American identity, and ethnic socialization) moderate the relationship between foreigner objectification and psychological adjustment among U.S.-born Asian American college students (N ϭ 468). Using person-centered cluster analytic methods, four cultural asset profiles were derived (Multiple High Assets, Multiple Low Assets, High American Assets, Moderate Ethnic-Racial Assets). Foreigner objectification was significantly associated with lower subjective well-being, and this association was not moderated by cultural asset profiles. Foreigner objectification was also significantly related to higher psychological distress, but this relationship was moderated by cultural asset profiles. The results suggest that moderate levels of ethnic-racial assets may be more protective in the context of the foreigner objectificationdistress association. What is the public significance of this article?This study tested whether different cultural asset profiles of ethnic-racial identity, American identity, and ethnic socialization protect U.S.-born Asian Americans from being treated as a perpetual foreigner. Treatment as a foreigner was related to negative psychological adjustment for all, but this relation was stronger for individuals with patterns of either higher or lower overall levels of cultural assets, compared with those with moderate levels.

Ethnic‐racial socialization in mono‐racial Asian American and Pacific Islander families: A 21‐year systematic literature review

“…The active integration group (46%) received frequent messages about maintaining heritage culture, few messages about avoiding outgroups or minimizing race, and the most messages about becoming American, treating everyone equally, and respecting diverse cultures. Four other studies evaluated profiles, combining ERS with other constructs: discrimination (Ajayi & Syed, 2014), ethnic‐racial identity (Wu et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2021), American identity (Wu et al., 2020), and model minority experiences (Kiang et al., 2019; Xie et al., 2021).…”

“…Burrola (2013) found that cultural socialization exacerbated the relation of subtle discrimination to anxiety but only among U.S. born adolescents. Wu et al (2020) found that the positive relation of foreigner objectification to psychological distress was exacerbated by cultural assets profiles, especially those involving high or low levels of cultural socialization and less by the profile involving moderate socialization.…”

“…Some studies documented other ERS strategies in AAPI families, such as egalitarianism (French et al, 2013;Kiang et al, 2022;Kim, Hunt, et al, 2023;Patel et al, 2022), pluralism (Kiang et al, 2022;Kim, Hunt, et al, 2023;Ren et al, 2022), minimization of race (Keum et al, 2023;Kiang et al, 2022;Kim, Hunt, et al, 2023), exposure to diversity (Alvarez et al, 2006;Park, 2020;Tian, 2023), avoidance of race talk (Keum et al, 2023) ERS with other constructs: discrimination (Ajayi & Syed, 2014), ethnic-racial identity (Wu et al, 2020;Xie et al, 2021), American identity (Wu et al, 2020), and model minority experiences (Kiang et al, 2019;Xie et al, 2021).…”

Discomfort in LGBT community and psychological well-being for LGBT Asian Americans: The moderating role of racial/ethnic identity importance.

“…In studies with a significant portion of Asian Americans in their samples, ERI commitment was found to be a stronger protective factor, but private regard for ERI was found to have a more exacerbating effect (Yip, 2017). In studies of Asian Americans specifically, ERI has been found to reduce the effects of experiencing racial discrimination on psychological distress, although it did not moderate the negative association between foreigner objectification and self-rated well-being (Wu et al, 2020). Our study intends to paint a clearer picture of the potential moderating effect of racial/ethnic identity importance within the understudied population of LGBT Asian Americans.…”

Racial discrimination, gender role conflict, and depression in college men of color: A longitudinal test of the racist-gender stress model.

“…A growing body of research emphasizes the importance of examining the racist-gender stress model specifically for men of color attending university, especially predominantly White universities. In terms of college students of color broadly, research reveals how they experience many forms of racial discrimination in college contexts, such as assumptions of academic inferiority, receiving racist comments on assignments from professors, and being perceived as criminals or as foreigners by peers and university staff (Lee & Hopson, 2019; Wu et al, 2020). In addition to these forms of racial discrimination, men of color in particular report experiencing verbal assaults, emotions of hopelessness and despair, as well as feelings of being an outsider on campus, with this outsider status stemming from not seeing themselves as represented and cared for within the context of a university (Lott & Love, 2020).…”