Racial discrimination and psychological health among Polynesians in the U.S.

Although Asian/Pacific Islanders are considered a single ethnic/racial category in national studies, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) and Asians show marked disparities in health outcomes and risk behaviors, including substance use. Currently, knowledge regarding the psychosocial mechanisms by which NHOPI ethnicity is associated with increased substance use, compared with Asian or White, is limited, especially among emerging adults. The present study tested a model in which the relationship between NHOPI ethnicity and higher substance use (i.e., current tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug use) was hypothesized to be mediated through higher emerging adulthood stress (e.g., feeling "inbetween," instability), higher self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination, substance use in one's social networks, and poorer mental health symptomology (i.e., depression, anxiety). Data collected at a single time-point from 2,344 college students, M age = 21.2 (SD = 2.1); 54% Women; 24% NHOPI, 49% Asian, 27% White, were analyzed by employing structural equation modeling. NHOPI and Asian ethnicity were dummy coded with reference to White. Results indicated that the association between NHOPI ethnicity and higher substance use was mediated in two steps, via higher racial/ethnic discrimination and poorer mental health symptology. NHOPI ethnicity, but not Asian, was associated with higher identification with emerging adulthood attributes, which in turn was associated with increased substance use. Implications are discussed in the context of reducing health disparities faced by NHOPIs. What is the public significance of this article?This study found that Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander emerging adults, who represent a vulnerable population, may experience higher stress associated with emerging adulthood and perceived racial/ethnic discrimination (compared with Asian and White), which may, in turn, place them at higher risk for substance use.

Section: Emerging Adulthood and Substance Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging adulthood attributes, discrimination, mental health, and substance use in a sample of Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and White college students.

Spencer¹,

Pokhrel²,

Helm³

et al. 2023

“…Despite these increasing numbers, Native Hawaiians are often lumped or glossed together with other ethnic groups and assumed to be “Asian-American” (Allen et al, 2016; Trimble & Bhadra, 2013). This assumption is problematic because they are viewed as part of the “model minority stereotype” and their unique psychological needs and experiences with discrimination are overlooked (Allen et al, 2017). Moreover, this group is understudied and underrepresented in discussions of identity, mental health, racism, educational access, and equity (Borrero et al, 2012; Bollinger et al, 2020; Kaholokula et al, 2019), and as a place, Hawai’i (and its schools) reveals the dislocation and isolation that occur as a result of an educational system that focuses on standardized measures prioritizing white, middle-class values and assimilationist individualistic identities (Kana’iaupuni & Ishibashi, 2003).…”

Section: Why Native Hawaiians?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Place matters: Exploring Native Hawaiian youths’ cultural selves, pride, and generativity.

Yeh¹,

Borrero²,

Suda³

et al. 2021

Native Hawaiian youth in schools frequently navigate assimilationist educational agendas, which inevitably influences their perceptions of self and expressions of mental health. Using an ecological theoretical framework emphasizing contextually based selves, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 Native Hawaiian high school students about how they navigate experiences with racism and stereotypes, across the school, home, and cultural contexts. Five themes emerged from our grounded theory analysis: (a) cultural pride, (b) positive and negative stereotypes, (c) experiences with racism, (d) self, connection, and land, and (e) cultural generativity. We discuss how the role of 'aina or land in understanding cultural expressions of self, pride, and the importance of generativity among Native Hawaiian youth. Implications for psychological theory, research, and practice for this group are also addressed. Public Significance StatementThe study highlights the role of place in understanding Native Hawaiian students' contextual identities and experiences with racism and stereotypes in and out of school. In addition, our findings underscore the critical roles of cultural pride and cultural generativity in participants' sense of self as part of a larger collective.

“…Research supports the general health disparities that exist among NHPIs including the highest prevalence rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in the state of Hawai‘i (Kaholokula, 2017; Kaholokula et al, 2019), the increased likelihood of developing chronic illnesses at a younger age compared to the rest of the U.S. population, and shortening the lifespan by a decade compared to other ethnic groups (Mau et al, 2009). Discrimination has been found to affect NHPIs’ health including increasing risk for hypertension (Ing et al, 2019) and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (Allen et al, 2017; Ing et al, 2019; McCubbin & Antonio, 2012). This picture of health disparities is further exemplified when comparing NHPIs to Asian Americans.…”

Section: The Colonizer’s Gazementioning

confidence: 99%

The case of Kahewai: Indigenous ways of knowing and Kānaka ‘Ōiwi well-being.

McCubbin¹,

Cristobal²,

Chin³

2021

The purpose of this study is to illustrate an Indigenous, 1 Native Hawaiian (Kānaka 'Ōiwi) framework for understanding well-being with a qualitative case study of a man, Kānaka 'Ōiwi, Kahewai. We have our 'Ōlelo Makuahine (Mother language) to tell our mo'olelo or stories. The case study of Kahewai demonstrates the interconnection between 'āina (land), kūpuna (elders/ ancestors), and lōkahi (harmony/unity). Similar to woven lauhala (Pandanus leaves), our 'ike kūpuna (knowledge from our ancestors) is the intertwined narratives of our land and culture. We hope to share one kāne (man) Kānaka 'Ōiwi narrative to help illustrate Indigenous ways of being in particular, ways of healing, adapting, and creating a sense of well-being through social justice and reflection. With the use of his mo'olelo, we demonstrate an alternative perspective of Kānaka 'Ōiwi well-being that is embedded in Meyer's (2001Meyer's ( , 2003Meyer's ( , 2013 work on Kānaka 'Ōiwi epistemology and McGregor et al.'s (2003) Kānaka 'Ōiwi ecological model of well-being. This mo'olelo is through the eyes of a wayfarer and a caretaker of the ocean with his family and faith. This narrative case study demonstrates how Indigenous knowledge and well-being of Kānaka 'Ōiwi can be seen, not through the gaze of the "foreigner," but from the mo'olelo of our people (Kamakau, 1865). What is the public significance of this article?This study uses Native ways of knowing to examine a case study of a Native Hawaiian male and how his health and well-being are connected to his sense of place, family, and ancestry.