Symposia
Culture / Ethnicity / Race
Akanksha Das, M.A.
Research Assistant
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
Elise Clerkin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
Rose Marie Ward, Ph.D.
Professor
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
In 2020, a resurgence in awareness of anti-Black and anti-Asian violence emerged following the murders of countless Black citizens, and COVID-related Sinophobia rhetoric. The “Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center” (2020) recorded more than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents since fall 2021. The annual APA (2020) survey also reveals alarming statistics pointing to a national mental health crisis, with college-aged adults (ages 18-23) reporting the highest levels of stress compared to all other generations (ages 24-75+). Identity-based stressors, like racism, are particularly damaging during college when students are grappling with core aspects of their identities. Thus, examining potential protective factors for racially minoritized students in predominately white institutions (PWI) is critical. One factor that has been identified as an important component of positive identity development is critical consciousness (CC). CC involves the ability to recognize and act against oppressive social and political conditions and is operationalized as a process of 1) awareness of oppressive systems, 2) sense of efficacy in dismantling oppression, and 3) action in service of those aims.
This study tests the protective effect of CC on associations between racism and anxiety symptoms among Asian students (N = 70; 78.9% Female) at a midsized Midwestern PWI. Students completed an online survey (March 2021), reporting on: 1) CC domains, measured by colorblind racial ideology (Neville, Lilly, Duran, Lee, & Browne, 2000), efficacy beliefs (Godfrey & Grayman, 2014), and participation in sociopolitical action (Rapa, Bolding, & Jamil, 2020); 2) experienced racism (modified racial climate measure; Reid, & Radhakrishnan, 2003); and 3) generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006). Moderation of CC domains on associations between racism and GAD was tested using Hayes PROCESS Macro.
Only efficacy of student collective action significantly moderated the association between racism on GAD (b = -.047, p = .045). For students with relatively higher efficacy beliefs, greater racism was failed to associate with GAD (+1.5 SD, t = 1.12, p = .27), whereas students reporting mean and relatively lower efficacy beliefs, greater racism was associated with higher GAD (M, t = 3.46, p < .001; -1.5 SD, t = 3.75, p < .001). Findings reveal believing in the efficacy of collective action buffers against consequences of racism on generalized anxiety. As such, supporting coalitions for students may serves as a way for PWIs to protect Asian student mental health from the effects of racism.