Asian and Asian American Early Educators’ Racial Discrimination Experiences and Children's Well-Being During COVID-19

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Embracing Well-Being and Joy to Advance Equity and Justice in Early Childhood Education (Table 41)

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between Asian and Asian American early educators’ racial discrimination experiences and children’s well-being under their care through the mediation of the educators’ mental health. Participants of this study were 1,196 Asian and Asian American early educators across the US. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the educators’ direct experience and witnessing of racism were positively associated with their perceived helplessness and depression, as well as children’s well-being issues. The educators’ perceived helplessness mediated the association between their direct/indirect experiences of racism and children’s well-being issues. Additionally, the educators’ perceived helplessness mediated the relationship between their direct experience of racism and children’s well-being issues only in neighborhoods with high Asian concentrations.

Authors

• Xinwei Zhang, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Feiran Zhang, Yale University

• Suge Zhang, University of Connecticut

• Ayse Cobanoglu, Yale University