Culturally Congruent Coping With Discrimination and Long-Term Impacts on Chinese American Youths' Education, Career, and Mental Health

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 10:50 am
  In Roundtable Session: Foregrounding the Importance of Chinese Language, Cultural Heritage, and Lived Experiences (Table 21)

Abstract

Using a longitudinal mixed methods approach, two studies explored the connections between cultural value, racial discrimination, internalized racism, and their consequences on the educational goal, career aspirations, and mental health of Chinese American youth. Study 1 revealed that these youth have experienced various forms of discrimination, which are linked to psychosocial stress, lower ethnic identity, and less recognition of heritage culture. However, culturally congruent coping strategies may serve as an adaptive response to discrimination-induced distress. Study 2 showed that youth who planned to pursue science/health professions had significantly higher levels of internalized racism than those who planned to pursue business/law professions, suggesting that internalized discrimination experiences/racism may restrict youths’ self-determination in their selection of college majors and career development.

Authors

• Danni Li, Texas A&M University

• Jeffrey Liew, Texas A&M University

• Lisa Kiang, Wake Forest University