Examining Multiracial Pride, Identity-based Challenges, and Discrimination: An Exploratory Investigation among Biracial Emerging Adults

• In Event: Examining how Socialization and Discrimination Impact Multiracial Identity Across Development: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

Abstract

Despite calls for increased scholarship in psychology exploring the experiences of Multiracial individuals (Seaton et al., 2018), little quantitative work has sought to examine risk and resilience processes in this hidden but rapidly growing population. Identity-based, challenges, or internal experiences reflecting difficulties forming a strong racial identity (Salahuddin & O’Brien, 2011), may be particularly salient among Multiracials given their marginal position within the prevailing hierarchical and monoracially-oriented conception of race in the U.S. (Harris, 2016). Given the importance of racial identity development for marginalized youth and racial identity’s role in promoting wellbeing (Hughes et al., 2016), it is vital to understand links between identity-based challenges and outcomes such as depressive symptoms in Multiracial youth. Additionally, identity-based challenges and their negative impact on psychological functioning may be exacerbated by another risk for depression – discrimination experiences (Yoo et al., 2016). Multiracial pride has been one proposed factor to combat these risks (Salahudin & O’Brien, 2011). While a recent meta-analysis suggests pride in one’s racial/ethnic group may not be a reliable buffer against discrimination (Yip et al., 2019), examining how Multiracial pride interacts with discrimination and identity-based challenges may help uncover the contexts where Multiracial pride is protective. Furthermore, given the different sociopolitical histories and lived experiences of different Multiracial groups, it is important likely that associations between our constructs of interest and depressive symptoms vary based on racial composition. In the absence of theory positing specific between-group differences, we take a tentative, exploratory approach to explore these phenomena between 4 Biracial subgroups (Black-White, Asian-White, Latinx-White, and minority-minority Biracials).

This exploratory study investigated the main and interactive effects of identity-based challenges, discrimination and Multiracial pride on depressive symptoms in Biracial individuals. Additionally, we explored how these associations may differ by Biracial sub-group given their unique racial experiences. Participants were 326 Biracial emerging adults (Mage=19.57; 75.2% female) recruited from three public universities in the U.S. In this exploratory analysis, we built upon a procedure conducted by Albuja and colleagues (2019) and tested a series of multi-group regression models, where regression paths that were non-significant in multiple groups were constrained to equality, whereas significant paths unique to each Biracial sub-group were freely estimated. This approach, similar to what is done when testing for partial measurement invariance, allowed us to examine which associations were similar across different types of Biracial individuals and which association were unique to a specific Biracial sub-group. Across all Biracial groups, identity-based challenges were associated with greater depressive symptoms. Additionally, results indicated that many of the relations between depressive symptoms and our predictors indeed differed across Biracial sub-group (see Table 3). The most apparent and unique differences were displayed by the Black-White Biracial sub-group, where a significant 3-way interaction revealed that Multiracial pride prevents discrimination from exacerbating the negative impact of identity-based challenges on Black-White Biracials’ depressive symptoms. These findings highlight identity-based challenges as a unique risk in the Biracial population and suggest that principled comparisons between Biracial sub-groups may help tease apart group-specific associations between these constructs and psychological outcomes.

Group Authors

The LOVING Study Collaborative

Authors

• N. Keita Christophe, McGill University
  Presenting Author

• Annabelle Atkin, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gabriela Livas Stein, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michele Chan, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author