COVID-19-Related Racial Experiences Among Asian Americans

Abstract

Grounded in racial identity development theories, the present study examined how COVID-related racial discrimination is related to Asian Americans’ wellbeing (i.e., life satisfaction and positive and negative affect) via sequential mediations by (a) internalized model minority myth of achievement orientation and unrestricted mobility and color-blindness and (b) mainstream and ethnic social connectedness. Asian American adults (N = 407; 49.9% female; 32% first generation, 40% second generation, and 28% third generation; M_age = 33.81) were recruited nationally through Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 350) and through personal contacts (n = 57). Path analysis revealed that COVID-related discrimination was directly and indirectly related to wellbeing via internalized model minority myth, color-blindness, and social connectedness. Interestingly, racial discrimination was both negatively and positively related to wellbeing via the mediational paths. As hypothesized, racial discrimination was negatively related to the internalized model minority myth of unrestricted mobility and color-blindness. Unrestricted mobility was positively related to both mainstream and ethnic connectedness, whereas color-blindness was negatively related to ethnic connectedness. Mainstream and ethnic connectedness, in turn, were both positively associated with wellbeing. In the face of COVID-related discrimination, the findings suggest the importance of understanding Asian Americans’ wellbeing in relation to their racial beliefs and social connectedness. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.