Racial discrimination and anti-racist action: The mediating effects of fair-society belief among Filipino American and Korean American young adults

Abstract

Racial discrimination is an important developmental context for racially minoritized young adults, contributing to the formation of societal beliefs and civic commitments. While discrimination is understood to motivate anti-racist action in young adults, the contributions of young adults' belief in a fair society toward this relationship remain unclear. This study examined fair-society belief as a mediating mechanism through which Asian American young adults interpret experiences of discrimination and translate them into various anti-racist actions. Using data from Filipino American (n = 265, M_age = 22) and Korean American (n = 347, M_age = 21) young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, we conducted path analyses to test the mediating effects of fair-society belief in the relationships between COVID-19-specific and general discrimination and anti-racist action. Discrimination was found to motivate Asian Americans to engage in anti-racist actions, although fair-society belief served as a significant mediating factor only for Filipino Americans, particularly those who are U.S.-born, in the link between COVID-19-specific discrimination and interpersonal anti-racist action. These findings suggest heterogeneity in Asian Americans' response to discrimination and underscore the importance of considering specific ethnic contexts when developing programs to promote anti-racist action in Asian American young adults.