Coping with Racial/Ethnic Discrimination: The Role of Color-Blind Racial Ideology among Asian Americans

Abstract

The present study examined how Asian Americans (N = 404) experience and manage racial/ethnic discrimination in both its explicit and ambiguous forms. Color-blind racial ideology also was examined as a moderator in the association between racial/ethnic discrimination and negative affect (anger and anxiety), social state self-esteem, and behavior following a racist event. Results from this experimental vignette study showed that Asian Americans experience more anger and anxiety when confronted with explicit racial/ethnic discrimination. Asian Americans who were more racially color-blind about racial privilege experienced less anxiety when confronted with ambiguous discrimination compared to Asian Americans with less racial color-blindness. Asian Americans used a variety of strategies to respond to racial/ethnic discrimination. These strategies ranged from disengaging from the source of stress or engaging with the stressor in both positive (neutral or warm/friendly) and negative (contentious) ways. Asian Americans who were more racially color-blind about institutional discrimination were less likely to engage as a response to discrimination. Furthermore, when confronted with ambiguous discrimination, Asian Americans were more inclined to positively counter ambiguous discrimination than be disengaged from it. Asian Americans respond differently to explicit and ambiguous forms of discrimination and use a variety of strategies to manage and negotiate their racialized status.