Racial Microaggressions Against Black Americans: Implications for Counseling

Prevalence of Workplace Microaggressions and Racial Discrimination: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

In recent years, the rise of workplace racial discrimination and microaggressions has decreased the efficiency and productivity of organizations and institutions, and realization of organizational goals globally. Accordingly, it was decided to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis in the present study with the aim of investigating the prevalence of microaggression and racial discrimination in the workplace.

Methods

The PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched for studies that had reported the effects of work stress among managers. The search did include a lower time limit and was conducted in June 2023. The heterogeneity of the studies was investigated using the I 2 index, and accordingly random effects method was adopted for meta-analysis. Data analysis was conducted with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (v.2) software.

Results

In the review of seven studies with a sample size of 2998 people, the overall prevalence of microaggression and racial discrimination in the workplace was found to be 73.6% and 18.8%, respectively. Publication bias within the selected studies was examined with the Egger's test, which indicated the absence of publication bias for the pooled prevalence of workplace microaggression (p: 0.264) and for the pooled prevalence of workplace racial discrimination (p: 0.061).

Conclusion

The results obtained from this report indicate the high impact of micro-aggression and racial discrimination in the workplace. Considering the negative effects of such behaviours, the findings from this study will be helpful to managers and health policymakers.

Racial Microaggressions Mediate the Association Between Posttraumatic Stress and Alcohol Use Among Women of Color Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Objective: Women of Color (WoC) experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) have elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use and related harm (e.g., increased alcohol use and negative consequences). This secondary data analysis assessed the role of racial microaggressions in the association between PTSD and alcohol use and related harm among WoC experiencing IPV. Methods: Participants were 103 WoC currently experiencing IPV and using substances (Mage=40.39, 51.5% Black) who were recruited from the community and completed assessments of PTSD, racial microaggressions, and alcohol use and related harm. Results: Assumptions of Inferiority (e.g., intelligence; B = 1.44, SE = 0.90, 95% CI [0.10, 3.54]) and Environmental Microaggressions (e.g., portrayal in media; B = 1.88, SE = 1.03, 95% CI [0.28, 4.30]) explained the association between PTSD and alcohol use and related harm. Conclusions: Findings underscore the influence of specific microaggressions in the relation between PTSD and alcohol use and related harm among WoC experiencing IPV.

LGBTQ+ Microaggressions in Health Care: Piloting an Observation Framework in a Standardized Patient Assessment

Microaggressions are subtle derogatory behaviors that unintentionally communicate hostility toward marginalized social groups. This article describes the preliminarily validation of a framework for observing LGBTQ+ microaggressions in health care, which can lead to distrust and disengagement from the healthcare system. Coders used the framework to observe microaggressions in video-recorded clinical-skills assessments with medical students who elicited health histories from standardized patients. Microaggression classifications were reviewed to determine construct reliability and the presence/absence among eight framework categories. Among 177 encounters with sexual and gender minority standardized patients, heteronormative/cisnormative language and assumptions occurred in the largest proportion of encounters (85.3%). Only identity-based referrals decreased significantly after a clinical skills intervention (20.0% to 4.9%, p = .01). These outcomes show that LGBTQ+ healthcare microaggressions are pervasive and will likely require nuanced training to address them. This groundwork can also be used to develop scales for patients and observers to identify microaggressions and assess perceived impact.

The Experiences of Black Students in Physical Therapy Education in Texas: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

Racial or ethnic minorities are underrepresented in many health care professions, including physical therapy. Understanding the experiences of minority students in graduate education provides insight into how physical therapy educational programs can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are factors that have been shown to improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively analyze and describe the lived experiences of Black student physical therapists (PT) in Texas.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Currently, there is a lack of qualitative research that investigates the experiences of Black students in physical therapy education in the United States.

SUBJECTS

Nineteen Doctor of Physical Therapy students from 8 different physical therapy educational programs in Texas.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach. All participants took part in a focus group regarding their academic experiences. Students' dialogues were recorded and transcribed, and the researchers identified recurrent themes.

RESULTS

After the analysis of focus group content, it was determined that the following 5 themes characterized the students' experiences: 1) Barriers to enrollment, 2) underrepresentation, 3) implicit and explicit racism, 4) code-switching, and 5) desired image.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

There is evidence to suggest that Black or African American students are subject to unique pressures that negatively affect their experiences during their PT education. Efforts need to be made by higher education institutions and individuals to provide a more inclusive environment to best support those students. By gaining awareness of the results of this study, educators and students can begin dialogues on how to foster inclusivity and cultural understanding in physical therapy education. Ultimately, understanding the experiences of others can improve how individuals coexist in an increasingly diverse society, and how clinicians provide patient-centered, culturally aware care to patients and clients.

Microaggressions: Experiences of Diverse Graduate Nursing Students in Online Education

INTRODUCTION

Racial microaggressions are offensive and intimidating actions toward people of color and occur everywhere, including academia. Select studies report 40% to 98% of students of color report experiences with microaggressions on campuses. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of microaggressions for diverse graduate nursing students in the online educational environment and to identify faculty strategies to create an inclusive learning milieu.

METHOD

This descriptive qualitative study employed 12 diverse graduate nursing students who participated in individual interviews about racial microaggressions. Two researchers used thematic analysis to evaluate the qualitative data.

RESULTS

Five relevant themes were (a) online classroom is a barrier for microaggressions, (b) requirement of profile pictures is a risk factor for microaggressions, (c) experiences of past microaggressions carries over to the present, (d) diverse online students are resourceful, and (e) the reality of microaggressions online.

DISCUSSION

Participants' suggestions, literature evidence, and research findings informed decision/action modes to assist the nurse educator with culturally competent methods to improve online learning spaces and decrease microaggressions for diverse students.

Hidden hurt: A qualitative study of the microaggressions experienced by disabled children in education in China

BACKGROUND

Microaggressions are brief, commonplace indignities expressed through verbal or behavioral means. In China, microaggressions have proliferated with the wide implementation of education protection policies for disabled children (including learning in regular classes (LRC), special school education (SSE), and home-delivery education (HDE)), resulting in severe consequences. However, related issues have not been discussed yet.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores concrete forms of microaggressions that disabled children have experienced under three educational policies.

METHODS

We took a qualitative phenomenological approach and used semi-structured interviews to collect data. 22 disabled children, their guardians, and eight educators from three compulsory education schools in Jinan, China, were included in this study.

RESULTS

Microaggressions are categorized into three types: microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. In LRC, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, extra requirements, avoiding needs, and accusations; the microinsults of labeling, differential patronization, and over-protection; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In SSE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, belittling, hiding, and ignoring; the microinsults of assumptions of low intelligence, ignoring, and distancing; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In HDE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of denial of privacy and denial of expression; and the microinsults of infantilization and blame.

CONCLUSIONS

The microaggressions that disabled children experience under educational policies produce serious disciplinary effects. To eliminate microaggressions, it is necessary to publicize the new disability rights paradigm, engage disabled children and their families in participation in the political process, develop demand-oriented assessment criteria, and standardize educators' discretion.

Shouldering the load yet again: Black women's experiences of stress during COVID-19

Black women in the United States experience considerable amounts of stress, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior studies have linked stress to adverse mental and physical outcomes for Black women and, moreover, shown that Black women are more susceptible to maladaptive coping, which compounds these risks. Research on the Superwoman Schema and Sojourner's Syndrome, for instance, shows how Black women are compelled to portray strength and resilience while suffering internally and experiencing poor health outcomes. These phenomena can be attributed to the historical expectations of Black women to be pillars of their families and sources of strength despite adversity and persistent institutional discrimination. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black women's greater likelihood of holding "essential worker" roles has further increased their risk of both COVID-19 exposure and heightened stress. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated long standing structural inequities and disparities between Black women and other racial/ethnic groups. Drawing on journal entries submitted by Black women participating in the Pandemic Journaling Project (PJP), a combined online journaling platform and interdisciplinary research study, this paper illuminates the voices of Black women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-two Black women created journal entries using the PJP platform. We analyze the stories, idioms, and feelings they recorded during a global pandemic. We identify three prominent domains of stress: work and school, caregiving, and social (dis)connectedness. In addition to exploring manifestations of stress across these domains, we, discuss some of the mental health implications of COVID-19 and explore the potential for regular journaling as a possible mode of stress management among Black women.

Prevalence and Effects of Daily and Major Experiences of Racial Discrimination and Microaggressions among Black Individuals in Canada

The prevalence and correlates of different forms of racial discrimination among Black Canadians are unknown. This article aims to examine the prevalence of different forms of racial discrimination (daily, major and microaggressions) and their association with self-esteem and satisfaction with life among Black Canadians. A convenience sample of 845 Black Canadians aged 15-40 was recruited. We assessed frequencies of everyday and major racial discrimination, and racial microaggressions against Black Canadians and their association with self-esteem and satisfaction with life, controlling for gender, age, job status, education, and matrimonial status. At least 4 out of 10 participants declared having being victims of everyday racial discrimination at least once per week. Between 46.3% and 64.2% of participants declared having been victims of major racial discrimination in various situations including education, job hiring, job dismissal, health services, housing, bank and loans, and police encounters. Significant gender differences were observed for everyday and major racial discrimination with higher frequencies among female participants. A total of 50.2% to 93.8% of participants declared having been victims of at least one episode of racial microaggressions. Results showed a significant negative association between racial discrimination and satisfaction with life (b = -0.26, p = .003), and self-esteem (b = -0.23, p = .009). This study highlights the need to stop colorblind policies in different sectors in Canada, and for a public commitment to combat racism at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Implications are discussed for prevention, research and public health.

Wellbeing among Black American adults living in low-resourced communities

Very little is known about how Black Americans living in low-resourced communities define and maintain wellbeing. Utilizing a culturally tailored research design, we explored the phenomenon of wellbeing as it resonated with the lived experiences of our informants (N = 35). Using a thematic analysis, we found that existing conceptualizations and theorizing of wellbeing did not consistently emerge from our data. First, we noted paradoxical tensions between descriptions of wellbeing as indicated by the participants (e.g., being alive and having a pain-free life) and the Western, Eurocentric views evidenced in the wellbeing literature. Second, participants identified intergenerational family ties and community networks as ways that foster wellbeing. These findings suggest that we can no longer delimit and apply existing views in theorizing and measuring wellbeing. Our findings elucidated the mindsets, relationships, activities, and practices that define and foster wellbeing among Black Americans living in low-resourced communities.

An Intersectional-Contextual Approach to Racial Trauma Exposure Risk and Coping Among Black Youth

Black youth experience racial discrimination at higher rates than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. To identify how racism can simultaneously serve as a risk factor for adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure, a discrete type of ACE, and a post-ACE mental health risk factor among Black youth, Bernard and colleagues (2021) proposed the culturally informed ACEs (C-ACE) model. While an important addition to the literature, the C-ACE model is framed around a single axis of race-based oppression. This paper extends the model by incorporating an intersectional and ecodevelopmental lens that elucidates how gendered racism framed by historical trauma, as well as gender-based socialization experiences, may have implications for negative mental health outcomes among Black youth. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Does African American Women's Racial Identity Mediate Gendered Racism on Anticipated Relationship Threat?

The present study examined the question of whether racial identity among African American women mediated the relationship between gendered racism and anticipated relationship threat. Using the Multicultural Assessment Intervention Process (MAIP) framework, we examined the relationship of gendered racism, racial identity, and anticipated relationship threat among a convenience sample of 411 African American women. A structural model was configured with gendered racism directly predicting anticipated relationship threat and racial identity serving as a mediator. Results indicated that greater levels of perceived gendered racism were associated with greater perceptions of anticipated relationship threat. Racial identity was found to not mediate the association with anticipated relationship threat. Individuals with less education experienced higher levels of concern regarding physical safety and controlling behaviors than those with more education. Implications for future relationship threat research with African American women are discussed.

Discrimination experienced by Asian Canadian and Asian American health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Asian Canadians and Asian Americans face COVID-19-related discrimination. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Asian health care workers dealing with discrimination, with a focus on racial micro-agressions, in Canada and the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We adopted a qualitative descriptive approach. We used convenience and snowball sampling strategies to recruit participants. We conducted individual, in-depth semistructured interviews with Asian health care workers in Canada and the US via videoconferencing between May and September 2020. Eligible participants had to self-identify as Asian and be currently employed as a health care worker with at least 1 year of full-time employment. We used an inductive thematic approach to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Thirty participants were recruited. Fifteen (50%) were Canadians and 15 (50%) were Americans; there were 18 women (60%), 11 men (37%) and 1 nonbinary person. Most of the participants were aged 25-29 years (n = 16, 53%). More than half were nurses (n = 16, 53%); the other participants were attending physicians (n = 5), physiotherapists (n = 3), resident physicians (n = 2), a midwife, a paramedic, a pharmacist and a physician assistant. Two themes emerged from the data: a surge of racial microaggressions related to COVID-19 and a lack of institutional and public acknowledgement. Participants noted that they have experienced an increase in racial microaggressions during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also experienced threats of violence and actual violence. The largely silent organizational response to the challenges being faced by people of Asian descent and the use of disparaging terms such as "China virus" in the early stages of the pandemic were a substantial source of frustration.

INTERPRETATION

Asian health care workers have experienced challenges in dealing with racial microaggressions related to COVID-19 in the US and Canada. More research should be done on the experiences of Asian Americans and Asian Canadians, both during and after the pandemic, and supportive measures should be put in place to protect Asian health care workers.

Race, social pain minimization, and mental health

People often believe Black individuals experience less social pain and require less social support to cope with distress than White individuals (e.g., Deska, Kunstman, Lloyd, et al., 2020). However, researchers have not tested whether biases in third-person pain judgments translate to first-person experiences with social pain minimization. For example, do Black individuals feel their social pain is underrecognized to a greater extent than White individuals? The current work tested whether Black individuals felt their social pain was minimized more than White individuals and if the experience of social pain minimization was related to worse mental health and greater life stress. Data from two cross-sectional, correlational studies provide initial support for these predictions ( Ntotal = 1,501). Black participants felt their social pain was minimized more than White participants and this race difference in social pain minimization was associated with worse mental health and greater life stress. These results suggest that Black individuals feel their pain is underrecognized and this experience of social pain minimization is related to worse mental health outcomes.

After Pierce and Sue: A Revised Racial Microaggressions Taxonomy

Harvard psychiatrist Chester Pierce's conception of "subtle and stunning" daily racial offenses, or microaggressions, remains salient even 50 years after it was introduced. Microaggressions were defined further by Sue and colleagues in 2007, and this construct has found growing utility as the deleterious effects of microaggressions on the health of people of color continues to mount. Many studies seek to frame microaggressions in terms of a taxonomic analysis of offender behavior to inform the assessment of and interventions for the reduction of racial microaggressions. This article proposes an expansion and refinement of Sue et al.'s taxonomy to better inform such efforts. We conducted a review of published articles that focused on qualitative and quantitative findings of microaggressions taxonomies (N = 32). Sixteen categories of racial microaggressions were identified, largely consistent with the original taxonomy of Sue et al. but expanded in several notable ways. Building on our prior research, other researchers supported such new categories as tokenism, connecting via stereotypes, exoticization and eroticization, and avoidance and distancing. The least studied categories included the denial of individual racism from Sue et al., and newer categories included reverse-racism hostility, connecting via stereotypes, and environmental attacks. A unified language of microaggressions may improve understanding and measurement of this important construct.

Reviewing Racial Microaggressions Research: Documenting Targets' Experiences, Harmful Sequelae, and Resistance Strategies

In this article, we review the theoretical and empirical literature on racial microaggressions from 2007 to 2020 (N = 138 articles). First, we refine racial microaggressions theory and update the definition to address mischaracterizations in the literature and clarify the term (i.e., "micro" refers to microlevel interactions rather than degree of harm). Next, we used four superordinate categories (i.e., pathologizing differences, denigrating and pigeonholing, excluding or rendering invisible, and perpetuating color-blind racial attitudes) in which to situate racial microaggression themes from the extant literature. Moreover, we consolidated and renamed existing themes to privilege targets' perspectives (e.g., facing assumptions of inferior status and enduring exoticization). We then synthesized qualitative and quantitative research that shows harmful sequelae of racial microaggressions (i.e., psychological and physiological symptoms). Extending prior research on coping with gendered racial microaggressions, we describe empirical findings on collective, resistance, and self-protective strategies to mitigate the harmful impact of racial microaggressions. We conclude with directions for future research.

"School Shouldn't Be Something You Have to Survive": Queer Women's Experiences with Microaggressions at a Canadian University

The authors used an interpretative phenomenological analysis of focus-group data provided by eight research participants to investigate microaggressions that target queer women at an urban Canadian university. Four themes emerged from the data that support and extend prior sexual orientation microaggressions typologies research: (a) facing skepticism as response to sexual orientation, (b) living with surveillance as response to gender presentation, (c) encountering heteronormative assumptions, and (d) experiencing vulnerability. The authors discuss these findings in the context of previous research, outline future research directions, and provide implications for campus life.

Discourse of race and racism in nursing: An integrative review of literature

BACKGROUND

Race is a barrier and source of inequality affecting ethnic minorities in nursing practice and education.

PURPOSE

This integrative review study aimed to determine whether racism and institutionalized racism are explicitly named in the titles and abstracts of peer-reviewed publications on nursing education, leadership, and the nursing profession, and to explore the depth of discussion of racialized concepts in peer-reviewed nursing literature.

METHOD

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review approach was used to review 23 studies published in nursing journals published from 2008 to 2020.

FINDINGS

Four themes were extracted: the context of racism discussions in the literature; consequences of experiences of racism; emotional and physical effects of racism on nurses and students of color; and scholars' recommendations.

DISCUSSION

Nursing must start to openly acknowledge the issue of racism within the profession, and to address it by providing safe spaces for authentic dialogue in academic and practice settings.

Racial discrimination as a mediator of racial disparities in insomnia disorder

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to suffer from insomnia that is more severe; however, few studies have examined mechanisms by which racial disparities in severity of insomnia disorder may arise. One potential mechanism for disparities in insomnia severity is perceived discrimination. This study tested discrimination as a mediator in the relationship between race and insomnia.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from communities in the Detroit metropolitan area and were diagnosed with insomnia disorder using the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition). The final sample included 1,458 individuals. Insomnia symptom severity was assessed via the Insomnia Severity Index and self-reported racial discrimination was evaluated using a single item. Racial discrimination was tested as a mediator in the relationship between race and insomnia symptom severity. Individuals were categroized as either White or a racial minority (i.e., non White individuals), with sensitivity analyses examining Black individuals and non-Black racial minority groups.

RESULTS

Consistent with our hypothesis, racial discrimination was a significant mediator accounting for 57.3% of the relationship between race and insomnia symptom severity. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the indirect effect of racial discrimination was stronger in the non-Black racial minority group compared to Black individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide support that racial discrimination is likely an important mechanism by which racial and ethnic sleep disparities exist. Implications for prevention, intervention, and treatment of insomnia in racial minorities to reduce health disparities are discussed.

Feasibility and acceptability of intensive, real-time biobehavioral data collection using ecological momentary assessment, salivary biomarkers, and accelerometers among middle-aged African Americans

Perceived racial discrimination is linked to unhealthy behaviors and stress-related morbidities. A compelling body of research indicates that perceived racial discrimination may contribute to health disparities among African Americans (AAs). The purposes of this study were to describe the study protocol including data collection procedures and study measures and to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of intensive biobehavioral data collection using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), salivary biomarkers, and accelerometers over 7 days among middle-aged AAs with a goal of understanding the relationships between perceived racial discrimination and biobehavioral responses to stress. Twelve AA men and women participated in the feasibility/acceptability study. They completed surveys, anthropometrics, and received in-person training in EMA and saliva sample collection at baseline. Participants were asked to respond to the random prompt text message-based EMA five times a day, wear an accelerometer daily for 7 days, and to self-collect saliva samples four times a day for 4 consecutive days. The EMA surveys included perceived racial discrimination, affective states, lifestyle behaviors, and social and physical contexts. The mean EMA response rate was 82.8%. All participants collected saliva samples four times a day for 4 consecutive days. About 83% of participants wore the accelerometer on the hip 6 out of 7 days. Despite the perception that the intensive nature of assessments would result in high participant burden, the acceptability of the study procedures was uniformly favorable.

On the front lines of disclosure: A conceptual framework of disclosure events

An important yet understudied element of the stigma disclosure calculus is the response of individuals who are the recipients of stigmatizing information—individuals who are essentially on the front lines of disclosure. Stigma disclosure recipients (SDRs) have a profound influence on disclosers’ workplace experience, yet there is a minimal understanding of how SDRs manage their responses during disclosure encounters. This article contributes to stigma identity management and workplace diversity research by focusing on the antecedents and outcomes of SDRs’ responses in organizations. We apply a novel event systems perspective to disclosure events, which allows us to develop a generalizable framework to understand the psychological and behavioral responses of SDRs across different types of stigmas. Our framework offers a unique perspective on how disclosure events trigger stigma-induced identity threat, which underlies a range of SDRs’ hostile and supportive behaviors. Overall, we propose that these responses of SDRs have important implications for the perpetuation and dismantling of stigma in the workplace. We offer implications for research and practice.

Daily multidimensional racial discrimination among Black U.S. American adolescents

This study examined frequencies and psychological effects of daily racial discrimination experienced individually, vicariously, online, offline, and through teasing. Participants were 101 Black U.S. American adolescents for this ecological momentary assessment study that measured daily racial discrimination and 14-day depressive symptoms slopes. Confirmatory factor analyses specified subscales, t-test analyses compared subscale means, and hierarchical linear analyses tested associations between subscales and depressive symptoms slopes. Results showed that six subscales fit the data well: individual general, vicarious general, individual online, vicarious online, individual teasing, and vicarious teasing. Participants reported 5606 experiences of racial discrimination during the study and averaged 5.21 experiences per day across the six subscales. The two online subscales were more frequent than the offline subscales. Aside from online vicarious experiences, all subscales were positively associated with depressive symptoms slopes. Findings underscore the multidimensional, quotidian, and impactful nature of racial discrimination in the lives of Black adolescents in the U.S.

Racial Discrimination, Protective Processes, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Black Young Males

Racial discrimination is a documented risk factor for sexual risk behaviors among young Black men. Mechanisms of effect and protective processes remain to be investigated. This study examined the mediating effect of emotional distress, self-regulation, and substance use on the association between racial discrimination and sexual risk behaviors. Sexual risk behaviors included in this study were inconsistent condom use and sexual concurrency (sexual partnerships that overlap overtime). The protective effect of protective social ties was also investigated. A sample of 505 heterosexually active men aged 19-22 years were recruited and surveyed for 3 time points. Men answered questions on racial discrimination, sexual risk behaviors, emotional distress, self-regulation, and substance use. Mediation and moderation models were tested. Racial discrimination (T1) significantly and positively predicted emotional distress (T2). Emotional distress, substance use, and self-regulation partially mediated the association between racial discrimination and sexual risk behaviors. Protective social ties attenuated the effects of emotional distress on substance use and self-regulation. Racial discrimination is an important context for sexual risk behaviors. Minority stress may translate to sexual risk behavior through psychosocial mediators, such as emotional distress, self-regulation, and substance use. Protective social ties may buffer against emotional distress to reduce substance use and increase self-regulation. The findings of this study can provide new insights through the investigation of risk and protective processes that influence sexual risk behaviors among young Black men.

Affective reactivity to daily racial discrimination as a prospective predictor of depressive symptoms in African American graduate and postgraduate students

This study examined whether individual differences in affective reactivity, defined as changes in positive or negative affect in response to daily racial discrimination, predicted subsequent depressive symptoms. Participants were African American graduate and postgraduate students (N = 174; M age = 30 years) recruited for a measurement-burst study. Data on depressive symptoms were gathered at two assessment points 1 year apart. Affective reactivity data was obtained from participants via a 14-day diary study of daily racial discrimination and affect. Participants who experienced pronounced increases in negative affect on days when racial discrimination occurred had elevated depressive symptoms 1 year later. Heightened positive affect reactivity was also associated with more depressive symptoms at follow-up. The results suggest that affective reactivity (either greater increases in negative affect or greater decreases in positive affect in the context of racial discrimination) may be an underlying psychological mechanism that confers vulnerability to future depressive symptoms.

Ethnic Identity as a Predictor of Microaggressions Toward Blacks, Whites, and Hispanic LGBs by Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics

Results of the study suggest racial differences still exist when it comes to attitudes toward homosexuality in the United States. Findings indicate Black individuals hold significantly less favorable attitudes toward lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) individuals than non-Hispanic White individuals but not Hispanics, after controlling for demographics. Hispanic individuals' attitudes toward LGBs were not significantly different from those of non-Hispanic Whites. Despite less favorable attitudes toward LGBs, however, Black Americans display a significantly lower likelihood of engaging in LGB-directed microaggressions than both non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics. Finally, the results of the study indicate that as non-Hispanic White individuals' ethnic identity gets stronger, their likelihood of engaging in microaggressions toward LGBs increases, more so than Black or Hispanic individuals.

Beauty and Body Image Concerns Among African American College Women

The current study examined body image concerns among African American women. In recent years, there has been an attempt to include ethnic minority samples in body image studies (e.g., Grabe & Hyde, 2006; Hrabosky & Grilo, 2007; Lovejoy, 2001) but few specifically examine unique issues pertaining to beauty and body image for African American college age women. A total of 31 African American women participated in one of five focus groups on the campus of a large Southwestern University to examine beauty and body image. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach and several themes were identified. The majority of themes pertained to issues related to hair, skin tone, body type, and message sources. Themes included: sacrifice, ignorance/racial microaggressions, and validation and invalidation by others, thick/toned/curvy as optimal, hypersexualization, and being thin is for White women. Findings of the current study suggest a reconceptualization of body image for African American women where relevant characteristics such as hair and skin tone are given more priority over traditional body image concerns often associated with European American women.

Pathways to Pain: Racial Discrimination and Relations Between Parental Functioning and Child Psychosocial Well-Being

The relationship between racial discrimination, parental functioning, and child adjustment is not well understood. The goal of the present study was to assess parental reports of discrimination in relation to depression and parenting practices, as well as on subsequent child internalizing and externalizing problems in low-income Black families. Data include a subsample of the Early Steps project, a multisite longitudinal study of financial and behaviorally at-risk families. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze our hypothesized model. Excellent model fit was established after removing externalizing problems from the model. As predicted, indirect associations were found from discrimination to parental depression, parenting, and child internalizing problems; and direct associations were found from discrimination to child internalizing problems. The results are consistent with findings suggesting that discrimination is negatively associated with adult well-being; moreover, contribute to the sparse literature on the effects of discrimination beyond the direct recipient. Finally, that parent discrimination was directly associated with child emotional problems suggests the continued need to address and treat discriminatory practices more generally.

Assessing Racial Microaggression Distress in a Diverse Sample

Racial microaggressions are everyday subtle or ambiguous racially related insults, slights, mistreatment, or invalidations. Racial microaggressions are a type of perceived racism that may negatively impact the health and well-being of people of color in the United States. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Racial Microaggression Scale distress subscales, which measure the perceived stressfulness of six types of microaggression experiences in a racially and ethnically diverse sample. These subscales exhibited acceptable to good internal consistency. The distress subscales also evidenced good convergent validity; the distress subscales were positively correlated with additional measures of stressfulness due to experiencing microaggressions or everyday discrimination. When controlling for the frequency of one's exposure to microaggression incidents, some racial/ethnic group differences were found. Asian Americans reported comparatively lower distress and Latinos reporting comparatively higher distress in response to Foreigner, Low-Achieving, Invisibility, and Environmental microaggressions. African Americans reported higher distress than the other groups in response to Environmental microaggressions. Results suggest that the Racial Microaggressions Scale distress subscales may aid health professionals in assessing the distress elicited by different types of microaggressions. In turn, this may facilitate diagnosis and treatment planning in order to provide multiculturally competent care for African American, Latino, and Asian American clients.

Experiences of Racial Microaggression Among Migrant Nurses in the United Kingdom

In this article, we explore the experiences of racial microaggression among migrant nurses in the United Kingdom. Eleven migrant nurses kept a reflective diary for 6 weeks to record and reflect on their experiences of living and working in the United Kingdom. The diary entries were then thematically analyzed. The results suggest that migrant nurses experienced racial microaggression from patients and colleagues through racial preferences and bullying. Institutional racism also hindered their opportunities for further training and promotion. As a result, some experienced feelings of anger, frustration, and even paranoia. Despite the negative consequences of racial microaggression on their emotional well-being, incidents were downplayed as trivial because of their vague and subtle nature. To encourage better multicultural interactions in the workplace, supportive organizational infrastructures need to be in place to enhance diversity awareness and to improve mechanisms for reporting and dealing with cases of racial microaggression.

The What, the Why, and the How: A Review of Racial Microaggressions Research in Psychology

Since the publication of Sue et al. (Am Psychol 62:271-286, 2007a, b) seminal article, there has been an enormous scholarly interest in psychology on this construct of racial microaggressions-subtle everyday experiences of racism. In this paper, we provide a review of racial microaggressions research literature in psychology since 2007, following the publication of the first comprehensive taxonomy of racial microaggressions, which provided a conceptual framework and directions for research related to racial microaggressions. However, our review suggests that important conceptual and methodological issues remain to be addressed in the three domains: (1) what are racial microaggressions and who do they impact; (2) why are racial microaggressions important to examine; and (3) how are racial microaggressions currently studied and how might we improve the methodologies used to study racial microaggressions. We propose recommendations to further facilitate racial microaggressions research, improve the scientific rigor of racial microaggressions research, and contribute toward a more complete and sophisticated understanding of the concept and consequences of racial microaggressions-a construct that is undoubtedly salient and psychologically relevant among many members of racial minority groups.