Are Asian Americans BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)? Internalization of the model minority stereotype and COVID-19 racial bias on interracial solidarity toward Black Americans.

Abstract

Collective minoritized identities such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) may promote cross-racial solidarity. However, Asian Americans occupy a racially triangulated position as the "buffer minority" stereotyped as both the model minority and perpetual foreigner, complicating their inclusion in the BIPOC identity. The present study examined how the model minority and perpetual foreigner stereotypes relate to Asian Americans' perceived belongingness and identification with the BIPOC identity and, in turn, their interracial solidarity toward Black Americans. A path analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from a sample of 312 Asian Americans (Mage = 41.19, 69.87% college graduates, 46.79% foreign-born) to examine direct and indirect effects on Black community activism orientation (BCAO), with internalized model minority stereotype (MMS) and experiences of COVID-19 racial bias (CVRB) as exogenous predictors and perceived BIPOC inclusion and BIPOC self-identification as mediators. The BIPOC variables demonstrated a direct and positive association with BCAO. Furthermore, internalized MMS negatively related to BCAO through the sum effect of decreased perceived BIPOC inclusion and BIPOC self-identification, while experiences of CVRB positively related to BCAO through the sum effect of increased perceived BIPOC inclusion and BIPOC self-identification. Asian Americans' perceived BIPOC inclusion and BIPOC self-identification are shaped by their racially triangulated position, characterized by both the inhibiting effect of internalized MMS and the promoting effect of experiences of CVRB. This heightened or diminished BIPOC self-concept subsequently influenced their willingness to engage in interracial solidarity for Black Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).