American Students Research Articles

Building Strength in the African American Community: Pittsburgh’s Centre Avenue YMCA

ABSTRACT The Centre Avenue YMCA was a “colored” YMCA formed under the separate but equal doctrine, but its separate status did more than maintain segregation. Pittsburgh’s Centre Avenue YMCA was chief among the businesses, schools, and institutions established and led by African Americans, for African Americans, in the first half of the twentieth century. It shielded its members from the racism of White-controlled spaces, provided facilities and programs previously unavailable to Pittsburgh’s African American community, and nurtured leadership and activism toward greater equality and civil rights. Its upper floors provided hotel-like rooms to African American visitors, workers, and students denied entrance to mainstream accommodations. Its significance is embodied in its 1923 building, the only one still standing in Pennsylvania to have been partially funded by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald in an initiative to construct African American YMCAs nationwide; Pittsburgh’s African American community raised the required matching funds.

Multilevel sources of strength and school-based racial discrimination: Competing factors associated with mental health among African American college students.

Despite increasing diversity on predominantly White college campuses, African American college students remain subject to racial discrimination, creating a complex array of mental health stressors. In this study, we adopted a strengths-based approach to mental health in this population and investigated (a) whether school-based discrimination contributes to negative mental health outcomes; (b) whether internal, interpersonal, and campus sources of strength contribute to positive mental health outcomes; and (c) whether internal sources of strength moderate the mental health effects of discrimination. Secondary analysis was performed on public data from African American college students (N = 1,444; Mage = 24.67, SDage = 7.87) who participated in the Healthy Minds Study between 2017 and 2020. Healthy Minds Study is a cross-sectional survey examining mental health factors in U.S. university student populations. School-based racial discrimination was negatively associated with flourishing and positively associated with depression. Flourishing was positively associated with all sources of strength, including academic persistence, religiosity, racial identity, race-based affinity space involvement, and campus climate for diversity. Depression was inversely associated with persistence, religiosity, and affinity space involvement. Except for persistence, internal sources of strength did not mitigate the negative effects of discrimination on mental health outcomes. Policies are needed that hold accountable campus members who perpetrate race-based aggressions, tangible support systems involving African American mentors and cultural affinity groups, and strengths-based audits of students seeking mental health care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How Debt and Attainment Relate through the GPA of Non-White College Students

This study investigated the effects of U.S. student loans on attainment via the GPA of non-white undergraduates. The data for the study were drawn from the 2012/2017 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 12/17), encompassing a nationally representative sample of 1500 African American, Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and other non-white students. The results, based on regression models and the bootstrapped confidence interval (BCI) method, indicated that student loans were associated with GPA, and both student loans and GPA were associated with attainment. Notably, the indirect effect of loan status on attainment was negative, whereas the indirect effect of high debt on attainment was positive. These findings highlight the indirect relationship between student loans and attainment and suggest that high debt has the potential to offset the negative effect of loan status on academic outcomes. The implications of these findings for higher education practice and policy debates are critical, particularly in the context of addressing non-white students’ financial needs and enhancing their academic outcomes.

Transnational Funds of Identity of Korean American and Migrant Youth

ABSTRACT Situated in the scholarship of funds of identity, I focus on three Korean American and migrant youth who were involved in a Korean Student Organization (pseudonym) at a largely white institution in the suburban Midwest of the United States. Specifically, the study investigates how Korean American and migrant youth who served as leaders and members of the organization have developed and expressed their funds of identity, which assist them in navigating and resisting white-centric and monolingual schooling experiences and in creating a variety of organization events and activities centering their home languages, ethnic traditions, and cultural practices. By pairing funds of identity with the notion of transnationalism, I also build on and extend the current discussion on funds of identity into what I term “transnational funds of identity” to shed light on Korean American and migrant youth’s border-crossing and transnational connections that foreground their identity formation as well as their engagement in the organization. The current study will provide more multifaceted and complex perspectives on Asian and Asian American students moving beyond the discourses of assimilation, stereotypification, and oppression, by centralizing Korean American and migrant students’ strengths, assets, and resistance through the lens of transnational funds of identity.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Relationships with Perceived Stress and Self-Care Behaviors in African American Social Work Students: Insights from a Latent Class Analysis.

Based on stress sensitization theory and stress proliferation theory, this study was designed to identify adverse childhood experience (ACE) classes and their relationships with perceived stress and self-care behaviors. Hypotheses were that (a) there would be diverse ACE classes among African American social work students; (b) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have greater levels of perceived stress than those in low ACEs; and (c) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have lower levels of self-care behaviors than those in low ACEs. Recruited from one of the South's historically Black colleges and universities, 186 African American social work students completed an online survey. Latent class analysis found three classes fit the data best: low ACEs, high divorce/abuse/neglect, and high/multiple ACEs. Students in the high divorce/abuse/neglect class had the greatest levels of perceived stress and significantly greater perceived stress levels than the low ACEs class. The low ACEs class had greater self-care behaviors than students in the other two ACEs classes. The study revealed diverse ACE classes and the effect of more ACEs on greater perceived stress and lower self-care behaviors, supporting the importance of using a range of approaches to support African American social work students with different ACEs.

Stress, Coping, and Adjustment of International Students during COVID-19: A Quantitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused unexpected and unprecedented disruptions worldwide. University students, especially international students, underwent unique challenges during this volatile era. This secondary quantitative data analysis study aimed to investigate the experiences, stress, adjustment, and ways of coping of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from 112 international university students and 112 domestic American university students were included in the statistical analyses. The differences in Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WAYS), COVID-19-related questionnaire, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) between international and domestic students were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. Multiple regression models predicting PSS by SACQ, WAYS, and COVID-19-related questionnaire subscales were estimated for international and domestic students separately. The results showed that international students and American students did not report significant differences in their university adjustment, usage of coping strategy, and perceived stress level during the peak of the pandemic. Additionally, American students reported more factors impacting their perceived stress than international students. Implications of the findings as well as limitations and future directions were discussed.

Atypical jobs in psychology: Interview with Dr. J. Douglas McDonald ("Spotted Hawk").

This article outlines the career of Dr. J. Douglas McDonald, professor of psychology at the University of North Dakota (UND) and the director of the UND Indians into Psychology Doctoral Education Program. During graduate school, McDonald grew determined to develop a program that would assist American Indian students with entering the field of psychology in order to serve native populations across the United States and build cross-cultural competency and allyship within the psychological community. Upon graduating with a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Dakota, he created the flagship Indians into Psychology Doctoral Education program at UND, which meets these objectives, and has directed it ever since. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Analyzing In-Depth Study of Southeast Asian Graduate Students: A Qualitative Approach

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience, but it often presents significant challenges. Southeast Asian international graduate students, in particular, face considerable academic and cultural hurdles when transitioning to U.S. higher education. These stressors, including language barriers, financial difficulties, and academic adjustments, can negatively impact their mental health and academic performance. This study aims to illuminate these challenges and identify effective support strategies. It is essential to recognize the diverse experiences of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, who are included in this study. The SEAA community is rich in culture and heritage, contributing significantly to the U.S. landscape. This research seeks to understand the unique challenges faced by SEAAs and to foster a more inclusive academic environment. This study has identified key academic and cultural stressors by examining the experiences of Southeast Asian international graduate students. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted support services to enhance student well-being and academic success. It is crucial to shift from a deficit-oriented perspective to one that centers on the voices and experiences of SEAA students. By listening to their stories, higher education institutions can develop effective strategies to support their academic journeys and create a more inclusive campus community.

Facial Recognition Technology: Comparative Analysis of College Students’ Perspectives in China and the US

In an era of rapid technological advancement, Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) stands out as a significant innovation with wide-ranging implications for surveillance, security, and personal privacy. This paper presents a comparative analysis of college students’ perspectives on FRT in China and the United States, two global powers with distinct approaches to privacy, security, and individual freedoms. Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with college students in both countries, this study explores their familiarity with FRT, willingness to adopt it, and concerns about privacy and security. The findings reveal nuanced differences in attitudes shaped by cultural, regulatory, and societal norms. Chinese students exhibit higher acceptance and optimism towards FRT, reflecting its deep integration into everyday life, while American students demonstrate cautious acceptance, emphasizing privacy and ethical considerations. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, technologists, and educators aiming to balance the benefits of FRT with the imperative to protect individual rights and freedoms.

Exploring Sleep Patterns in 3,475 College Students: A Comparative Study of Geographical Location, Gender, and Age

Abstract Objective Sleep is a fundamental physiological process essential for maintaining overall health and optimal functioning across various cognitive, emotional, and physical domains. To cross-sectionally investigate the sleep pattern among college students according to geographical location, gender, and age. Materials and Methods A total of 3,475 valid responses, 3,366 from 4 continents (Africa – n = 1,095; America – n = 182; Asia – n = 1,562; Europe – n = 527); 2,075 from female students and 1,369 from male students (n = 3,444), were analyzed. Sleep quality, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness were assessed using validated questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], Insomnia Severity Index [ISI], and Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], respectively). Results Students from all continents had poor sleep quality, and there were inter-countries differences in sleep quality. The frequency of poor sleep quality and subclinical-to-clinical insomnia were higher among Asian (AsiS) and African students (AfS) compared with American (AmS) and European students (EuS) (p < 0.05). Asian students had a greater frequency of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) compared with those from other continents (p < 0.05). Females showed higher mean ISI scores (p < 0.001) as well as a greater frequency of poor sleep quality (p < 0.05), subclinical-to-clinical insomnia (p < 0.05), and EDS (p < 0.05) compared with males. Insufficient sleep duration was more frequent in older-aged groups (i.e., 26–30, 31–35, and > 36 years) compared with the ≤ 20 years age group (p < 0.05). Excessive daytime sleepiness was more frequent in younger age groups (i.e., ≤ 20 and 21–25 years) versus the > 36 years (p < 0.05) group. There were no significant differences in the frequency of various degrees of insomnia across age groups. Conclusion Our results suggest the need for tailored interventions for addressing sleep disturbances among college students of all age groups, with a specific focus on AsiS and AfS, as well as female students.

A Comparative Study of Mental Health, Body Composition, and Physical Activity in American vs Romanian College Students After COVID-19 Lockdown

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown restrictions forced college students to spend less time on campuses and more time indoors at home, increasing their sedentary behaviors. We aimed to better understand trends among assumed decreased physical activity levels, increased mental health symptoms, and increased poor nutritional habits. The results will serve healthcare clinicians in developing targeted interventions for improving overall health in college students. Methods: American college students (n = 90) and Romanian college students (n = 85) were assessed for current self-reported levels of physical activity, mental health symptoms, and body composition values in the post-COVID-19 lockdown era. Results: All participants (N =185; 100 females) reported being highly active (82.3%) and experiencing a current level of heightened depressive and anxious symptomatology (58.2%). Differences were seen between the measured body fat percentages (BF) and skeletal muscle masses (SKMM) of the American (BF: males 26.66 12.24%, females 32.88 10.13%) and Romanian (BF: males 11.76 6.68%, females 18.07 9.30%) college students. Despite these differences, all participants collectively displayed a positive relationship between depressive and anxious symptomatology and BF (R = 0.23; p = 0.0018) and a negative relationship between depressive and anxious symptomatology and SKMM (R = - 0.15; p = 0.04). Conclusions: Although cultural differences may help to explain the found differences among body fat percentages and skeletal muscle masses, both groups of college students did similarly struggle with symptoms of depression and anxiety. The post-lockdown coping mechanisms embraced by both groups of college students have not been fully effective in improving their mental health.

The Relationship Between Negative Urgency and Anxiety and Worry in American College Students.

The primary objective was to assess the degree to which intolerance of uncertainty accounts for the association between negative urgency and anxiety and worry. The sample included 389 American college students from a state college in the Northeastern United States. Hayes' PROCESS v4.1 (2022) macro was used to investigate the mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty on the relationship between negative urgency and worry and anxiety. A direct effect of negative urgency on worry was found and a mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty was observed. A direct effect of negative urgency on state anxiety was found, and a mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty was observed. The study advances support for the mediatory role of intolerance of uncertainty between negative urgency and anxiety and worry in American college students.

“African root and American fruit”: African American families and culture in college choice

PurposeResearch shows that family is influential to African Americans in college choice (Chapman et al., 2018; Chapman et al., 2020; Freeman, 2005; Hines et al., 2019; Lowry, 2017; Williams, 2018). However, it often overlooks unique, African-rooted characteristics of African American families and culture. This study aimed to explore whether and how these characteristics shape college choice for these students.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through semi-structured interviews with six, first-year African American students at an urban university. The data were analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis.FindingsThe major themes showed the influence of family, community and spirituality in shaping participants’ college choice decisions and perception of higher education.Originality/valueIn addition to identifying specific family members who were influential to African Americans in college choice, this work highlighted the role of communities as a whole in shaping these students’ decisions and creating supportive environments. It also showed the importance of these students’ relationship with God through the college choice process. The work can guide researchers and educators in considering African American families and culture as strengths in helping these students through college choice.

What are university students doing with language?: A proportional description of student processing mode and register use in an American university

The extent to which university students read, write, speak, and listen in a range of registers is not completely understood, but such descriptions could lead to better designed curriculum for English learners. The purpose of this study is to estimate the proportions of time American university students spend reading, writing, speaking, and listening in various registers. The present study combines diary and survey techniques to describe the language use behavior for 53 university students. The results indicated that nearly half of university student language use time is spent listening (49.5 %), followed by reading (20.7 %), writing (18.2 %), and speaking (11.6 %). Students also engaged in 37 distinct registers, with face-to-face conversations (12.32 %), homework problems (10.70 %), and lyrical music listening (10.46 %) being the most frequent. This description of university student language use could be useful for ESL curriculum design and shows that proportional descriptions of language use are more feasible than previously asserted.

Exploring Chinese international students’ critical thinking skills: A systematic literature review

AbstractMost graduate students in higher education are classified as adult learners, being 24 years old, and have responsibilities and commitments outside of higher education. This literature review presents how Chinese international graduate students face challenges in the US due to sociocultural, ideological, and educational differences. This systematic literature review explores these students' critical thinking skills, which are crucial factors for academic success but have been underexplored. Three themes were identified as follows: (1) critical thinking education in China, (2) stereotypes of perceived lack of critical thinking, and (3) comparative views of critical thinking between Chinese and American college students. Each theme presents a landscape of how critical thinking is interpreted. Themes suggest several trends, including cultural variations that may impede Chinese international students from showcasing their critical thinking abilities, notwithstanding their inherent capacity for critical thinking. Recommendations include ways to improve critical thinking among international students and call for more comparative studies between Chinese and American college students. The findings offer valuable insights into the internationalization of higher education curricula and the promotion of global learning.

Cultural Socialization and Civic Engagement Among Racially Diverse Students of Color: Examining Ethnic-Racial Identity Components as Mediators and Neighborhood Racial Composition as a Moderator

Understanding the factors that promote civic engagement among emerging adult college students is crucial, especially considering its association with positive youth development. The current study examined ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation as mediators of the relation between cultural socialization and civic engagement. Additionally, the extent to which students were raised in predominantly minoritized neighborhoods (i.e., predominantly minoritized neighborhood racial composition; PMNRC) was included as a moderator of the associations between cultural socialization and ERI components. Last, we tested whether findings varied based on students’ ethnic-racial backgrounds (i.e., differences in the model for Asian, African American, Latinx, and Multiracial students of color; N = 1036). Results indicated that there was a significant mediation path, such that cultural socialization predicted greater ERI exploration and, in turn, greater civic engagement. Cultural socialization was also positively associated with greater ERI resolution and affirmation. The racial composition of the neighborhoods that individuals were raised in was not significantly associated with any ERI component; however, PMNRC moderated the relation between cultural socialization and ERI affirmation. Specifically, cultural socialization predicted more ERI affirmation at higher levels of PMNRC, but this relation was not significant at low levels of PMNRC. There were no significant ethnic-racial differences in relations we tested in the model. These findings highlight the importance of cultural processes in civic engagement among diverse emerging adults.

Racial Rage, Racial Guilt: The Uses of Anger in Asian America

ABSTRACT Asian Americans are conventionally described as “middle-man minorities,” outside of dominant racial paradigms of White and Black, adjunct to White privilege and exempt from the brunt of systemic violence directed against Black people. Historical accounts of the in-betweenness of Asian Americans trace their origins to how Asian coolie labor has served to triangulate White capital and African slavery over the course of European modernity. If this is the material history of in-betweenness, what is the psychic corollary of the middle-man thesis? Through an analysis of the Netflix dark comedy series Beef, as well as case histories of Asian American patients and students, we argue that the psychic effects of occupying a racially intermediate position implicate an unexplored terrain of racial rage and racial guilt that Asian Americans are insistently socialized to hold on behalf of others.

Asian American Critical Pedagogy Framework and Principles in Art Education

In this article, we, as Asian American visual arts and social studies educators, propose an Asian American Critical Pedagogy framework and its four principles. Building on critical race and social theories and pedagogies, we developed the four principles: Asian American critical consciousness, counternarratives and reclamation, heterogeneity and intersectionality, and joy and wellness. The four principles are the outcome of our collective theoretical exploration, autobiographical reflection, and the analysis of contemporary Asian American artists and their works. We hope the principles serve as a theoretical framework for future research and pedagogical exploration to recognize and expand the authentic voices and experiences of Asian American art educators and students and to offer insights for intersectional research with other marginalized communities.

Understanding Signs and Sources of Anxiety in Urban Elementary Schools Serving Predominately Ethnically/Racially Minoritized Children

ABSTRACT Objective This mixed-methods study examined teachers’ perceptions of student anxiety in urban elementary schools serving predominantly low-income and ethnically/racially minoritized youth. Method Most participating teachers were female (87.7%) and from minoritized backgrounds themselves (89.2%), teaching in schools serving predominantly Black/African American (40%) or Hispanic (60%) students, and in which > 70% of students are eligible for free meals. Teachers were asked in surveys (N = 82) and interviews (n = 12) about the nature of student anxiety, and cultural/contextual considerations that influence anxiety. Results Overall, teachers reported prevalence and signs of student anxiety that were consistent with the literature, but they reported higher levels of impairment than in previous community samples. Regressions revealed that greater levels of student exposure to community violence and higher proportions of Black students were associated with higher teacher-perceived prevalence and concern about student anxiety, respectively. Moreover, greater emotional exhaustion in teachers was associated with higher reports of anxiety-related impairment in students. Thematic coding of interviews emphasized how teachers perceived 1) most student anxieties to be proportional responses to realistic threats and stress in students’ lives (e.g. resource insecurity), 2) systems-level problems (e.g. pressure to perform on standardized tests) contribute to student anxiety, and 3) school-based anxiety sources often interact with traumas and stressors students experience outside of school (e.g. immigration experiences). Conclusions Relative to the predominant literature that has focused on biological, cognitive, and other intraindividual factors as sources of anxiety, the present work underscores the importance of considering how broader economic and systems-level influences exacerbate anxiety in marginalized youth.

M70 - Cannabis Use Frequency’s Positive Associations With Blood Pressure Among Young Adult African American Students

M70 - Cannabis Use Frequency’s Positive Associations With Blood Pressure Among Young Adult African American Students