Asian American College Students Research Articles

Interconnectedness of mindfulness facets and their impact on mental health outcomes in Asian American and European American college students: A network approach.

Despite extensive research supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, the understanding of the dynamic connections between various mindfulness facets, particularly across diverse cultures, remained limited. This study aimed to investigate the networks among mindfulness aspects across different cultural backgrounds and their individual associations with mental health and well-being. Using the data collected from 710 undergraduate students in Hawaii (445 Asian Americans, 265 European Americans), we constructed sparse networks for each group to investigate their centrality index. To compare the overall structures of these networks, we utilized permutation-based tests. In addition, we used relative weight analysis to evaluate the distinct contributions of each mindfulness facet to positive and negative mental health outcomes. The results indicated similar trends in both racial groups, emphasizing the importance of specific mindfulness aspects like describing and acting with awareness within the mindfulness construct. However, notable variations were observed, particularly in how observing and nonjudging facets related among Asian Americans. In addition, acting with awareness and nonjudging showed substantial inverse associations with negative mental health outcomes across groups, whereas the observing aspect displayed positive connections with anxiety and stress among Asian Americans. The findings suggest which aspects are fundamental to mindfulness, aiding in a nuanced understanding of the construct. They also emphasize the importance of acknowledging cultural diversity in both mindfulness research and its clinical applications. Practical implications and directions for future research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

‘But you’re Asian! How can you not do well in higher education?’

ABSTRACT Asian American college students have increased significantly in the United States, yet little is known about Asian male immigrant doctoral students’ experiences on college campuses. The author links tenets of AsianCrit with counterstories of his encounters with and resistance against whiteness in research preparation and work settings as a Chinese immigrant doctoral student at a predominantly white institution in the Pacific Northwest. Implications include how scholars can historicise research on Asian immigrant doctoral students, combine critical theories to interpret the racialisation and strategic (anti)essentialism of Asian immigrant doctoral students, and use Asian immigrant doctoral students’ counterstories to advocate for just systemic changes. The article concludes by discussing the importance of caring for the well-being of Asian immigrant doctoral students, and empowering them to share their racialised counterstories for justice and healing.

Supplemental Material for A Grounded Theory of Intersectional Asian American College Student Activism

Supplemental Material for A Grounded Theory of Intersectional Asian American College Student Activism

COVID-19-related discrimination, campus safety, loneliness, and psychological distress among Asian and Asian American college students: a moderated mediation model

Objective: This study explored the relations between campus safety and loneliness among Asian and Asian American college students. We investigated the mediation effect of psychological distress and the moderation effect of COVID-19-related discrimination in these relations. Participants: 1,685 Asian and Asian American college students who participated in the Fall 2020, American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment III survey. Method: The moderated mediation analysis was conducted. Results: The findings revealed a negative correlation between campus safety and both psychological distress (b = −0.05, p < 0.001) and loneliness (b = −0.12, p < 0.001), but this weakened for those experiencing COVID-19 discrimination. Psychological distress consistently mediated the safety-loneliness link regardless of discrimination. Conclusions: The current findings highlight the support from the university for Asian and Asian American college students. The specific implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Being Social Means Being Happy? The Relationship Between Social Life and Mental Health among Asian American College Students

Being Social Means Being Happy? The Relationship Between Social Life and Mental Health among Asian American College Students

The double pandemic: Examining cultural stress among Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate patterns of cultural stress (racial discrimination and COVID stress) and their impact on ethnic identity and civic engagement among Asian American college students. 491 undergraduate students who self-identify as Asian American (female = 63.50%; Mage = 20.40, SD = 3.64) were recruited from seven college campuses. We identified four distinct cultural stress profiles: COVID-related stress, discrimination stress, double pandemic stress (high in both), and low combined COVID-discrimination stress. Double pandemic profile members were more likely to be immigrants and reported higher ethnic identity, civic behaviors, and belief in civic participation, whereas low combined COVID-discrimination stress participants reported significantly lower beliefs in civic participation compared to those in the double pandemic profile. Findings reaffirm the need to focus on Asian Americans' experiences and expand current conceptualizations of cultural stress to include macrolevel structural processes (COVID stress and racial discrimination) and its implications for identity and civic engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Help-Seeking in a Crisis: COVID-19-Related Racial Discrimination and Asian American College Students’ Mental Health

ABSTRACT Researchers have documented an exponential rise of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting adverse psychological impact on Asian American college students. Despite wide exposure to substantial risk factors, the increase in rates of mental health treatment for Asian American students during the pandemic has been minimal. In light of the significant dearth of related research, this article reviewed pandemic-related risk factors for Asian Americans and applied longstanding barriers relating to mental health treatment to the current crises, with a particular focus on college students. The researchers presented the historical trends regarding help-seeking needs and behavior, as well as how those trends could apply during and following the pandemic.

Does color-blind racial ideology moderate the internalization of the model minority myth on race-related stress among Asian American college students?

Does color-blind racial ideology moderate the internalization of the model minority myth on race-related stress among Asian American college students?

Therapist experiences working with Asian American college students

Therapist experiences working with Asian American college students

“I Was Determined to Fulfill This Image of Myself That I Wanted of a ‘Good Asian Student’”: A Photovoice Study of Asian American College Student Mental Health

Asian American (AsA) youth and emerging adults are growing at a faster rate than all other racial and ethnic populations in the United States. Burgeoning empirical evidence shows that they are experiencing increased adverse mental health outcomes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, trends in AsA youth and emerging adults’ utilization and help-seeking behaviors remain low. Health equity scholars posit that the model minority stereotype continues to obscure and minimize these mental health disparities. The current study aims to contribute to this vital research through a Photovoice study with AsA emerging adults. Fourteen AsA undergraduate students (M age = 19.77 years old; SD = 1.12) produced photographs and captions and participated in semi-structured interviews to describe mental health. Four themes were developed: (1) mind–body health connection and the belief that mental health is about the synchronization of one’s mind and body; (2) environmental connectedness and the view that mental health is connected to nature; (3) social connectedness and how interpersonal relationships influence mental health; and (4) the internalization of the “good Asian student” stereotype and its impact on mental health. Implications for culturally tailored prevention and intervention strategies are discussed to ultimately improve health equity.

The Role of the Internalized Model Minority Myth on Mental Health-Related Attitudes Within a Hawaii-Based Sample of Asian American College Students

The Role of the Internalized Model Minority Myth on Mental Health-Related Attitudes Within a Hawaii-Based Sample of Asian American College Students

Interaction of unrestricted mobility, perceived discrimination, and self-critical perfectionism on depressive symptoms of Asian American college students.

Interaction of unrestricted mobility, perceived discrimination, and self-critical perfectionism on depressive symptoms of Asian American college students.

Predictors of hookup behaviors among Asian and Asian American college students in the United States

Objective: With the rapid growth in the population of Asian and Asian American college students in the United States, there is a need for research examining their participation in potentially risky sexual behaviors in order to expand understanding of this group’s needs. This study focused on attachment orientation and hookup motives as predictors of hookup behaviors, which involve engaging in sexual behaviors without expectation of a long-term relationship. Methods: Participants included 169 Asian or Asian American college students ranging in age from 18 to 27 years who completed an online survey. Results: Results indicated that over half of participants reported engaging in hookup behaviors. The strongest predictors of hookup behaviors were increased age, liberal sexual attitudes, motivations to achieve excitement/sexual enhancement, and motivations to find a long-term partner. However, attachment orientations did not predict hookup behaviors. Results provide insight into a profile of Asian American college students increasingly exploring sexuality throughout young adulthood.

Reinforcing or challenging the status quo: A grounded theory of how the model minority myth shapes Asian American activism.

Compared to other People of Color in the United States, Asian Americans are often seen as uninterested in activism. Furthermore, the widespread model minority myth (MMM) perpetuates the monolithic image of Asian Americans as successful in society and thus unaffected by racial oppression and uninterested in activism. Despite others' perceptions, Asian American college students have historically engaged in activist efforts and worked to reject the stereotypical views of their racial group as apolitical under the MMM. However, much remains to be learned about the consequences of the MMM on Asian American college students' perceptions and engagement in activism, and how such individuals make sense of the MMM and activism through interacting with their ecological contexts. Thus, the present study addresses this gap in the literature and is guided by the question: How do Asian American college students' perspectives and engagement in activism develop and operate in relation to the MMM? Using a constructivist grounded theory analytic approach, 25 Asian American college students participated in semistructured interviews, and our findings developed a grounded theory of how Asian American college students are embedded within micro- and macrolevel environments (e.g., familial, cultural, and societal contexts) that uphold the MMM and further shape how they make sense of and engage in activism. Results further revealed the consequences of the MMM as a legitimizing ideology on Asian American students' attitudes toward and involvement in challenging and/or reinforcing the status quo. Implications for future research and practice supporting Asian American activism and the broader pursuit for social justice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Discrimination and depressive symptoms among Black and Asian American college students: Shared and group-specific processes of self-concept.

Black and Asian American emerging adults are at higher risk of experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination and related distress. Racial/ethnic discrimination may increase vulnerability for depressive symptoms by diminishing individuals' positive self-concept. While low global self-esteem has been noted as a crucial process linking discrimination and depressive symptoms, it is unclear if it plays a unique role beyond other relevant aspects of one's self-concept: racial/ethnic private regard and centrality. Moreover, although different racial/ethnic groups are known to experience discrimination in distinctive ways, little is known about how relative processes of self-esteem and racial/ethnic identity may differ across these groups. We investigated the generalizability and specificity of discrimination to distress linkages across Asian and Black Americans. Undergraduate Black (N = 109) and Asian American (N = 90) students self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination, depressive symptoms, and self-concept. Global self-esteem indirectly linked the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms among Black Americans beyond the effects of racial/ethnic identity. Only among Black Americans, discrimination was associated with lower private regard. Finding highlight group-specific processes underlying Black and Asian Americans' experiences of discrimination and depressive symptoms. Findings also demonstrate shared processes of discrimination-depressive symptoms linkage across groups and underscore the need to address the pervasive issues of racism and discrimination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“We Are The Future”: Career Attitudes of MilleniGenZ College Students

Millennials make up the largest segment of the workforce today and it is estimated that by 2025, 75% of the global workforce will comprise this emerging generation (Fry, 2018). In this current study, I examine the career attitudes of Latinx and Asian American Millennial and Gen Z college students to understand better how their unique college experiences- shaped by their familial, cultural, and personal backgrounds – can inform how they imagine their post-college trajectory. Specifically, I explore to what extent these sociocultural influences impact MilleniGenZ’s interest and attainment in leadership roles within their future careers. Two sets of surveys were administered. A 184-question survey was administered to college students in Southern California in 2017 (N=936), and in 2020, an updated 211-question survey was administered (N=742). The findings show the importance of providing better career resources (e.g., workshops, mentorship, networking opportunities) for MilleniGenZ during college, which will ease their transition into the workforce and potential leadership roles. The findings of the current study contribute to the existing literature by unpacking how complex sociocultural factors intersect to influence Latinx and Asian American college students’ career attitudes. Based on our findings, institutions, and organizations should incorporate diversity and inclusion considerations into the career planning process to support individuals in overcoming systemic barriers.

“There Should be More Outrage”: Making Meaning of Racial Identity During Times of Increased Anti-Asian Hate

Abstract: The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to examine how Asian American college students made sense of themselves as racialized beings during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that saw a drastic increase in anti-Asian hate. We were particularly interested in how emotions that students experienced in response to racism shaped their meaning-making of racial identity. We embraced tensions of a constructivist approach and a grounding in Asian critical theory to gain a more nuanced picture of Asian American college students’ meaning-making of racial identity while also problematizing and critiquing racism. Data collection consisted of three interviews with 14 participants from the Midwest and East Coast of the US. To engage the reader’s imagination and tell a nuanced story, we present findings as a fictional conversation between four individuals using direct quotes from participants. Our findings highlight the importance of considering transnational context when examining Asian American college students’ racial identity development. Our findings further showcase the role emotions played in fostering development and the agentic ways participants responded to these emotions while also underscoring the high price participants paid for the more complex understanding of their racial identity. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Racialization of the Cultural Toolkit and the Racial Positions of Asia and Asian America

Drawing from eleven (11) in-depth interviews with Korean and Korean American students at a predominantly white university (PWI) coupled with ethnographic participant observation of registered Korean American and Korean student organizations, this study develops how “Hallyu”—a nomenclature to refer to the Korean cultural wave—is received and interpreted by Asian and Asian American students. Borrowing from Eng and Han’s racial dissociation and Swidler’s metaphor of a cultural toolkit, this study shows a broader understanding of the immigrant experience of Asian Americans while simultaneously highlighting the dominant frame in which Asian Americans see themselves within the racial order vis-a-vis Hallyu. Furthermore, this study captures the racial dynamics of Asian American college students as they express (1) racial apathy, (2) racial and ethnic identity crises, and (3) experience of hyper-racialization. In complicating these nuances, this study illustrates the limitations of diversity, inclusion, and efforts at “multiculturalism,” suggesting analysts of race start from a global, transnational framework to examine the racialization of Asian and Asian Americans.

Asian American child-parent cultural value discrepancies, family conflict, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.

We examined Asian American college students' adherence to traditional values that are salient in Asian cultures, the students' perceptions of their mother's and father's adherence to the same values, and the discrepancies between the students and their mothers and fathers on the levels of adherence to these values. Based on the data from 301 participants who self-identified as Asian Americans, paired-samples t tests revealed that the child-parent cultural value discrepancies were present across all generational statuses of the participants with the children adhering less strongly to most of the value dimensions than their parents. The results based on correlational analyses showed that many types of value discrepancies were positively associated with the likelihood and seriousness of conflict. Several types of value discrepancies also were inversely associated with the participants' life satisfaction and self-esteem. In addition, the results from the PROCESS Macro for mediation analysis revealed significant mediation role of family conflict on the relationships between various types of value discrepancies and life satisfaction. The significant mediators were the likelihood and seriousness of family conflict and the family conflict about education and career decisions, and the value discrepancies centered on the values of conformity to norms, family recognition through achievement, and humility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Role of perfectionism in the career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations of Asian American college students.

Role of perfectionism in the career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations of Asian American college students.