Racial Incidence Research Articles

Racialized Emotion Management among Asian Americans in the Professional Workplace

Abstract Despite growing interest in the racialization of emotion management and evidence that this racialization varies across different racial groups, minimal scholarship has attempted to interrogate how Asian Americans experience racialized feeling rules or perform racialized emotion management in the workplace. Using qualitative interviews with 35 Asian American professionals to examine these processes, I find that controlling images about Asians, particularly the “model minority” stereotype, shape the feeling rules they encounter and constrain their access to certain forms of emotional expression. Additionally, racial incidents within and outside of the workplace heighten their need to perform emotion management, which is particularly relevant given recent upticks in anti-Asian violence. This study reveals how controlling images lead to racialized feeling rules for Asian Americans and how, conversely, their racialized emotion management can reinforce stereotypes. At the same time, it shows how Asian Americans continue to experience racialization, with important implications, both within the workplace and beyond.

#BetterTogether: examining race-related crisis communication on a university campus

ABSTRACT This case study examines crisis communication during a series of racial incidents at the University of Oklahoma (OU) using the discourse of renewal theory and corporate responsibility to race (CRR) theory. Crisis messaging analysis showed organizational learning, ethical communication, prospective vision, and engaging rhetoric differences. OU’s crisis messaging differed greatly from its mission statement’s DEI goals. Conversely, several campus organizations more successfully communicated relationship management and emotional intelligence than OU. Comparison to preceding leadership during previous racial incidents showed stakeholders perceived previous racial incidents were better handled. Our study expands on discourse of renewal and CRR by showing key stakeholders – students, faculty, staff, and alumni – want racial incidents handled swiftly and decisively, with a clear university-level commitment to DEI efforts. In a U.S. higher education climate fraught with anti-DEI sentiment and tense racial relations this study shows the responsibility of leadership in responding to racial crises and stakeholder-preferred responses.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Trends in Mantle Cell Lymphomas in the United States

Introduction: Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) refers to the malignant B lymphocytes arising from the outer (mantle) zone of the lymphoid follicle. This rare and aggressive subtype of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which accounts for ~5 percent of all NHL cases. It is associated with t(11:14) that leads to over-expression of cyclin D1, resulting in tumor cell proliferation via cell cycle dys-regulation, chromosomal instability, and epigenetic regulation. The aim of this study is to understand the epidemiology and survival predictors of MCL. Methods: The data was collected from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database Research Plus Data, 17 Registries, Nov 2022 Sub (2000-2020). We extracted Mantle Cell Lymphoma cases diagnosed after 20 years of age, with Lymphoid neoplasm recode 2(a)2.1.3. The analysis was stratified based on age, sex, racial incidence rates, & survival curves based were compared, using the Log-rank test (GraphPad Prism). Results: A total of 14166 cases of MCL were found between 2000 to 2020. Out of these, ~70.73% cases were males, and ~29.27% were females. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 69 years. Of the affected population, ~80.60% were Caucasians, ~3.92% were African-Americans, ~4.10% were Asians/Pacific Islanders, only ~0.50% were American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and ~10.32% were Hispanics. The incidence per 1,000,000, as of 2020, was 10.83 for the general population, 13.00 for Caucasians, 5.01 for African-Americans, 13.71 for American Indians/Alaskan Natives, 3.28 for Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 9.43 for Hispanics. Survival curves were not significant when compared based on the race of the patients. However, survival curves showed statistical significance when compared based on gender, with median of survival (mOS) for males was 50 months, and for females mOS was 56 months (p-value 0.0.008, Hazard Ratio 1.084 [Confidence Interval 1.035 to 1.136], using Log-rank test. Conclusions: Mantle Cell Lymphoma has a strong predilection for males. It is more commonly diagnosed in the late 60s, median age being 69. Unequal racial distribution was noted, with caucasians (~80%) comprising most of the patient population, and the least commonly encountered were American Indians/Alaskan Natives(~0.50%). However, when incidence rates were calculated per 1,000,000 population in 2020, it was found that the incidence in American Indians/Alaskan Natives (13.71), is drastically higher than the general population(10.83) vs. incidence in Asians/Pacific Islanders(3.28) is significantly lower than the other races. Although race played no role in prognosis, females had better survival rates than males. This retrospective study was done to aid in better understanding of this curable malignancy, despite its rarity, aggressivity and the complexity in treatment.

The Battle of Cutaneous T Cell Lymphomas: Mycosis Fungoides Vs. Sezary Syndrome

Introduction: Mycosis Fungoides (MF) & Sezary Syndrome (SS) are two distinct extra-nodal Cutaneous T Cell Lymphomas (CTCL), which are a subtype of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL). Although belonging to the same entity, its presentation varies drastically. Early stage of MF is limited to the skin and whereas advanced-stage disease can involve lymph nodes, blood, & visceral organs, whereas SS involves the blood, lymph nodes, and skin. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to study the variance in the epidemiology and prognosis of MF and SS. Method: The data was collected from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database Research Plus Data, 17 Registries, Nov 2022 Sub (2000-2020). We extracted Mycosis Fungoides and Sezary Syndrome cases diagnosed after 20 years of age, with Lymphoid neoplasm recode 2(b)2.1.1 and 2(b)2.1.2. The analysis was stratified based on age, sex, racial incidence rates, & survival curves based were compared, using the Log-rank test (GraphPad Prism). Results: 8853 cases of MF were identified between 2000-2020. The median age of diagnosis was 60 years. Of the affected individuals, 57.59% were males and 42.40% were females. The incidence of MF, per 1,000,000 population, in 2000 was 6.1 & 6.05 in 2020. 62.45% were whites, 13.75% were blacks, 6.98% were Asians/Pacific Islanders, 0.42% were American Indians/Alaskan Natives, & 11.64% were Hispanics. 5.2% of patients had localized disease, 8.38% patients had regionall disease, & 1.34% had the evidence of distant metastasis. vs. 307 cases of SS were identified between 2000-2020. The median age of diagnosis was 71 years. Of the affected individuals, 56.35% were males and 43.64 were females. The incidence rate of SS, per 1,000,000 population, in 2000 was 0.17 & 0.28 in 2020. 69.70% were whites, 14.00% were blacks, 2.28% were Asians/Pacific Islanders, 0.65% were American Indians/Alaskan Natives, & 12.70% were Hispanics. 46.24% of patients had localized disease, 38.11% patients had regional disease, & 16.61% had the evidence of distant metastasis. Survival analyses were compared for the general population & further stratified based on races, between MF & SS. The median of survival (mOS) was 238 months for MF & 39 months for SS ( p<0.0001, Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.2215, Confidence Interval (CI) 0.1649 to 0.2975.) Conclusion: When the subtypes of CTCLs, MF & SS, were compared, prevalence of MF was significantly more than SS. Incidence of MF somewhat stayed the same in 20 years vs SS showed an uptrend. Median age for diagnosis was higher SS (71 years) vs. SS(60 years). Both showed a strong predilection towards males. The most commonly affected race for both, was seen in Whites & the least was for American Indians/Alaskan Natives. Survival for MF(238 months) was significantly higher than SS (39 months). Although rarer of the two CTCL, SS has a poorer prognosis. With this retrospective study, our aim was to understand the epidemiology of the two CTCLs, as with the newer treatment options for these diseases like Romidepsin and Brentuximab Vedotin, it would be interesting to do a follow-up study on the epidemiological variability & survival, for these rare hematological malignancies.

BIPOC Experiences of Racial Trauma on TikTok: A Qualitative Content Analysis.

Racial trauma has long been an issue in American society. Recent incidents of racial violence, including the attack and murder of George Floyd and the rise of anti-Asian hate have garnered significant media attention. People often use social media to express their emotions and perspectives on national events, and it has become a popular forum for posting and commenting on content related to timely social issues. In effort to understand individual perspectives, and experiences of racial trauma discussed on social media, we analyzed content labeled with the hashtag "racial trauma" on TikTok during significant racial incidents from March 2020 to May 2022. Results of content analysis showed six themes, (1) encountering racism, (2) traumatic experiences, (3) consequences of experiencing racial trauma, (4) expressing difficult feelings, (5) questioning and challenging oppression, denial, and privilege, and (6) a call to action: raising awareness. Findings inform clinicians' understanding of how their clients experience racial trauma. Clinical implications for incorporating a nuanced understanding of racial trauma in mental health treatment are discussed.

IgA Nephropathy: Pleiotropic impact of Epstein-Barr virus infection on immunopathogenesis and racial incidence of the disease.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune disease in which poorly galactosylated IgA1 is the antigen recognized by naturally occurring anti-glycan antibodies, leading to formation of nephritogenic circulating immune complexes. Incidence of IgAN displays geographical and racial disparity: common in Europe, North America, Australia, and east Asia, uncommon in African Americans, many Asian and South American countries, Australian Aborigines, and rare in central Africa. In analyses of sera and cells from White IgAN patients, healthy controls, and African Americans, IgAN patients exhibited substantial enrichment for IgA-expressing B cells infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), leading to enhanced production of poorly galactosylated IgA1. Disparities in incidence of IgAN may reflect a previously disregarded difference in the maturation of the IgA system as related to the timing of EBV infection. Compared with populations with higher incidences of IgAN, African Americans, African Blacks, and Australian Aborigines are more frequently infected with EBV during the first 1-2 years of life at the time of naturally occurring IgA deficiency when IgA cells are less numerous than in late childhood or adolescence. Therefore, in very young children EBV enters "non-IgA" cells. Ensuing immune responses prevent infection of IgA B cells during later exposure to EBV at older ages. Our data implicate EBV-infected cells as the source of poorly galactosylated IgA1 in circulating immune complexes and glomerular deposits in patients with IgAN. Thus, temporal differences in EBV primo-infection as related to naturally delayed maturation of the IgA system may contribute to geographic and racial variations in incidence of IgAN.

A Seat at the Table: An Examination of Hospital Governing Board Diversity, 2011-2021.

Board diversity is increasingly important for hospitals and healthcare systems, with national attention focused on eliminating health disparities and improving health equity. Yet, it remains a challenge despite concerted efforts by leading professional associations (e.g., American College of Healthcare Executives) to galvanize their constituents around the importance of the issue. This study used survey data from The Governance Institute to explore the ethnoracial and gender diversity of hospital boards spanning 2011 through 2021. The results showed modest gains in the mean number of female board members, although a small proportion of hospital boards still have no female representation. There was little change in the number of boards with ethnic minority representation until an uptick in 2021, likely in direct response to high-profile racial incidents and protests. Intentional and sustained efforts are necessary to increase diversity and create a culture of inclusion that fosters meaningful engagement of diverse board members.

Orthopaedic Diagnoses in the Black Pediatric Population.

The Black pediatric population is one that has been historically underserved and continues to have unmet needs. Factors including lack of diversity in orthopaedic studies and in historical standards, such as bone age, may inadvertently lead to inferior care. There are certain conditions in this population for which the practicing orthopaedic surgeon should have a higher degree of suspicion, including slipped capital femoral epiphysis, Blount disease, and postaxial polydactyly. Systemic diseases with higher rates in this population have orthopaedic manifestations, including sickle cell disease, vitamin D deficiency, and obesity. Racial discrepancies in access to prenatal care can have orthopaedic consequences for babies, especially cerebral palsy and myelodysplasia. Racial discrepancy exists in evaluation for nonaccidental trauma. Increased awareness of these issues better prepares practitioners to provide equitable care.

How a Reenacted Racial Violation Shifts How Organizations Manage Race

Some research suggests that organizations proactively respond to social issues through social activism and, more broadly, to large-scale cultural, political, or commercial events that attract significant media attention. Yet, more recently, other research has suggested that community-based racial issues enter the workplace primarily through the consciousness of minority group members who struggle cognitively and emotionally with these events as opposed to through active organizational-level response. Our inductive, qualitative study of 13 corporate organizations illustrates the conditions under which these organizations integrate racial issues more deeply into their consciousness and actions following a racial incident in the community. We define this incident as a reenacted racial violation. Ultimately, our theory of the organizational integration of race following a reenacted racial violation in the community extends beyond existing research in that we focus on a racial violation that closely resembles one or more past racial violations, and triggers a number of organizational-level actions over time. We also offer practical insights for responding to reenacted racial violations from an organizational perspective.

Melodramatizing racialized Korea: the impasse of Black representation in Itaewon Class

ABSTRACT This article examines how Itaewon Class (Itaewon Keullasseu, JTBC, 2020) employs melodrama as a mode to recognize racial injury in the form of cathartic pathos on the character of Toni. This representational strategy renders Toni’s Blackness less legible to construct the series as quality, diverse, and progressive while failing to tackle the cultural specificity of the Black Korean experience. Despite the growing visibility of Black entertainers and the use of Blackface in Korean popular culture, which have been the subject of controversy and scrutiny, there is a dearth of scholarship that analyses the representation of Blackness in contemporary Korean media. Drawing on industrial and textual analysis, this article explores how the illegibility of Toni’s Blackness is used to obfuscate dominant representations of Blacks in the past with ties to U.S. military occupation. The cultural specificity and legibility of Blackness as a signifier of racial difference is disguised under the exploited melodramatic narrative of mixed-race children’s search for their biological father. The article also argues that Itaewon Class aims to obscure antiblackness embedded firmly in Korea’s racialized past involving Black Korean children, while calling forth racial incidents and Black victimization to envision a new modern Korea.

"Write with New Urgency": A Conversation with Ben Okri

"Write with New Urgency"A Conversation with Ben Okri February 2022 Click for larger view View full resolution Click for larger view View full resolution Click for larger view View full resolution Author of The Famished Road, among other books, Ben Okri has never been a run-of-the-mill writer. He has been hailed as "a literary and social visionary," and his oeuvre—novels, plays, poetry, haiku, stories—probe essential truths of our times. Creatively, he is as restless as ever, reimagining and expanding his literary landscape. Earlier this year, two new works—an edition of his 1995 quest novel, Astonishing the Gods (featuring a new introduction), and the eco-fable Every Leaf a Hallelujah—were published in the US by Other Press. Here, he speaks about invisibility, consciousness, and the lifesaving powers of literature. [End Page 26] Anderson Tepper: In your introduction to Astonishing the Gods, you explain how the book poured out of you in the summer of 1993. Tell me more about what prompted it. Ben Okri: The truth is I had been carrying the germ of the idea of the novel since I was a child. I had always wanted to write a story about a person who arrives on a mysterious island. Later I became fascinated by the ancient trope of invisibility. It is there in fairy tales and legends. In Nigeria, in certain traditions, individual disappearance, return, and transformation are linked. Then a strange incident happened to me. It was a racial incident, and it ignited the third link in the magic chain of inspiration. Suddenly I knew who these invisible people of the island were and why they were invisible. The book was written the way it was because of a technique I learned from late Renaissance art, a technique that is also there in the best of traditional African art. And because of the indirect way it's written, a few people read the novel the wrong way. They thought I was celebrating self-annihilation or some form of social abdication. A few incisive questions would have revealed other layers. Astonishing the Gods had to be written the way it was to be true to its themes. The real question now is, What are its themes? Tepper: What was it like to revisit the book today, and why publish it in the US now? Okri: Books are seldom what we think they are. If they are any good, they reveal aspects of themselves not comprehended before. Invisibility is little understood. In a world where everything visible is celebrated, people don't understand that invisibility is the precondition for true creativity. Writers are mostly invisible when they write. We only see them when the work is done. In the night things grow unseen. In the mind ideas germinate unnoticed. The common aspiration is to be seen. But there is another higher invisibility where thought is prepared, where the best work is done, and where true transformation occurs. I think this new paradigm is much needed now in America where there is a kind of arms race of visibility, leading to exhaustion and stress and depletion of the creative and spiritual faculties. I believe there is a reason this book has taken twenty-seven years to come to America. There is a mysterious destiny in books. When a book like this appears in a land, that is when it is most needed. Astonishing the Gods is in America at the right hour. These things happen due to an underlying power greater than individuals. It is perhaps the power of culture itself. Tepper: Like the book's hero, you "set out to find one thing, but found another." What did you discover in the process of writing? Okri: One of the great things I discovered is that sometimes a book wants to write you, and you should have the humility to let it. But also you must always be ready for when a really deep dream, a big work, needs your aesthetic, your humanity, to come into being. Most books we write, we choose, we determine. But every now and again, for reasons beyond our immediate understanding, a book wants to write you, wants...

Highly public anti-Black violence and preterm birth odds for Black and White mothers

Highly public anti-Black violence may increase preterm birth in the general population of pregnant women via stress-mediated paths, particularly Black women exposed in early gestation. To examine spillover from racial violence in the US, we included a total of 49 high publicity incidents of the following types: police lethal force toward Black persons, legal decisions not to indict/convict officers involved, and hate crime murders of Black victims. National search interest in these incidents was measured via Google Trends to proxy for public awareness of racial violence. Timing of racial violence was coded in relation to a three-month preconception period and subsequent pregnancy trimesters, with the primary hypothesis being that first trimester exposure is associated with higher preterm birth odds. The national sample included 1.6 million singleton live births to US-born Black mothers and 6.6 million births to US-born White mothers from 2014 to 2017. Using a preregistered analysis plan, findings show that Black mothers had 5% higher preterm birth odds when exposed to any high publicity racial incidents relative to none in their first trimester, and 2–3% higher preterm birth odds with each log10 increase in national interest. However, post hoc sensitivity tests that included month fixed effects attenuated these associations to null. For White mothers, associations were smaller but of a similar pattern, and were attenuated when including month fixed effects. Highly public anti-Black violence may act as a national stressor, yet whether racial violence is associated with reproductive outcomes in the population is unknown and merits further research.

Miseducation in South African Public Schooling: the case of To Kill a Mockingbird

A racial incident revolving around the teaching of To Kill a Mockingbird in a South African school has prompted this examination of how set works are implicated in the dissemination race-related beliefs. The way the book is taught, it is argued, cements the continuation of the alienation of blackness by affirming ubiquitous white normativity. It perpetuates the notion that the fault lies in an ‘existential deviation’ that inheres in black people. This examination highlights how, through the purposive propagation of white normality, the book exhibits anti-black sentiments. The sympathetic white psyche that subsists simultaneously with the continuing enjoyment of racial favouritism, is appraised. The stance of the book is confronted by noting the contrived largely absent voices of black people in the narrative. This book positions the black characters as props, for the absolution of the white protagonists (and by proxy sympathetic white people) during circumstances of the unremitting and deadly racial oppression.

Abstract 2205: Molecular subtypes of head and neck cancer in patients with African ancestry

Abstract Epidemiological data identifies disparities in black patients for head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) screening, detection, treatment, and survival. Although socioeconomic and environmental factors play a role in the existing racial disparities, HNSCC incidence and survival rates in the black population cannot be attributed to these factors alone. To investigate the role race plays in the genomics of head and neck cancer, we examined HNSCC samples from 49 black and 446 white patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We used computationally-derived ancestry identifications to correlate race with HNSCC molecular features. We then characterized the extent to which genomic alterations in black patients impact their clinical outcomes. We found that black patients lived significantly fewer disease-free months and had a poorer overall survival than white patients. Black patients showed a higher frequency of human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative than HPV-positive tumors compared to white patients. Black patients were found to suffer higher rates of metastasis and more aggressive lymph node involvement. Differences in patient primary tumor site were also identified, with black patients having a higher prevalence of tumors in the larynx and lower prevalence of tumors in the tongue compared to white patients. We also found higher frequencies of RUNX1T1, KMT2D, and UNC13C mutations and lower frequency of PIK3CA mutations in black patients. We found a significant enrichment of MYC signaling and amplifications in the tumors of black patients compared to white patients. Novel data uncovered by this project brings us closer to understanding the racial disparities in HNSCC, and advances research aimed at eliminating those disparities. Unique tumor mutations and molecular signatures show promising clinical utility in providing more targeted, individualized screening diagnostic, and treatment modalities to reduce outcome disparities in the black population. Citation Format: Nadia Mezghani, Alexandria G. Yao, Alison M. Taylor, Fatemeh Momen-Heravi. Molecular subtypes of head and neck cancer in patients with African ancestry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2205.

Underreporting of race/ethnicity in COVID-19 research

ObjectivesAlthough racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare have long been recognized, recent discourse around structural racism will hopefully lead to improved transparency surrounding these issues. Despite the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial/ethnic minorities, the extent and reliability of race reporting in COVID research is unclear. MethodsCOVID-19 research published in three top medical journals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was reviewed and assessed for race reporting and proportional representation. ResultsOf the 95 manuscripts that were identified, 56 reporting on 252,262 patients met eligibility. Thirty-five (62.5%) did not report race distribution and 15 (26.7%) did not report ethnicity. There was no difference based on journal (P = 0.87), study sponsor (P = 0.41), whether the study was retrospective or prospective (P = 0.33), or observational vs interventional (P = 0.11). Studies with ≥250 patients were more likely to report on race (OR 4.01, 95% CI: 1.12–14.37, P = 0.027), and North American (USA and Canada) studies were more likely than European studies (OR 7.88, 95% CI: 1.73–37.68, P = 0.006) to report on race. COVID-19 research mirrored USA COVID-19 racial incidence; however, both showed higher distribution of COVID-19 infection among Blacks and a smaller proportion of Whites compared to the USA population. This suggests that research is broadly representing infection rates and that social determinants of health are impacting racial distribution of infection. ConclusionsDespite increasing awareness of racial disparities and inequity, COVID-19 research during the first wave of the pandemic lacked appropriate racial/ethnicity reporting. However, research mirrored COVID-19 incidence in the USA, with an increased burden of infection among Black individuals.

Highly public anti-Black violence is associated with poor mental health days for Black Americans

Highly public anti-Black violence in the United States may cause widely experienced distress for Black Americans. This study identifies 49 publicized incidents of racial violence and quantifies national interest based on Google searches; incidents include police killings of Black individuals, decisions not to indict or convict the officer involved, and hate crime murders. Weekly time series of population mental health are produced for 2012 through 2017 using two sources: 1) Google Trends as national search volume for psychological distress terms and 2) the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) as average poor mental health days in the past 30 d among Black respondents (mean weekly sample size of 696). Autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models accounted for autocorrelation, monthly unemployment, season and year effects, 52-wk lags, news-related searches for suicide (for Google Trends), and depression prevalence and percent female (for BRFSS). National search interest varied more than 100-fold between racial violence incidents. Black BRFSS respondents reported 0.26 more poor mental health days during weeks with two or more racial incidents relative to none, and 0.13 more days with each log10 increase in national interest. Estimates were robust to sensitivity tests, including controlling for monthly number of Black homicide victims and weekly search interest in riots. As expected, racial incidents did not predict average poor mental health days among White BRFSS respondents. Results with national psychological distress from Google Trends were mixed but generally unsupportive of hypotheses. Reducing anti-Black violence may benefit Black Americans' mental health nationally.

Repeated, Ongoing, and Systemic Incidents of Racism and their Harmful Mental Health Effects:: Addressing Trauma in the Lives of African Americans.

This article will examine the correlation between racial incidents faced by African Americans and the psychological impact these incidents have on members of African American communities, specifically focusing on the correlation between aggressive and frequent law enforcement contact/interaction and the traumatic impacts faced by African Americans as a result of said contacts and interactions. It will also attempt to contextualize the meaning of racial trauma and its ever-present reality for African Americans. Special attention will be paid to African American youth and young adults and the ongoing traumas faced by this group as they navigate through facets of American society, both within and without their communities. A historical analysis will bolster the theory that historical events can and do create trauma (peripheral) for African Americans. The article will then discuss racial trauma as the result of frequent and ever-present forms of discrimination, including how interactions with law enforcement can exacerbate mental health issues related to trauma. Finally, recommendations will be made to reduce and prevent trauma associated with law enforcement contact and interaction.

Intergroup Contact, COVID-19 News Consumption, and the Moderating Role of Digital Media Trust on Prejudice Toward Asians in the United States: Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundThe perceived threat of a contagious virus may lead people to be distrustful of immigrants and out-groups. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the salient politicized discourses of blaming Chinese people for spreading the virus have fueled over 2000 reports of anti-Asian racial incidents and hate crimes in the United States.ObjectiveThe study aims to investigate the relationships between news consumption, trust, intergroup contact, and prejudicial attitudes toward Asians and Asian Americans residing in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compare how traditional news, social media use, and biased news exposure cultivate racial attitudes, and the moderating role of media use and trust on prejudice against Asians is examined.MethodsA cross-sectional study was completed in May 2020. A total of 430 US adults (mean age 36.75, SD 11.49 years; n=258, 60% male) participated in an online survey through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform. Respondents answered questions related to traditional news exposure, social media use, perceived trust, and their top three news channels for staying informed about the novel coronavirus. In addition, intergroup contact and racial attitudes toward Asians were assessed. We performed hierarchical regression analyses to test the associations. Moderation effects were estimated using simple slopes testing with a 95% bootstrap confidence interval approach.ResultsParticipants who identified as conservatives (β=.08, P=.02), had a personal infection history (β=.10, P=.004), and interacted with Asian people frequently in their daily lives (β=.46, P<.001) reported more negative attitudes toward Asians after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Relying more on traditional news media (β=.08, P=.04) and higher levels of trust in social media (β=.13, P=.007) were positively associated with prejudice against Asians. In contrast, consuming news from left-leaning outlets (β=–.15, P=.001) and neutral outlets (β=–.13, P=.003) was linked to less prejudicial attitudes toward Asians. Among those who had high trust in social media, exposure had a negative relationship with prejudice. At high levels of trust in digital websites and apps, frequent use was related to less unfavorable attitudes toward Asians.ConclusionsExperiencing racial prejudice among the Asian population during a challenging pandemic can cause poor psychological outcomes and exacerbate health disparities. The results suggest that conservative ideology, personal infection history, frequency of intergroup contact, traditional news exposure, and trust in social media emerge as positive predictors of prejudice against Asians and Asian Americans, whereas people who get COVID-19 news from left-leaning and balanced outlets show less prejudice. For those who have more trust in social media and digital news, frequent use of these two sources is associated with lower levels of prejudice. Our findings highlight the need to reshape traditional news discourses and use social media and mobile news apps to develop credible messages for combating racial prejudice against Asians.

The More Divided Academy: Did the Fall of the Faculty and the Rise of the All-Administrative University Increase Racial Conflict in Higher Education?

Despite efforts to redress racial grievances, American’s most progressive institutional sector, higher education, suffers racial incidents with disturbing frequency. We hypothesize that one explanation lies in the bureaucratization of higher education. Various trends have led to what Benjamin Ginsberg calls “the fall of the faculty” and “the all-administrative university.” We hypothesize that insulated from students and responsive to national employment markets, administrators adopt policies promoting the short-term appearance of successful integration, and driven by ideology. Faculty, in contrast, may focus on long-term student well-being, acknowledging policy tradeoffs. Using the North American Academic Survey Study ( n = 1,643 faculty and 808 administrators), we construct statistical models of attitudes toward race-based undergraduate admissions and faculty hiring. Contrary to predictions, both faculty and administrators offer nuanced support for affirmative action acknowledging potential tradeoffs. Further, ideology better explains faculty than administrator support. Implications are discussed.

“Your Skin’s Not as Good as Us”: Microaggressions among Transracially-Adopted Children from China

This mixed methods study examined the nature of adoption and racial microaggressions and their relations with age and community diversity among 42 Chinese transracial adoptees ages 5–9. Using microaggression typologies by Baden and Sue et al., we found that children must often navigate multiple messages within a single microaggression incident. Although experience and awareness of microaggressions did not differ among children by community diversity, experience of racial microaggression incidents was positively associated with age. Given that young children experience microaggressions, preparation for bias should be considered for children at young ages in a developmentally appropriate manner.