<b>Teaching &amp; Learning guide for:</b> An initial framework for the study of internalized racism and health: Internalized racism as a racism‐induced identity threat response

For academic researchers and interested individuals who would like to learn more about internalized racism and health, we suggest reviewing the papers listed in the Author Recommends section. For educators of introductory level undergraduates, we recommend the resources in the Online Materials section. For educators of upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, we recommend the resources in the Sample Syllabus section. Gale, M. M., Pieterse, A. L., Lee, D. L., Huynh, K., Powell, S., & Kirkinis, K. (2020). A meta-analysis of the relationship between internalized racial oppression and health-related outcomes. The Counseling Psychologist, 48(4), 498–525. https://doi.org/10.1177/001445w. In this meta-analysis, the authors reviewed 29 studies (32 effect sizes) on the relationships between internalized racism and negative physical and mental health outcome. They found that internalized racism is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2013). Racism and health I: Pathways and scientific evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152–1173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213487340. This paper outlines the multiple pathways by which racism can affect health. The model emphasizes the importance of distinguishing basic causes from surface or intervening causes. Hwang, W. C. (2021). Demystifying and addressing internalized racism and oppression among Asian Americans. American Psychologist, 76(4), 596–610. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000798. In this paper, the author reviews the literature on internalized racism among Asian Americans. They also discuss the importance of addressing the individual, family, and community mental health consequences of internalized racism. Last, they discuss preventive interventions to reduce internalized racism among Asian Americans. Graham, J. R., West, L. M., Martinez, J., & Roemer, L. (2016). The mediating role of internalized racism in the relationship between racist experiences and anxiety symptoms in a Black American sample. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22(3), 369–376. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000073. Using cross-sectional data, the study explored the potential mediating role of internalized racism in the relationship between racist experiences and anxiety symptomology in a Black American sample. They found that internalized racism mediated the relationship between past-year frequency of racist events and anxious arousal as well as past-year frequency of racist events and stress symptoms. Thus, internalized racism mediates between inter-personal stigma and health. James, D. (2021). Self-and group-focused internalized racism, anxiety, and depression symptoms among African American adults: A core self-evaluation mediated pathway. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(8), 1335–1354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220942849. Using cross-sectional data, this paper shows that internalized racism is indirectly associated with greater anxiety and depression symptoms via the affective (self-esteem, emotional stability), but not the motivational (locus of control, self-efficacy), components of core self-evaluations. That is, internalized racism is leads to adverse health via a self-evaluation- mediated pathway. Smith, L. L. (2022). Speaking the Unspoken: Understanding Internalized Racial Oppression from the Perspective of Black Women Psychotherapists. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 92(1), 48–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2022.2026855. This article explored how Black women psychotherapists understand internalized racism and whether this understanding influences psychotherapy with Black women clients. The author uses information from qualitative interviews to begin a discussion about the ways in which mental health providers can assess and target internalized racism. Steele, J. M. (2020). A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach to internalized racism among African Americans. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 42(3), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-020-09402-0. This article presents a CBT approach to understanding and treating internalized racism among African American clients. Racism and health https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/racism-disparities/index.html. What is internalized racism? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBrW129hKmg. Host Farah Nasser chats with University of Toronto professor Girish Daswani, as well as writer and communications professional, Gelek Badheytsang about internalized racism, how some people of color can develop self-hate for their own community, and how to unlearn it. https://www.racialequitytools.org/resources/fundamentals/core-concepts/internalized-racism. Healing from internalized racism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUl8tc7QlIo. Dr. Janeé M. Steele, faculty at Walden University, and a licensed professional counselor and certified CBT therapist, discuss how to heal from internalized racism. https://www.pbs.org/video/a-true-story-of-internalized-racism-ykccak/. A True Story of Internalized Racism: Jo talks about her opinions and experiences with internalized racism, the way we process racism, and how to be better than our mistakes. Jones, C. P. (2000). Levels of racism: a theoretic framework and a gardener's tale. American Journal of Public Health, 90(8), 1212–1215. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.90.8.1212. Williams, D. R., Lawrence, J. A., & Davis, B. A. (2019). Racism and health: evidence and needed research. Annual Review of Public Health, 40, 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-043750. David, E. J. R., Schroeder, T. M., & Fernandez, J. (2019). Internalized racism: A systematic review of the psychological literature on racism's most insidious consequence. Journal of Social Issues, 75(4), 1057–1086. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12350. Huber, L. P., Johnson, R. N., & Kohli, R. (2006). Naming racism: A conceptual look at internalized racism in US schools. Chicano-Latino Law Review, 26, 183–206. https://doi.org/10.5070/C7261021172. Bailey, T.-K. M., Chung, Y. B., Williams, W. S., Singh, A. A., & Terrell, H. K. (2011). Development and validation of the Internalized Racial Oppression Scale for Black individuals. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(4), 481–493. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023585. David, E. J. R., & Okazaki, S. (2006). The Colonial Mentality Scale for Filipino Americans: Scale construction and psychological implications. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(2), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.2.241. James, D. (2021). Self-and group-focused internalized racism, anxiety, and depression symptoms among African American adults: A core self-evaluation mediated pathway. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(8), 1335–1354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220942849. Trieu, M. M. (2019). Understanding the use of “twinkie,” “banana,” and “FOB”: Identifying the origin, role, and consequences of internalized racism within Asian America. Sociology Compass, 13(5), e12679. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12679. Thomas, A. J., Witherspoon, K. M., & Speight, S. L. (2004). Toward the development of the stereotypic roles for Black women scale. Journal of Black Psychology, 30(3), 426–442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798404266061. Velez, B. L., Polihronakis, C. J., Watson, L. B., & Cox Jr, R. (2019). Heterosexism, racism, and the mental health of sexual minority people of color. The Counseling Psychologist, 47(1), 129–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019828309. None. The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose. Drexler James is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He received his Ph.D. in social/personality psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Drexler's research examines how different dimensions of oppression become embodied at multiple levels to affect the health of racial and sexual minorities. His research uses and advances theories of social stigma to investigate the antecedents and consequences of internalized oppression, the mechanisms through which it may contribute to racial and sexual minority health inequities, and the factors that may exacerbate or mitigate its effects on health. His research makes significant theoretical contributions, advances our understanding of self-stigma, internalized racism, internalized homophobia, and health inequities, and has practical implications for improving the lives of marginalized communities.

Fetched live from OpenAlex and de-inverted. Abstracts are not stored in this database: the inverted indexes are 8.6 GB of the frame’s 9.3 GB of text, and the host has 13 GB free.