The Adverse Impact of Racial Microaggressions on College Students’ Self-Esteem

Racial microaggressions are subtle (often unintentional or unconscious) forms of racial discrimination that negatively affect victims' mental health. Utilizing an undergraduate student sample (N = 225), the current study examined the relationship between racial microaggressions and self-esteem....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of college student development 2014-07, Vol.55 (5), p.461-474
Main Authors: Nadal, Kevin L, Wong, Yinglee, Griffin, Katie E, Davidoff, Kristin, Sriken, Julie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Aggression
Asian Americans
College Students
Educational Environment
Ethnic Groups
Mental Health
Minority & ethnic groups
Minority Groups
Prediction
Predominantly White Institutions
Questionnaires
Racial Bias
Racial Discrimination
Racism
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale
Self Esteem
Student Development
Studies
Undergraduate Students
United States (Midwest)
United States (Northeast)
United States (West Coast)
Victims
Work Environment
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Summary:Racial microaggressions are subtle (often unintentional or unconscious) forms of racial discrimination that negatively affect victims' mental health. Utilizing an undergraduate student sample (N = 225), the current study examined the relationship between racial microaggressions and self-esteem. Results indicate that racial microaggressions negatively predict a lower self-esteem, and that microaggressions that occur in educational and workplace environments are particularly harmful to self-esteem. Finally, findings reveal that individuals of various racial and ethnic minority groups experience racial microaggressions differently. Implications for student development and recommendations for further research involving racial microaggressions and college students are discussed.
ISSN:0897-5264
1543-3382
1543-3382
DOI:10.1353/csd.2014.0051