Criss Shaniece, Kim Melanie, De La Cruz Monica M, Thai Nhung, Nguyen Quynh C, Nguyen Thu T
Department of Health Sciences, Furman University, Greenville, SC, 29613, USA.
Department of Anthropology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
Heliyon. 2024 Mar 28;10(7):e28823. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28823. eCollection 2024 Apr 15.
Racism is a critical social determinant of health because it can have a direct impact on health and well-being, as well as infiltrate systems, policies, and practices. Few studies have explored the similarities and differences of experiences with racism and health between different minoritized groups. The objective of this paper is to examine how racism influences life experiences from the perspectives of Asian & Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern women.
Eleven online racially/ethnically homogeneous focus groups with a total of 52 participants were conducted in the U.S., with representation from the North, South, and West coast. The online focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and two were translated into English (from Vietnamese and Spanish). The data was coded through NVivo and analyzed through a series of team meetings to establish themes.
Participants reported experiences of racism and discrimination, including physical and verbal personal attacks. They shared the role of microaggressions in their daily life, along with the ubiquitous anti-Black sentiment discussed in every group. Our participants discussed the complexities of intersectionality in their experience of discrimination, specifically regarding immigration status, language spoken, and gender. Participants also reported the role of direct racism and vicarious racism (e.g., the experiences with racism of friends or family, awareness of racist incidents via the news) in affecting their mental health. Some effects were fear, stress, anxiety, depression, and self-censoring. For participants in the Black and Latina focus groups, mental health stressors often manifested into physical issues.
Understanding the nuances in experiences across racial/ethnic groups is beneficial in identifying potential interventions to prevent and address racism and its negative health impacts.
种族主义是健康的一个关键社会决定因素，因为它会对健康和幸福产生直接影响，还会渗透到各个系统、政策和实践中。很少有研究探讨不同少数群体在种族主义经历和健康方面的异同。本文的目的是从亚太岛民、黑人、拉丁裔和中东女性的角度审视种族主义如何影响生活经历。
在美国进行了11个在线种族/民族同质焦点小组，共有52名参与者，代表来自美国北部、南部和西海岸。在线焦点小组进行了录音、转录，其中两个小组（从越南语和西班牙语）被翻译成英语。数据通过NVivo进行编码，并通过一系列团队会议进行分析以确定主题。
参与者报告了种族主义和歧视的经历，包括身体和言语上的人身攻击。他们分享了微侵犯在日常生活中的作用，以及每个小组都讨论过的普遍存在的反黑人情绪。我们的参与者讨论了交叉性在他们歧视经历中的复杂性，特别是关于移民身份、所讲语言和性别方面。参与者还报告了直接种族主义和替代性种族主义（例如，朋友或家人的种族主义经历、通过新闻了解到的种族主义事件）对他们心理健康的影响。一些影响包括恐惧、压力、焦虑、抑郁和自我审查。对于黑人和拉丁裔焦点小组的参与者来说，心理健康压力源常常表现为身体问题。
了解不同种族/民族群体经历中的细微差别，有助于确定预防和应对种族主义及其负面健康影响的潜在干预措施。
