The present study examined the psychological effects of racism-related stress on Asian Americans (N=866). The purpose of the current study was to investigate a stress and coping model for Asian Americans by considering culturally based coping options. As such, the study sought to understand collectivistic coping as mediating the relationship between racism-related stress and psychological distress for Asian Americans. The stress and coping model, which was tested through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), hypothesized that higher racism-related stress leads to increased use of collectivistic coping strategies, which then decreases psychological distress (depression, anxiety, hostility and defensive paranoia). It was hypothesized that higher racism-related stress would have a positive effect on more collectivistic coping strategies which would then have a negative effect (decrease) on psychological distress. Racial identity status attitudes were also included separately to understand one's experience with racism related stress to provide more information into the within group variability in racism-related stress reactions that exist among Asian Americans. Results from this study indicated that Asian Americans utilize a culturally based coping style to respond to racism-related stress. However, those coping strategies are significantly related to increased psychological distress, which is contrary to the proposed hypothesis. Although not all the hypotheses were supported, the results of the study showed an overall acceptable model fit. The results therefore provide strong evidence to support that psychological distress is experienced as a result of racism-related stress for Asian Americans, despite the use of collectivistic coping strategies.

Despite the immense volume of depression literature, there are significant gaps of knowledge in depression research of ethnic minorities including Korean Americans. The primary purpose of this study was to enhance the theoretical and empirical understanding of the depressive experience of Korean Americans. A correlational-descriptive, cross-sectional design with multivariate analysis was employed to: (1) identify significant factors that influence the depression experience of Korean Americans, (2) test the psychometric properties of the Kim Depression Scale for Korean Americans, and (3) identify essential similarities and differences in manifestations of depression of Korean and Anglo Americans. A total of 305 subjects, 154 Korean Americans and 151 Anglo Americans participated in this comparison study of depression in Korean and Anglo Americans. The findings of this study identified some important mediators and moderators of the depression experience for Korean Americans. The results of the study also identified essential similarities and differences in depression manifestations of Korean and Anglo Americans. Among the most important outcomes of the study was the discovery of a clue that may help to delineate a cross-cultural boundary of depression. While understanding of the perceptions, antecedents, and outcomes of depression may need a culture-specific approach, the manifestation of depression seems to show more universal characteristics. These findings have implications for future cross-cultural depression research, the clinical management of depression, and potential preventive strategies against depression in immigrant populations such as Korean Americans.

The unremitting image of Asian Americans as being "Model Minority" has created a veil that conceals their incessant struggles with discrimination, prejudice and microaggressions on individual, institutional and cultural levels. Previous studies have highlighted the personal and collective struggles of this group and emphasized the harmful consequences to physical, emotional and mental well-being of Asian Americans. The current study explored potential factors that may influence the impact of experiencing racial microaggressions for Asian Americans. More specifically, a 2 x 2 between-subjects factorial design was utilized to examine whether level of familiarity and role of power in the target's relationship with the perpetrator differentially impacts the experience of a racial microaggression. A vignette illustrated a microaggressive encounter with a perpetrator who differed on these conditions with a sample of 263 Asian Americans. The findings indicate support for the damaging psychological consequences of receiving racial microaggressions with participants reporting significantly negative experience when the perpetrator was someone familiar in a position of authority. The results of the present study contribute to the literature on racial microaggressions by providing support for the injurious impact it has for Asian Americans and continues to challenge the model minority myth that persists to silence their voices and invalidate their racial reality.

This study determined the relationships among English oral communication apprehension, social interest, and locus of control of Far Eastern students, and examined whether differences exist in these variables, compared to gender, age, academic classification, major field of study, employment status, and length of study in the United States. Four instruments, including a demographic questionnaire, the Adapted Personal Report of Communication Apprehension-24 (AFRCA-24), the Social Interest Scale (SIS), and the Rotter's Internal-External (I-E) Scale, were used to collect data from the sample of 240 Far Eastern students enrolled at North Texas State University in the fall semester of 1986.