Mary Zheng

Date

5-4-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Ethnic minorities in the United States face prejudice and racial discrimination, causing feelings of distress. However, ethnic minorities have shown an ability to overcome these negative experiences. Racial identity has been associated with more adjustments and higher functioning for ethnic minorities. To gain a clearer understanding of this phenomenon, we included White people in this study to gain an accurate picture of how resiliency operates differently for people of color and Whites and if it is indeed distinct between the two groups. The purpose of this project is to find and examine the link between ethnic identity and resiliency in White people and people of color. Participants were recruited through the SONA system and instructed to complete two questionnaires. A series of t-tests and correlational analyses showed results consistent with our hypothesis. Ethnic minorities were found to have a stronger sense of ethnicity and to have an association between ethnic identity and resiliency. Because the population of ethnic minorities has greatly increased over the recent years, dedicating the time to study their psychological processes would help us gain a better understanding of the interactions between humans and their cultural environments and what we can do to improve them.

Department

Psychology

Thesis Comittee

Dr. Alice Wen-jui Cheng, Thesis Advisor

Dr. Joseph Schwab, Committee Member

Dr. Ashley Hansen-Brown, Committee Member

Copyright and Permissions

Original document was submitted as an Honors Program requirement. Copyright is held by the author.

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