Is Taller Better, or Whiter? A Racial Investigation of Asian American Women’s Height Preferences in Dating

Abstract The influence of race and racism on dating have received increased attention in psychological science. However, few studies have investigated how racial factors may affect height preferences in dating, especially among Asian American women. The present study thus examined the association between internalized racism, racial collective self-esteem, racial dating preferences, and ideal and minimum acceptable dating height preferences among Asian American women. Our final sample consisted of 300 Asian American women who completed an online cross-sectional survey including our study’s variables. Regression analyses revealed that internalized racism was positively associated with a taller minimum acceptable dating height of male romantic partners. In addition, a White dating preference was positively associated with a taller ideal dating height, whereas Asian, Black, and Latino dating preference were not associated. The present study highlights how height preferences may be influenced by racial factors such as internalized racism and a White dating preference. Media houses and social media may consider portraying men of diverse heights positively to dismantle the problematic height preference engendered by negative stereotypes toward shorter men. Furthermore, future studies are encouraged to inspect the aforementioned associations among ethnic subgroups of Asian American women.