Offline and Social Media Racial Discrimination and Psychological Consequences among Asian Americans

Abstract This study explored the impact of race-based stressors, including offline and social media racial discrimination, as well as coping resources—such as social action support from both Asian and non-Asian racial groups—on the psychological distress of Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using structural equation modeling, data from 222 Asian Americans were analyzed. The findings revealed that frequent offline racial discrimination was associated with a strong racial identity and heightened perceived risk, whereas frequent discrimination on social media was linked to a weaker racial identity. Intra-racial social action support was positively associated with a strong racial identity and elevated perceived risk, while inter-racial social action support was linked to lower perceived risk. Moreover, the study found that racial identity was negatively correlated with psychological distress, whereas perceived risk was positively correlated with psychological distress. These results offer valuable insights into the factors contributing to the psychological distress of Asian Americans, with implications for initiatives aimed at enhancing their well-being.