Internalized Racism and Psychological Distress in a Racially Diverse Sample: Collective Self-Esteem as a Moderator

Internalized racism is a phenomenon that racial minorities experience when they accept racist ideologies, or myths informed by colonization, about their ethnic or racial group membership. The internalization of beliefs about racism and colonization contribute to the acceptance of negative messaging or stereotypical misrepresentations that inform perceptions about worth and ability. Internalized racism is associated with psychological distress racially diverse people. Collective self-esteem is a potential protective factor that can serve as a moderator in reducing distress and facilitating psychological well-being. The sample for this study consisted of 526 participants who self-identified as African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latinx American, or American of Arab or Middle Eastern Descent. The researchers used structural equation modeling to investigate the potential moderating properties of collective self-esteem on the relationship between internalized racism and psychological distress in a racially diverse sample. The findings indicated that specific domains of collective self-esteem moderated the internalized racism - psychological distress relationship. Our study is one of the first to examine the relationships between internalized racism and psychological distress for people who self-identify as Arab/MENA and adds to a growing body of research that investigates the psychological impacts of internalized racism and the protective effects of collective self-esteem for people who self-identify as African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Latinx.