User:Xinyuliu2000/sandbox

Draft of Contribution to "Internalized Racism"

Psychological Impact

A study conducted by researchers Mouzon and McLean found that there is a positive correlation between internalized racism in black individuals and the state of their mental health, specifically depression and psychological distress. The results showed that African-Americans and US-born Caribbean Blacks embodied more internal racism, and thus experienced poorer mental health than foreign born Caribbean Blacks. A similar study by researchers Graham and West discovered that anxiety is also correlational to internalized racism in black individuals. This conclusion is significant considering that, “... anxiety disorders have been found to be more persistent in Black American populations as compared to other racial groups.” The same study goes on to describe the methods therapists can take to mitigate the anxiety in black individuals caused by internalized racism, such as rationalizing negative thoughts.

Asian Americans are also subject to internalized racism, and the Internalized Racism in Asian Americans Scale (IRAAS) was created by researchers to determine the extent in which Asian Americans accepted the negative stereotypes about themselves. This results revealed that there is a correlation between mental health and the degree in which Asian Americans subscribe to the adverse racial stereotypes. These effects include lower self esteem, symptoms of depression, and general psychological distress.

In Education

The educational environment students are surrounded in can result in the development of internalized racism. When students from a minority group are placed in a school where the teachers and/or peers are majority white, the lack of diverse representation can produce feelings of inferiority. The perception of the majority group as superior can compel minority students to take on the cultural norms of that group in order to prevent alienation. Furthermore, the predominately white curriculum incorporated into the education system can give minority students the impression that only Eurocentric history is important. This further makes underrepresented students internalize that the history of their origins are insignificant.

Addition Under “Terminology and Classification”

Internalized racism is also explored in the Nigrescence model, introduced by William E. Cross in 1971. It explains how internalized racism in Black Americans involves the belief that white cultural values are superior than their own. The paper states, “The driving force behind this need requires Afro-Americans to seek approval from whites in all activities, to use white expectations as the yardstick for determining what is good, desirable or necessary.” This conviction can be corrected when black individuals self-determine their identities apart from the influence of their white counterparts.

Potential Healing for African Americans

Dr. Watts-Jones indicates in her study that there is a possible method in which African Americans can overcome their internalized racism. By finding sanctuary within the African American community, members are able to achieve mental and physical security from their racist environment. Dr. Watts-Jones states that the collective experience of pain in African Americans work in tandem to heal together. However, the process of healing can be extended outside the African American community, by allowing other racial groups to perceive African Americans’ internalized racism as well. In doing so, White people can be utilized as an ally rather than another force of oppression.

Article Selection

"Passing (sociology)"

• The article's content is relavent to racial passing. The tone of the article is neutral. Most of the claims are substantiated by citations. The existing citations are reliable, as most come from university research.

"Youth Activism"

• The article's content is relavent to youth activism. The tone of the article is neutral. Some claims can be backed up with evidence, such as the section about Asia's youth activism (even though it is only one sentence). The existing citations are reliable, as they originate from credible sources.

Article Evaluation of "Model Minority"

In the Wikipedia article title, “Model Minority,” the majority of the content remained relevant to the topic at hand, and nothing was distracting. In terms of the information cited, some of the statistics used to support claims were outdated. For instance, the article included a 2009 U.S. census bureau report that Asian Americans held a higher median income than other Americans. However, that may not be the case today, with the reality that the average American income has risen from nine years ago. Overall, other than the outdated statistics, the articles thoroughly covered the components involved in the model minority ideology.

When observing the tone of the article, the bias leans towards refuting the Asian American model minority concept, since it incorporates more evidence of that nature. For instance, there is a section of the article subtitled, “The effects of the stereotype,” where the psychological impacts of the model minority concept include an increase in the development of depression and lower self-esteem. In regards to the representation of viewpoints, because the model minority idea is more associated with Asian Americans as opposed to other minorities, it is within reason that the Wikipedia article placed a heavier emphasis on the relation to the Asian American community. The issues surrounding the Asian American model minority were adequately represented, although more information/statistics about the health and biological effects of the stereotype could be added.

The links to the citations do work, and the sources effectively upholds that claims made. The references sources are reliable, such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR (National Public Radio), the Pew Research Center, and more. The neutrality of the sources vary, as the NYT and Washington Post sources may have some opinions ingrained in the text, but official reports such as from the Pew Research Center are more likely to contain unbiased information.

The conversations revolving the “Model Minority” Wikipedia article include the technicalities of what it means to be Chinese in the context of history (such as the “Hans”), and the relevance of certain historical events (the Chinese Exclusion Act) in relation to the model minority concept. The article is currently given a C-rating for its content, and was a failed candidate for a featured article in 2005. The article is a part of the “Asian American” and “U.S. History” WikiProjects. The way Wikipedia discusses this topic is different because it highlights factual terms, while in class, students may use personal connections to gauge an understanding with the concept of model minority.