Race, Identity & Belonging
My research investigates experiences of stereotyping and prejudice, focusing on how individuals recognize and respond to being targets of stereotyping. Recently, I examined these questions through the lens of U.S. White individuals, with a particular focus on understanding how White racial stereotypes (e.g., racist, prejudiced, biased) impact perceptions of Black-White Multiracial people. For example, my Master's thesis involved recruiting 900 online participants in a series of studies exploring how monoracial U.S. individuals evaluate Black-White Multiracial partners during an *anticipated* social interaction, shedding light on perceptions of mixed-race, Multiracial individuals with U.S. Black-White ancestry or heritage.
Building on this foundation, my dissertation work will explore the unique experiences of U.S. Multiracial women as they navigate multiple racial identities across diverse contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys (funded by a grant from Rutgers), experiments, and social network analysis, I aim to understand how identity integration and experiences of race- and gender-based discrimination influence racial-ethnicity identity development and identification among a sample of U.S. Multiracial women ages 18-35.
Finally, my dissertation research will explore an important and understudied topic: physical and mental health disparities among U.S. Multiracial women. By examining the intersections of race, gender, and social identity at large (e.g., class, sexuality, LGBTQ+ status), this research seeks to illuminate the complexities of Multiracial women's experiences and their strategies for managing identity challenges. My dissertation will also integrate critical theories and experimental methods to provide deeper insights into these dynamics, contributing to theoretical frameworks on identity and enhancing our understanding of diverse U.S. populations. The findings are expected to inform future research on the interplay of race, gender, and identity in shaping psychological experiences and outcomes.