Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity Among Asian College Students: The Moderating Role of Interdependent Self-Construal

Authors

• Foong Yan Lee, Georgia State UniversityFollow
• Qianyi Wang, Georgia State University
• Eunseon Gong, Georgia State University

Abstract

The current study examined the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and racial group identification among 130 Asian college students at a U.S. institution. Using moderation regression analyses, results indicated that perceived racial discrimination was associated with lower racial group identification, and this relationship was significantly moderated by interdependent self-construal. Specifically, racial discrimination was negatively associated with racial group identification among students reporting lower levels of interdependent self-construal, whereas this association was not significant among those with higher interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest that individual differences in self-construal shape how Asian college students interpret and respond to racial discrimination and negotiate their connection to their racial identity during emerging adulthood. Implications for student affairs professionals include the need for culturally responsive support, identity-affirming programming, and targeted outreach to students who may be at greater risk of disengaging from their racial identity in response to discrimination.

First Page

128

Last Page

153

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Recommended Citation

Lee, F., Wang, Q., & Gong, E. (2026). Racial discrimination and racial identity among Asian college students: the moderating role of interdependent self-construal. Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs, 42(1), 128-153. https://doi.org/10.20429/jhesa.2026.420107