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Evaluation ViewAttendees 2

Healing / Resilience
Symposia

Symposium 45 - Exploring Racial Trauma and Radical Healing in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities: Mixed Methods Investigations

Friday, November 15, 2024
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Congress B, Fourth Floor, Loews Hotel
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Racial Trauma, Asian Americans, Culture
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Ng, A. C., & Chu, W. (2024). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale in a sample of Asian American adults. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16(2), 250–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001451,   French, B. H., Lewis, J. A., Mosley, D. V., Adames, H. Y., Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Chen, G. A., & Neville, H. A. (2020). Toward a psychological framework of radical healing in communities of color. The Counseling Psychologist, 48(1), 14-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019843506,   Carter, R. T., Mazzula, S., Victoria, R., Vazquez, R., Hall, S., Smith, S., Sant-Barket, S., Forsyth, J., Bazelais, K., & Williams, B. (2013). Initial development of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale: Assessing the emotional impact of racism. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025911,   ,  

Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have been historically excluded from the discourse of racial trauma. Without scholarship to understand AANHPIs’ experience of racism, opportunities to promote AANHPI mental health may fall short. This symposium will highlight four separate investigations utilizing rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods from the AANHPI HEAling from Racial Trauma (HEART) Study, which explored AANHPIs’ experiences of and responses to racial trauma in the context of the syndemic of COVID-19 and anti-Asian racism.
First, Ng will present the results of a confirmatory factor analysis examining the factor structure of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (RBTSSS) in a sample of AANHPI adults. Findings suggest some support for the use of the RBTSSS to measure racial trauma symptoms in AANHPIs given that few measures of this construct have been tested in majority AANHPI samples. Descriptives to characterize the experience of racial trauma among AANHPIs in the sample will also be presented.

Second, Yu will present a mixed methods study that examined how AANHPIs describe being impacted by anti-Asian racism since the COVID-19 pandemic, and examine the associations between impact themes and constructs related to radical healing and racial trauma. Qualitative analysis resulted in the following themes: Personal experiences of racism; Vicarious experiences of racism; No difference or impact; Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive racial trauma reactions; Protected due to ethnicity; Protected due to environment/circumstance; and Individual and collective radical hope and healing. Regression models examined associations between themes, sociodemographic factors, and constructs of radical healing and racial trauma.

Third, Nguyen will present a reflexive thematic analysis study that explored how AANHPIs describe responding to anti-Asian racism. Participants described: Experiencing hopelessness and avoidance, which may be harmful or protective; Seeking a sense of community and belongingness to promote care; Engaging in political activism, volunteerism, and social media engagement; Fostering a sense of justice through advocacy within AANHPI communities and solidarity across other marginalized communities.

Fourth, Chu will present a quantitative study examining the associations between racial trauma symptoms measured by the RBTSSS and AANHPIs’ radical healing. Radical healing was quantitatively measured using scales that assessed cultural authenticity, collectivism, strength and resistance, critical consciousness, and radical hope. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that racial trauma was positively associated with radical hope, cultural authenticity, collectivism, critical motivation, and critical action. Racial trauma was not associated with perceived inequality, perceived egalitarianism, and strength and resistance.

Finally, Dr. Janie Hong, a national expert in understanding diversity factors in cognitive behavioral therapy, will discuss implications of the presentations for improving the quality of culturally responsive mental health and wellbeing programs for AANHPIs and future directions for researchers and practitioners.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Explain how racial trauma may manifest in AANHPIs.
  2. Describe cultural factors associated with racial trauma in AANHPIs.
  3. Describe cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to anti-Asian racism.
  4. Describe the radical healing framework.
  5. Identify specific ways to promote wellbeing in AANHPIs who experience racial trauma.

Presentations:

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
    (SYM 45) Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Race-based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale in AANHPI Adults

    Speaker: Andrea Ng, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of Hawai’i at Manoa

    Co-author: Wendy Chu, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
    (SYM 45) The Impact of Anti-asian Racism on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study

    Speaker: Stephanie H. Yu, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of California, San Francisco

    Co-author: Wendy Chu, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Andrea Ng, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of Hawai’i at Manoa

    Co-author: Y. Vivian Byeon, MA (she/her/hers) – University of California, Los Angeles

    Co-author: Belinda Chen, M.A. – University of California, Los Angeles

    Co-author: Julie Nguyen, B.S. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
    (SYM 45) Responses to Covid-related Anti-asian Racism Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: A Thematic Analysis

    Speaker: Julie Nguyen, B.S. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Andrea Ng, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of Hawai’i at Manoa

    Co-author: Wendy Chu, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Stephanie H. Yu, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of California, San Francisco

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
    (SYM 45) Collective Trauma Requires Collective Healing: The Association Between Racial Trauma and Radical Healing in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

    Speaker: Wendy Chu, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of South Carolina

    Co-author: Andrea Ng, M.A. (she/her/hers) – University of Hawai’i at Manoa

    Co-author: Stephanie H. Yu, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of California, San Francisco