Examining the Association Between Perceived Discrimination Based on Race/Ethnicity and Tobacco Use Among Asian American Adolescents
By: Jo Nisa Cabilogan, Sarah Purnell, Betsy Centeno, Ilke Bayazitli
Department: Psychology
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Zena Mello
Perceived discrimination based on race/ethnicity has been associated with substance use among racial/ethnic minorities (Carter et al., 2017). However, our understanding of perceived discrimination based on race/ethnicity among Asian American adolescents remains limited. Individuals from Asian American community have experienced multiple forms of perceived discrimination based on race/ethnicity, such as overt and subtle racism (Gee, 2009). This is extremely crucial because during the COVID-19 pandemic, instances of prejudice against Asian Americans have greatly increased (Tessler, 2020). Furthermore, researchers have emphasized the need to identify factors contributing to Asian American adolescents' use of tobacco products (Kim, 2008). To contribute toward this goal, we addressed the following research question: How is perceived discrimination based on race/ethnicity associated with tobacco use among Asian American adolescents?