Asian American women's shifting refers to a coping strategy employed by some women of color to alter their self-presentation in response to perceived racism. To capture this phenomenon, a scale was developed using literature review, interviews with focus groups, feedback from cultural experts, and a national sample of self-identified Asian-American women. Factor analysis resulted in a 12-item scale that captured three key elements of shifting among Asian American women: White Beauty Conformity, Bicultural Shift, and Asian Language/Culture Avoidance. A subsequent study used this scale to test the relationship between shifting and mental health outcomes. We found that shifting mediated the link between the microaggressions experienced by Asian American women and their experiences with racism, both subtle and blatant. A convenience sample of Asian American adult women completed the aforementioned shifting scale (AsAWSS) along with a gendered racial microaggressions scale for Asian American women (GRMSAAW), and a subtle and blatant racism scale for Asian American college students (SABR-A2). Using a structural equation model, we found a partial mediation effect. Experiences with gendered racial microaggressions were linked to more shifting, which in turn, were associated with greater perceptions of both subtle and blatant racism. These findings elucidate the ways in which shifting can be a coping mechanism used by some Asian American women, but one that is not without its own psychological liabilities.

Authors:
Christine Ma-Kellams, San Jose State University, United States
Glenn Gamst, University of La Verne, United States
Leticia Arellano-Morales, University of La Verne, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Christine Ma-Kellams is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at San Jose State University in United States

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