# Explicit, Vicarious and Internalized Racial Discrimination on Daily Associations and Long-Term Health Trajectories among Filipino, Korean, and Indian Americans

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · 2024 · $558,048

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The alarming 339% increase in the incidence of explicit racial discrimination (e.g., threats, unfair treatment due
to one’s race) experienced by Asian Americans since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is of high public
health significance given its robust associations to alcohol-related problems, depression, and physical health
outcomes (e.g., poor sleep) among minority groups including Asian Am. While important strides have been made
in understanding the link between explicit racial discrimination and numerous health outcomes, it is a complex
process encompassing at least 3 different types of racial discrimination: explicit, internalized and vicarious.
Internalized racial discrimination refers to inculcation of racist stereotypes, which for Asian Am. includes the
model minority stereotype and self-devaluation of oneself and one’s race. Vicarious refers to observing,
witnessing or hearing about other Asian Am. being a target of racism. Although internalized and vicarious racial
discrimination have been found to have similar adverse health consequences as explicit racial discrimination,
what remains unknown is: how different types of racial discrimination distinctly and transdiagnostically impact
daily (moment by moment) and prospective health trajectories among three potentially high-risk and vulnerable
Asian groups: U.S.-born Filipino, Korean and Indian Am. The theory of “weathering” illustrates how the
cumulative effects and burden of racial discrimination creates allostatic load on the body and consequently
undermines current and future health. We will conduct a 36-month longitudinal measurement burst design study,
using bi-annual surveys with 900 18–19-year-old U.S-born Filipino, Korean and Indian Am. from the community
and campus, and apply ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods with a nested subsample (n=180).
The age group 18-19 years represents a critical developmental period as problematic alcohol and other drug
use (AOD), depression, and anxiety emerge and peak during this time. We will identify cultural resilience-
promoting factors including ethnic/racial identity dimensions and universal factors (social support and coping)
that buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination. AIM 1a: Identify and characterize the developmental
trajectories of alcohol use and other drugs (AOD) use, mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD), and physical
health (sleep, general health) over the course of 36 months. AIM1b. Establish how explicit, internalized, and
vicarious racial discrimination are associated with the trajectory classes of AOD, mental health, and physical
health. AIM 2: Identify cultural resilience-promoting and universal factors that moderate the effects of explicit,
internalized, vicarious, and cumulative exposures to racial discrimination on health outcomes. AIM 3 will establish
the real-time contribution of different types of racial discrimination on daily and next day alcohol use, mood, and
sleep using EMA. St...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10981708
- **Project number:** 1R01AA031261-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
- **Principal Investigator:** Derek K Iwamoto
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $558,048
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10981708

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10981708, Explicit, Vicarious and Internalized Racial Discrimination on Daily Associations and Long-Term Health Trajectories among Filipino, Korean, and Indian Americans (1R01AA031261-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10981708. Licensed CC0.

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