Ethnic Identity as a Mediator of the Relationship between Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being in South—South Migrant Populations

Alfonso Urzúa, Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar, Diego Henríquez, Marcos Domic, Daniel Acevedo, Sebastian Ralph, Gonzalo Reyes and Diego Tang
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Alfonso Urzúa: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile
Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar: Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
Diego Henríquez: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile
Marcos Domic: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile
Daniel Acevedo: Escuela de Psicología y Filosofía, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
Sebastian Ralph: Escuela de Psicología y Filosofía, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
Gonzalo Reyes: Escuela de Psicología y Filosofía, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile
Diego Tang: Escuela de Psicología y Filosofía, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: There is abundant evidence about the negative impact of discrimination on well-being, but less research on factors that can reduce this negative effect, mainly focused on North American samples and with incipient development on South–South migration. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of ethnic identity on the relationship between the experience of racial and ethnic discrimination and psychological well-being in Colombian immigrants living in Chile. A total of 962 immigrants over the age of 18 from three cities in Chile participated. Of these, 50.7% were women. The average age was 35 years (SD = 10.23). Participants were evaluated using Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scales, Phinney’s adapted version of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Scale, and Krieger’s Discrimination Experience Scale. After the analysis of the measurement models, a mediation model was analyzed using structural equations. The results provide evidence that ethnic and racial discrimination have negative effects on psychological well-being, with the effect of racial discrimination being greater. Likewise, ethnic identity has positive effects on psychological well-being and partially and completely mediates the effects of ethnic and racial discrimination on psychological well-being. The full effect of discrimination on psychological well-being, mediated by ethnic identity, is exercised only by racial discrimination and not by ethnic discrimination.

Keywords: psychological well-being; discrimination; ethnic identity; migration; racism; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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