Weathering racism and colorism: exploring concurrent and short-term longitudinal associations between discrimination, colorism, psychosocial health, and Black and Latinx emerging adults’ relationship satisfaction
Abstract
Due to systemic racism, young adults of color have been disproportionately exposed to a myriad of environmental stressors. Given research suggesting that exposure to external stressors may influence how individuals evaluate their romantic relationships, the current study examined whether exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination is associated with how young adults of color appraise their partnerships. Using a sample of Black and Latinx young adults ( N = 86), the current study examined whether exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination may be indirectly associated with romantic relationship satisfaction—due to its relation to anger and depressive symptoms. Concurrent analyses indicated that young adults who encountered increased exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination were likely to report greater feelings of anger, and in turn, lower relationship satisfaction. In contrast, short-term longitudinal analyses indicated that exposure to discrimination may have positive and negative implications for relationship satisfaction. Findings underscore the importance of extending literature on the effects of racial/ethnic discrimination beyond individual well-being to include interpersonal relationships and suggest that socioculturally-relevant factors such as skin tone may make the relation between discrimination and romantic relationship outcomes more nuanced.
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When colourism is experienced from a different racialised group, it can intensify experiences of racism, such that those with darker skin are more likely to experience racialised discrimination.
“When colourism is experienced from a different racialised group, it can intensify experiences of racism, such that those with darker skin are more likely to experience racialised discrimination (Brown et al., 2023; Hunter, 2007).”
From Skin shade and relationships: how colourism pits Black and mixed Black-White women against each other (2024) · cites this paper as Brown et al., 2023
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- Authors
- Brown, A. M., Landor, A. M., & Zeiders, K. H.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2023-04-27
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 3244-3268
- ISSN
- 0265-4075 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-3608
- OpenAlex
- W4367318420
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3
- FWCI
- 3.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Missouri (Research Council Grant URC-15-073)
- University of Arizona Francis McClelland Institute
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- racial discrimination, colorism, skin tone, relationship satisfaction, romantic relationships, Black young adults, Latinx young adults, anger, depressive symptoms, psychosocial health, emerging adults
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