# Racial discrimination and anti‐racist action: The mediating effects of fair‐society belief among Filipino American and Korean American young adults

## TL;DR

The study explores how Filipino American and Korean American young adults respond to racial discrimination by engaging in anti-racist actions, with a focus on the role of beliefs in a fair society.

## Contribution

The study identifies fair-society belief as a mediating factor in the relationship between discrimination and anti-racist action among Asian American young adults.

## Key findings

- Discrimination motivates Asian American young adults to engage in anti-racist actions.
- Fair-society belief mediates the relationship between discrimination and anti-racist action, particularly for U.S.-born Filipino Americans.
- Responses to discrimination vary among Asian American ethnic groups, highlighting the need for culturally specific programs.

## Abstract

Racial discrimination is an important developmental context for racially minoritized young adults, contributing to the formation of societal beliefs and civic commitments. While discrimination is understood to motivate anti‐racist action in young adults, the contributions of young adults' belief in a fair society toward this relationship remain unclear. This study examined fair‐society belief as a mediating mechanism through which Asian American young adults interpret experiences of discrimination and translate them into various anti‐racist actions. Using data from Filipino American (n = 265, M
age = 22) and Korean American (n = 347, M
age = 21) young adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2022, we conducted path analyses to test the mediating effects of fair‐society belief in the relationships between COVID‐19‐specific and general discrimination and anti‐racist action. Discrimination was found to motivate Asian Americans to engage in anti‐racist actions, although fair‐society belief served as a significant mediating factor only for Filipino Americans, particularly those who are U.S.‐born, in the link between COVID‐19‐specific discrimination and interpersonal anti‐racist action. These findings suggest heterogeneity in Asian Americans' response to discrimination and underscore the importance of considering specific ethnic contexts when developing programs to promote anti‐racist action in Asian American young adults.