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Examining Racial Microaggressions, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Bilingual Status with School Psychology Students: the Role of Intersectionality

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Abstract

The current study investigated the intersection of race/ethnicity and two related factors, gender and bilingual status, and the experience of racial microaggressions in a sample of school psychology graduate students. We proposed that race intersects not only gender but also bilingual status, leading to significant differences in the frequency of experiencing racial microaggressions. Through a national survey of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse school psychology graduate students (n = 228), the study examined the interaction of race/ethnicity, gender, bilingual status, and three types of racial microaggressions students might experience in school psychology graduate education: assumptions of inferiority, microinvalidations, and workplace and school microaggressions. Although bilingual status was not significant, our findings indicated that Black males were significantly different from all other groups in their experience of two types of racial microaggressions—assumptions of inferiority and school and workplace racial microaggressions. Implications for school psychology program recruitment and retention practices are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Refers to a person being forced into a group that is mistreated, faces prejudices, and/or discriminated against because of situations outside of one’s personal control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, NY, USA

    Sherrie L. Proctor, Jennifer Kyle, Keren Fefer & Q. Cindy Lau

  2. Department of Educational and Community Programs, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Powdermaker Hall 033, Queens, NY, 11367, USA

    Sherrie L. Proctor

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  1. Sherrie L. Proctor
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Correspondence to Sherrie L. Proctor.

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Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The survey’s cover page included a statement of informed consent, and students’ continuation of the survey indicated consent.

Conflict of Interest

Sherrie L. Proctor declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jennifer Kyle declares that she has no conflict of interest. Keren Fefer declares she has no conflict of interest. Q. Cindy Lau declares she has no conflict of interest.

Additional information

The authors extend appreciation to Priti Dave and Deborah Roth for their assistance with this project in its early stages.

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Proctor, S.L., Kyle, J., Fefer, K. et al. Examining Racial Microaggressions, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Bilingual Status with School Psychology Students: the Role of Intersectionality. Contemp School Psychol 22, 355–368 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-017-0156-8

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