Deaux, Bikman, Gilkes, Ventuneac, Joseph, Payne, &
Steele
Two studies assessed stereotype threat in two
generations of Afro-Caribbean immigrants. It was
hypothesized that second-generation immigrants might be
more likely to show performance decrements under
race-based stereotype threat, given a presumed shift in
the importance of one identity (i.e., West Indian) to
another (i.e., African American)and the greater exposure
to race-based prejudice in the second generation. In
Study 1, students of West Indian origin completed a
survey designed to measure the perceived favorability of
stereotypes of West Indians and African Americans, the
level of identification with each group, and
expectations of discrimination. First-generation
immigrants identified more strongly as West Indians and
this generation believed that stereotypes of West
Indians were more positive than second-generation
immigrants. Both groups viewed stereotypes of African
Americans as less favorable than stereotypes of West
Indians. The two groups did not differ in their
expectations of discrimination. Given that
second-generation immigrants were less likely to
emphasize their West Indian identity, it was
hypothesized that they might be more susceptible to
race-based stereotype threat. In Study 2, a set of
first- and second-generation immigrant college students
completed a test that was described as diagnostic
of verbal abilities and limitations (stereotype threat)
or part of an exercise in test development (control).
The race of the experimenter was also varied, so that
half of the students had a Black experimenter and the
others had a White experimenter. Test performance was
lower for the second-generation students under
stereotype threat compared with the control condition,
but it actually improved under stereotype threat for
first-generation immigrants. In addition,
first-generation immigrants performed better overall in
the presence of a White experimenter whereas
second-generation students performed better with a Black
experimenter. Taken together, these findings suggest
that second-generation immigrants are more likely to
identify as an African-American and show stereotype
threat effects typically found among African American
students. In contrast, first-generation immigrants are
more likely to identify as West Indians and show
stereotype lift resulting from positive perceived
stereotypes associated with that identity.
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