Prejudiced When Climbing Up or When Falling Down? Why Some People of Color Express Anti-Black Racism

Abstract

We contend that some people of color express anti-Black prejudice to cope with their own marginalization. Individuals stationed along an in-group’s periphery are often motivated to exclude others to bolster their own belonging in a community. Yet this process is sometimes triggered when individuals feel they are losing their marginal position. We examine these dynamics in the context of Latino prejudice toward Black individuals, with American as the in-group. Study 1 shows stronger American identity among Latinos is associated with anti-Black racism, which then correlates with weaker support for Black-centered policies. Studies 2 and 3 induce Latinos to feel more American, which sometimes increases anti-Black prejudice and decreases support for pro-Black policies. Study 4 causes Latinos to feel less American, which powerfully heightens anti-Black racism and drastically undercuts support for Black-centered policies. These patterns are generally conditioned by ideology, with liberal Latinos exhibiting more sensitivity to their rank as American.

Shared Status, Shared Politics? Evaluating a New Pathway to Black Solidarity with Other People of Color

“…We have conducted 5 experiments on solidarity between PoC (including these two) that sample various communities of color (e.g., Asian Americans, Middle Eastern and North African [MENA] individuals). In a preregistered meta-analysis of these data (Pérez et al 2023b), we show that the direct path from treatment to outcomes has a small positive effect in the aggregate, but its statistical significance is inconsistent across studies, even at more relaxed significance levels. We thank Reviewer 3 for encouraging us to speak to this point.…”

Men of Color, Linked Fate, and Support for Women of Color Candidates

“…To the extent that Latino men do not want to share an "of color" identity with Black men, they may not express linked fate with "men of color." Furthermore, to the extent that Latino men are also anti-Black, they are less likely to express linked fate with "men of color," if they see the "of color" as being primarily Black (Pérez, Robertson, and Vicuña 2023). manipulate Latinos' feelings of Americanness, and when they prime Latinos to feel less American, Latinos become more anti-Black.…”

“…A significant theoretical development in the REP field is the emergence of theories and empirical investigations of PoC, or people of color, identity (Pérez 2021;Pérez, Robertson, and Vicuña 2023;Pérez et al 2022; also see Starr 2022;Starr and Freeland 2023). Despite common usage of the term PoC in the media, researchers have only recently begun to discern the degree to which individuals who can be categorized as such take up the PoC label.…”

The Political Consequences of Racialized Ethnic Identities

“…Latinos want to be recognized as a distinct racial group, possibly in order to receive recognition for the discrimination they face and to align themselves in solidarity with fellow racialized groups in the United States (but see Hernández 2021). Yet, solidarity with other racialized groups is not a given, as some members of the Latino community have responded to marginalization with anti-Black attitudes and actions (Benson and Clealand 2021, Pérez et al 2023). Moreover, the quest among Latinos for recognition as a separate racialized group is inextricably bound with other social justice struggles.…”